Chicken or Beef Toothpaste Does the Trick

Greetings Animal Lovers,
Think about how often humans brush their teeth. Although recommended at least twice a day I'm certain some of us may exceed or fall behind this number by one or two brushes. Now, think about how often humans brush their dog's teeth.  I asked four friends with dogs if brushing their dog's teeth was an activity practiced often.  All of them admitted to not doing it on a regular basis, and only one admitted to even trying it before.  According to the K-9 Lifesavers, a veterinary clinic in Virginia, its essential to brush your dog's teeth regularly to avoid periodontal disease.  The web-post on brushing your dog's teeth points out,

"Periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss and affects most dogs before they are 3 years old. Bacteria from [this] disease can spread to affect other organs and cause illness."

Many people are unaware of this disease and the effect it has on their pet's overall well being.  Brushing your dog's teeth can prove difficult, and for this reason I wanted to highlight the proper technique involved in this task. To prepare, all you need is a child-like toothbrush, pet toothpaste (because regular toothpaste would definitely upset your dog's stomach and cause illness), and a treat to give your pup after the cleaning is complete; this acts as positive reinforcement.  If your dog doesn't like the toothbrush, your can substitute a cut of a washcloth to get the job done.

• First things first: get your pet used to you fiddling around in their mouth by rubbing your finger along their teeth and gum-line. Lift their lips, open their mouths and just feel around for some time.  This will let your dog know that someone touching in their mouth is okay and not harmful or scary. 
• Next: let your dog sniff and lick the toothbrush and toothpaste you plan on using.  Let them lick some paste off of the brush. It's important for them to get used to the hard texture of the bristles, so they get a sense of what to expect when the brush enters their mouth.  Many experts suggest chicken or beef flavored toothpaste, so that the taste is something your dog will enjoy.  
• Now: understand that dog's teeth don't need to be as thoroughly brushed as humans.  The outside of teeth (facing the cheek) are the only parts that really need attention.  Rub the toothpaste on your finger, and then rub your finger across two or three teeth at a time.  After that take the toothbrush with just a couple short circular strokes, and brush the outsides of the teeth you previously applied with paste.  Work quickly. *K-9 Lifesavers suggest only 30 seconds on each quadrant of the mouth about every other day to be affective.  
• Last: once you have successfully completed the task be SURE to give your dog some type of treat or reward for them allowing you to finish. The positive reinforcement needs to be there if you want your dog to get used to their regular brushings.  

As stated before dog's don't require as much scrubbing as humans do, so be careful not to over brush. Over brushing can lead to redness of gums or bleeding, which will prevent your pup from ever letting you brush their teeth again.  The most important part of this process is the positive reinforcement.  It's essential for your dog to relate getting their teeth brushed with something they appreciate. Rewards can be rawhide bones, treats, or just a long period of praise with extensive petting and what I call "doggy talk". Its good to start your dog's brushings at a young age, so when they get older their used to the process and how painless it really is.  Patience is also essential in this process, your dog may or may not allow you to complete the cleaning the first or second time.  Just stop if they start to get stressed, and pick up again the next day.  Not all dog's will appreciate this care.  For those who under no circumstance will allow you to brush their teeth, there are pretty priced plaque-preventive products that can be purchased from a local veterinarian to get the job done. Take a look at this video of a first time brushing for Katrina and her dog Talula. They help illustrate how simple and stressless this task can be.