Get your dog familiar with being brushed first
Get your dog used to having his teeth touched
Dogs in general are not used to having their teeth touched, especially adult dogs, and for them, touching their muzzle or teeth is a potential threat.
Choose a time when your dog is relaxed, such as when he is resting on his back, and start by stroking his mouth, transitioning a little to being able to lift his lips and then to being able to touch his teeth. For each action, if the dog resists, don’t force it. If it accepts it once, praise it immediately, pet it, or reward it with a small snack to let it know that the action is not only harmless but also beneficial.
Even if your dog doesn’t resist, don’t rush to brush his teeth. Spend a week or two touching his teeth regularly to reinforce his trust in that touch.
Familiarize your dog with the taste of toothpaste
Be sure to choose a toothpaste for dogs. Human toothpaste contains ingredients that are indigestible and even toxic to dogs, while toothpaste for dogs is not only edible, but a good toothpaste will taste like meat or milk, and dogs will love them as much as they love snacks, so they won’t resist brushing their teeth.
Rub a little toothpaste on your index finger, don’t rush to rub your dog’s teeth, let him sniff and lick it naturally, and then give him a little if he likes it, so he thinks it’s as delicious and harmless as a snack.
Personally, I recommend this chicken flavored toothpaste from Vick’s France, which uses a dual enzyme formula to fight off bacteria that cause disease and bad breath problems. Because it’s chicken flavored, dogs won’t resist at all and will naturally love brushing their teeth!
Familiarize your dog with the toothbrush
Whether you use a long-handled toothbrush or a finger toothbrush, it’s important to give your dog a familiarization process.
Put a little of your dog’s favorite toothpaste on the toothbrush, then also let him naturally sniff and lick or even bite it to get used to the feeling of the bristles rubbing against his teeth.
As with touching the teeth, the process of getting familiar with the toothbrush and toothpaste should last for a while. Make sure you don’t rush to start brushing when he is still resistant and fearful, as he may resist brushing for the rest of his life.
Get familiar with the feeling of brushing
Try gently brushing the front row of teeth, such as the large canine teeth, with a toothbrush or a fingertip to get your dog used to the brushing action, which can be rewarded with a snack.
Start brushing formally
Start with the front teeth on the side Dogs will be more sensitive to brushing the back teeth, so we should start with the front teeth first.
Lift your dog’s lips and start brushing the outside of the front row of teeth from the side, either in a circular motion or back and forth, but be sure to brush gently, teeth are not white in one day, too much force will cause your dog’s gums to sting or bleed and he will not let you brush.
Focus on brushing the outer side of the tooth, brush one side and brush the other.
Keep praising your dog during this process, and reward him with treats at first.
Brush the inside teeth. If the dog does not resist, try brushing the back teeth by lifting the back lip further.
If the dog does not resist and opens his mouth, try brushing the inside of the teeth with a long-handled toothbrush, again gently and not so hard that you poke the dog in the throat.
Don’t force your dog if he won’t open his mouth. Your dog’s tongue and saliva help clean the tartar on the inside of his teeth, so if he doesn’t cooperate, it’s okay to focus on the outside of his teeth.
Rub stubborn tartar with a two-finger glove Long-handled toothbrushes and single-finger glove toothbrushes are effective in cleaning debris and bacteria attached to the teeth, but they are a bit overwhelming for stubborn tartar.
Notes on brushing
1. Don’t rush at first, don’t expect to brush all the teeth at once, start with a few teeth and slowly increase the area of brushing, even stopping in between to give your dog a break.
2. Don’t take too long to brush each tooth. Even a well-behaved dog has limited patience, so don’t brush too long at a time.
3. Choose the most relaxed time to brush your dog’s teeth. Don’t brush your dog’s teeth right after playing or eating, it is better to wait until your dog is calm, such as when he is lying on his back in the litter, when he is most relaxed and has the least resistance.
4. give enough rewards during the adaptation stage and when you first start brushing. You can reward your dog with treats, pat his head, praise him, in short, do whatever he likes.
