Brushing is the single biggest difference you can make to your dog's oral health,
but this can sometimes be tricky. Keep sessions short (three minutes
is plenty) and take care putting your fingers into your dog's mouth - don't try
if your dog is aggressive or prone to biting.
Here are some tips to help get you started. It's a good idea to repeat each
stage for five days before moving to the next step:
1) Getting your dog used to the taste of toothpaste
- Wash your hands and smear a little bit of toothpaste on your index finger.
- Let your dog lick the toothpaste from your finger.
- Repeat two or three times.
2) Getting your dog used to his mouth being handled.
- Smear your index finger with toothpaste.
- Gently rub your finger over your dog's teeth and gums.
- Don't put your finger in further than your dog is comfortable with.
- Repeat this several times.
3) Introducing the toothbrush
- Wet the toothbrush with water and then smear it with toothpaste.
- Let your dog lick some of the toothpaste off the bristles to get used to the
feeling.
- Gently hold their mouth around the muzzle to stop them chewing the brush.
- Put your index finger & thumb on eitherside of your dog's nose, making a bridge
over the top and lifting the lips, gently brush the canines (the big, pointy teeth)
up and down. Start by angling the brush towards the gum line and brush away from
the gum towards the tip of the tooth.
- For now, avoid brushing the front teeth (incisors) – this is the most sensitive
area.
4) Brushing the back teeth
- As before, brush your dog's canine teeth up and down.
- Slowly move along to the teeth behind the canines, using a circular motion.
- Only go as far as your dog is happy with.
- Brush both sides of the mouth.