Guest poofmagk Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I am trying to brush teeth every night. Oliver in particular needs it since he does not have healthy teeth. He is a bit dramatic and does not like for me to do anything unpleasant (nail clip, brush teeth, etc.) while he is lying down on his bed. So I respect his bed as his safe place. That means that in order to brush his teeth I need him to get off of his bed in a standing position for me. Calling him worked for about two nights until he realized what I was going to do with that toothbrush. I do not think he enjoys getting his teeth brushed, and it may even be painful for him. So he has a huge motivation to stay comfy on his bed and pretend that he doesn't hear me when I call him. Each night has become a battle of wills and I have to think of some new trick to get him to stand up, or just manually move him off of his bed. Wondering if there are any behavioral tips to outsmart my very resourceful dog around tooth brushing time? Or any tips on a small (cheap) treat I could reward him with that would not undo all the good that brushing just did? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sambuca Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Cloud Star training treats are great and tiny. What about rewarding with a walk or play session? Put the leash on him, brush his teeth, then immediately go for a walk. Or if you do it coming in from a walk leave his leash on and don't let him lay down until youre done. If he really just won't get up, I'd just put his leash on him and make him get up. Give him tons of praise and pets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetcitywoman Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 If he's food-motivated, that's your in. I'm constantly having to think of ways to outwit Capri, so I deal with this a lot. Tricky Trainers are another good option. They're small enough to swallow whole, dry and smell good. I also sometimes use mini marshmallows, fruit or bits of meat from our dinner. (Things like meat that are TOO good are a problem because the dogs go too crazy. So I keep those for rare occasions.) I treat my hounds AFTER tooth brushing, which drives DH up the wall because he's a rulebook-pounder. With dogs as smart as Capri, you can't follow rules because she learns them and uses them against you. So you have to always do things differently in a way she doesn't expect. And because of that, even though brushing teeth isn't their favorite thing, they come running when it's toothbrushing time. Quote Sharon, Loki, Freyja, Capri (bridge angel and most beloved heart dog), Ajax (bridge angel) and Sweetie Pie (cat) Visit Hound-Safe.com by Something Special Pet Supplies for muzzles and other dog safety products Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest SusanP Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 I would not worry about treats undoing the brushing you've just done. They're going to eat eventually anyway; it's the routine removal of the bacteria that builds up that you are doing with the brushing. I'd probably do something high value like dehydrated liver bits or something if the dog is really unhappy about the brushing and has to cooperate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAJ2010 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Put a leash on him, March him over to his teeth brushing area, brush his teeth, then throw a giant praise party and give an extra special yummy treat reserved just for teeth brushing torture. The only time the girls get geniuses are a nail and bath time. *greenies Quote ------ Jessica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Feisty49 Posted June 7, 2012 Share Posted June 7, 2012 Switch the tooth brushing time around. He knows that a certain amount of time after he's settled down for the evening, mom's gonna call him. Catch him by surprise and do it right after supper or late afternoon, or early morning. As long as it's done regularly, it's all good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest poofmagk Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Thank you for the wonderful advice, I'm putting it to use! I think Oliver knows I consulted greytalk because he has been a lot more compliant with tooth brushing . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest FastDogsOwnMe Posted June 8, 2012 Share Posted June 8, 2012 Hi Poof, I remember your dogs, mine is from the same group! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest poofmagk Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 IAGA is awesome! I just wish we were closer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jetcitywoman Posted June 10, 2012 Share Posted June 10, 2012 Based on comments from people in my adoption group, I think a lot of people get annoyed/impatient when their dog licks and chews while they try to brush their teeth. But that's not really a problem. It's okay, just be super patient and work around it. I start my session by letting my dogs lick the brush once or twice then I apply it to the canine teeth while they're still licking away. Then I slip the brush back to the molars and they start chewing. Still, no problem. Their chewing action causes the brush to go up and down over the teeth, and I move the brush sideways along the teeth, so I think you can't get much better than that! In other words, take advantage of the dog's movements to accomplish your goal. Then neither of you gets frustrated or annoyed and it's not such a bad experience. Quote Sharon, Loki, Freyja, Capri (bridge angel and most beloved heart dog), Ajax (bridge angel) and Sweetie Pie (cat) Visit Hound-Safe.com by Something Special Pet Supplies for muzzles and other dog safety products Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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