How to Brush Your Dog's Teeth If They Hate It (Video)
This DJANGO Dog Blog article was last updated on January 2022.
Brushing a dog’s teeth is no easy task. Most dogs absolutely hate getting their teeth cleaned and squirm violently away from the toothbrush. Sound familiar?
After learning that dachshunds are especially prone to dental problems down the road, Mike and I (Steph) realized we needed to start cleaning our long-haired sausage dog Django's teeth regularly. While we did give Django doggy dental treats like Greenies on occasion, our vet emphasized that it was still highly important we get in the habit of properly brushing Django's teeth with a doggy toothbrush.
Like most dogs, however, Django refused to let us go anywhere his mouth with a dog-friendly finger brush!
Then one day I accidentally discovered an amazing trick. Midday I gave Django a drool-worthy bully stick chew. After letting him gnaw at the treat for a solid 30 minutes, I decided it was time to take away Django's bully stick and save it for another day. Well, as you can imagine, Django refused to give up his treat. His teeth clamped down on the bully stick with the strength of a 100 lb rottweiler. After 10 unsuccessful minutes of trying to pry open Django's jaws, a marvelous idea came to me.
I left Django in the living room with his bully stick and ran into the kitchen to grab Django's doggy toothbrush. I sat down on the floor, grabbed Django (who was still clamping down on his bully stick), and gently placed him on my lap facing away from me. Without pulling, I held Django's bully stick in my left hand and started brushing Django's teeth with my right hand. For the first time, my stubborn sausage dog who absolutely hated having his teeth brushed was sitting calmly on my lap and letting me gently scrub each of his teeth.
Two weeks later, I shared my story with our vet who excitedly replied "You need to make a YouTube video and share this with the world!!!". So I did.
If you are struggling to brush your dog's teeth because they don't like it, this video is for you. Here is a simple and very effective way to brush your dog's teeth and help you fight off tooth decay, gum disease and thousands of dollars in doggy dental bills in the future.
Video: How to Brush Your Dog's Teeth If They Hate It
What You Need
- One high quality, thin and long dog treat (i.e. bully stick). You should be able to hold onto the treat when your pup is fiercely biting down on it
- Finger brush or children’s toothbrush
- Optional: dog-friendly toothpaste. For more highly rated doggy toothpaste options, check out these top 12 dog-friendly toothpaste recommendations from our friends at All Pet's Life.
What To Do
- Step 1 Have your pup sit with you and let him or her see, sniff and lick the toothbrush
- Step 2 Bring out the high quality treat and let your pup bite down on it. It may take a few seconds. Make sure he won't let go.
- Step 3 Once your pup puts a death grip on the treat, start brushing! Gently massage your dog's teeth and gums, making sure to get to the back teeth. In most circumstances, your pup will be most focused on holding the treat (and won't mind a finger or toothbrush in his mouth)
- Step 4 Even if you can only brush for 10 seconds, congratulations! You’ve already made progress in fighting off future dental problems. Praise your dog with love so he or she starts associating teeth cleaning with positivity.
- Step 5 Repeat as often as possible and no less than once a week. In no time your dog will get used to the toothbrush and start letting you brush his or her teeth without a treat
- Step 6 Comment below! Do you have other great ideas for teeth cleaning? Did this trick work for you and your dog? Let us know what you think, we want to hear from you!
Before you go...
We hope you found this article useful! If you have any questions, comments, or want to share your experience with us, please leave a comment below! We'd love to hear from you.
Also, don't forget to follow our pup DJANGO on Instagram: @DJANGOTHEGENT
Additional Resources
- 8 TIPS TO COMBAT BAD DOG BREATH
- INTERVERTEBRAL DISK DISEASE (IVDD) IN DOGS | CAUSES, PREVENTION, SYMPTOMS, AND TREATMENT OPTIONS
3 Responses
Nicole
Great idea! will try with my Simon Bates
Deborah
Wow! Thank you so much! I will give this a try with my 21 pound Django.
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Ocean
August 26, 2022
Nice video. Thank you for sharing. You’ve provided some helpful tips.