Many dogs suffer from plaque and tartar. As with us humans, it is ideal to brush the teeth of your dog every day. Lack of dental care can result in, among other things, loose teeth and gum problems. This can result in expensive trips to the vet, which many of us probably would rather be without.
It is clearly easier to teach puppies and young dogs to get their teeth brushed, but adult dogs can also learn it - however, the training process can take longer. When introducing your dog to the toothbrush, it is important to associate it with good experiences!
It's important not to move forward with too much haste, when the dog has to learn to get its teeth brushed. It may be a good idea to practice for a few minutes each day to be allowed to look at your dog's teeth and gently look in the mouth before training with the toothbrush. It is also important to get a toothpaste intended for dogs and a toothbrush - either a special one for dogs or a soft one for children.
Here you have 5 steps on how to teach your dog to get his teeth brushed:
1. Start by taking dog toothpaste on your finger and let the dog lick this off. Praise the dog when he licks it off and possibly introduce something you can say to the dog every time it needs to have its teeth brushed, before letting it lick on your finger.
2. After you've been successful with step 1 over several rounds, or if the training went really well the first time, you can start touching the teeth while having the toothpaste on your finger so that the dog gets used to the movement and touch in the mouth.
3. After success with step 2, you can now introduce the toothbrush. Start again by just taking toothpaste on the brush and let the dog lick on it, while you praise the dog. Feel free to use the word or phrase you have chosen to introduce to the dog before it has to get his teeth brushed.
4. When the dog feels comfortable, you can start brushing a little on the teeth. Start small so you only brush briefly and then remove the toothbrush and let the dog lick it again.
5. You can now increase the time the toothbrush is in the mouth and try to brush further inside the mouth.
After a few weeks of training, you should get a dog that appreciates getting his teeth brushed. And REMEMBER to praise the dog during the training process.
Have good fun with the toothbrushing