My puppy will NOT let me clean his teeth!?!?!?

I have a 3 1/2 month old doxie mix (possibly min pin or rat terrier) That we got from the humane society when he was 8 weeks. I've tried many times since we got him to brush his teeth. With the toothbrushs you buy at the pet store (big one, little one, finger brush) even got an electric brish to see if that'd work. he FREAKS out and does anything to get away. Any ideas??

My puppy will NOT let me clean his teeth!?!?!?
Good for you for training him now to get his teeth brushed. A lot of small dogs especially have bad teeth and gums as they age and you're going to help him out.





First of all, he's still a baby and is going to fight it. You need to get him when he's napping or very, very tired. Have him lying on his side, be very calm, talk quietly to him and VERY gently brush just his front teeth the first few times. He's still going to try to chew the brush (and I believe you'll have better luck with the finger brush), but you just have to quietly persist. He's still very young, so don't worry about it if you can't brush the rest of his teeth for a while. Get him accustomed to the whole thing first, then work on getting more of the back ones brushed. The key is you have to be calm, gentle and persistent.
Reply:well now i can guess who runs who here the dog wins
Reply:yes go out and bye mr puppy a electric tooth brush hons way kool!!
Reply:Well, dogs don't really need to brush their teeth since their saliva has digestive enzymes that break down the food (unlike humans). Maybe you can have someone give him a back rub or belly rub while you brush his teeth.
Reply:Just give him medicated chew bones, or even real bones, to gnaw on.
Reply:All you can do is hold him down and clean them.That is what we do with are two big dogs
Reply:quit it girl give him a bone or a crunchy and be done with it.
Reply:Feed him Canidae kibble , and he won't need his teeth cleaned...really! it keeps the teeth sparkling clean, and the dog so very healthy..


Or, Get a good quality rope toy...the ones that appear to be twisted string tied in a knot. Soak it in unsalted broth. Dry it in a very slow oven. she will try to chew all the falovor out of that, and it works as dental floss to keep her teeth clean, and her breath fresh.


If she grows tired, (couple of months)as the flavor is gone, just wash by hand, and re-soak





this is an excellent article about nature's toothbrush..well worth considering,,%26gt; http://alt4animals.com/dental.htm
Reply:You can take him to a dog groomer to have his teeth brushed, they know how to handle this, and have more people to help. This is not too expensive! In the mean time, you can buy him dental chews from the vet, or mouth rinse from the vet, or even any dental hard bones, to keep his teeth clean.. Also feed a diet of only hard food, to reduce plaque buildup on his teeth.
Reply:Doggie Downers? Like maybe a can of beer?


JUST KIDDING!





Try putting something he likes on the brush, like SPAM. Let him lick the spam off until he likes the brush. Next sit down next to him with your arm around him, like you'd hold him to brush his teeth. Feed him the SPAM or whatever that way. Once he no longer fears the brush let him lick the doggy toothpaste off it. Then start with the front teeth and work to the back later.
Reply:Leave the poor pup alone! It is obvious he hates it and you are scaring him. The more you try the more mouth shy he will become and then if you have to check his mouth for something, he wont let you.


He will be getting sore gums because of teething as well.


Give him bones to chew, these will not only clean his teeth naturally but will help his teething.


If you dont want him to have real bones, you can get hide ones from pet stores and the like that do the same thing.
Reply:You can buy dental chews. That will usually get the plaque off. If it really bothers you, ask your vet how his teeth look, the vet can clean them for you if it is necesssary.
Reply:I'd just keep at it with the finger brush, and use some of that dog toothpaste with the meat and chicken flavors. We have doxies, and they are squeamish about any type of grooming, but if you keep doing it, they'll finally realize you are not going to give up and they are not being hurt. Nail clipping goes pretty smoothly for us, which is worse than brushing teeth. Good luck.
Reply:1. wait for him to go asleep





or 2. there are treats and bbiscuits that clean the dogs teath while he eats it. Very popular and it saves you chasig your dog with a tube of Colgate!
Reply:I have the same problem with some of our dogs that were adopted later in life and obviously weren't used to good dental care. Dog toothpaste comes in a variety of flavors, so you may want to try others to see if your dog will respond better to something else. Also, Petsmart (and other pet stores, I'm sure) has a dental liquid supplement that you add to the drinking water and it helps fight plaque, etc. I've been using it for a couple of weeks and our 4 dogs and several foster dogs have all enjoyed their water the same as before. It's not a substitute for proper brushing, but it may help on the days you lose the battle. Good luck!
Reply:I got mine a child's itty bitty toothbrush. She sits on the commode top and lets me brush her teeth.


Actually, I use human toothpaste. She likes the flavor(I know, I don't give here enough to swallow). But she SURE DIDN'T like the chicken flavor for dogs. So I said --"What the heck?" and I use mine. He'll get used to it. You have to keep on, and keep on, and keep on. And, um, SHOW HIM who's boss, by sticking with it.





Each time, brush just a little longer. Get him to trust you.





Puh-lease! No electric toothbrush!
Reply:go to the next page of dogs and read "how do I get my dog to let me brush his teeth" and I wont have to write all again. I will add that the bones they make for cleaner teeth DO NOT take the place of brushing. Good for you for being responsible.



safari browser