How To Brush My Dogs Teeth

It's something a lot of people wonder about. How to brush my dogs teeth seems to be a common concern among pet owners. Well there's good news and bad news on this front. The good news is that if you feed your pet crunchy food and hard crunchy treats, you won't need brush very often. But the bad news is that it can be a real challenge.

Think about it, dogs are very much driven by instinct. And there is nothing instinctual in a dog that will prepare him for this. The idea is totally new to him. This means you'll have to take it slowly and allow him to get used to the idea.

You don't want to use a regular tooth brush for this. At least not at first. Get yourself a finger toothbrush. This is a brush that simply slides over your finger and allows you to run your finger around his teeth. Even though he may not like the idea, he will not want to bite you. After all, you are his owner and he love and relies on you. Also, don't use human toothpaste. There are flavored toothpastes made just for your dog.

Be sure to have a treat ready. Like any other kind of training, you'll want to reward his good behavior. Start by brushing the front teeth. After 3-5 seconds of brushing, give him his reward for his good behavior in allowing you to do so.

Even though we are focusing on our dog's health, we are also training here. So until he learns to allow this easily, you'll want to do this once a day for several days. Again we're just doing the front teeth and making sure to give a reward after every brushing.

As he becomes more comfortable with the daily process, start to move back, brushing the side teeth as well. After a few days of this you can move on to the back teeth. Always follow with a treat and always start in the front.

It shouldn't take more than a couple of weeks before he's comfortable with the whole process. Then you'll be ready to brush only when needed. And your pet will be accostumed to the process and allow you to brush him with little resistance.

Recommended Merchants

Dog.com - Discount Pet Supplies - At Dog.com you'll find quality toothpastes and finger toothbrushes for you pet, as well as a huge number of other dog supplies.

Petco.com - Petco is a pet superstore. Anything you could want for your dog is available here, including the right toothbrushes and pastes to take care of your pet's teeth.