When Your Dog Hates Getting Its Teeth Brushed

More often than not, Cookie and Gigi (pictured above) are tolerant of getting their teeth brushed. Cookie is reluctant sometimes but considering she's accumulated quite a bit of tartar since her last dental cleaning, she still is a good sport. I have to get in the habit of doing it more frequently, because the longer you go between teeth cleanings, the more potential there is for bleeding. It's really not much different than humans.

Gigi tends to be a little afraid, but will come around when push comes to shove. Luckily, she doesn't have much tartar, so I don't spend as much time on her teeth as I do Cookie's.

The true rebel of the bunch is Homer (pictured right). For some reason, when he hears the drawer opening and the sound of the toothbrush being pulled out, he can't run and hide fast enough. He thinks that I am out to get him. If he's approached with a toothbrush in hand, he takes off for shelter.

Today, when I went to brush the dogs' teeth, Homer found his safety zone quickly enough like always. So I waited a while and then decided I would try again. I slowly opened the drawer. Instead of removing the dreaded red toothbrush, I took the tube of toothpaste and squeezed a dab of toothpaste onto my index finger. When I approached Homer, he barked and growled because I startled him. When he was looking at me, I extended my index finger so he could smell and lick the toothpaste. This was progress as far as I was concerned, because he didn't run.

Here are some tips to make your toothbrush time successful:

• Be Consistent! Dogs will start to be become more desensitized to having their teeth brush with consistency. When you slack off, the dogs will think that having their teeth brushed isn't so important. If you brush your dog's teeth, a few times a week, it will benefit them in the long run.
• Be Gentle! I always tend to do something in full force, but there are times that shouldn't be the case. Tooth time for dogs falls into that category.
• Be Patient. Some dogs aren't accustomed to having their mouths touched by their owners. Every little step gets you one step closer to building that trust between master and dog.

Let's Discuss!

How do you deal with tough dogs when it comes to clean teeth time?

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Get Control Of A Hairy Situation

The Dyson Groom

With spring coming soon, many dogs will be shedding their coats because of the greater exposure to sunlight. Some dogs shed so much hair, you wish you could vacuum their coat.

Now, Dyson has an attachment that does exactly that. A while back, I first heard about the Dyson Groom through a tweet by Mike Rundle on Twitter.

This works by attaching to a regular Dyson vacuum. It is not compatible with all of their vacuums so you need to check your vacuum cleaner serial number on their website. The attachment attaches to your vacuum and you use it to remove excess hair. It's self cleaning so it saves you more time.

For dogs like Collies or Siberian Huskies a tool like this is ideal. This is best for dogs with medium or long hair. If you have a dog like a poodle it should not be used.

It retails for $69.99 USD and you need to have a vacuum by Dyson. If you would like to learn more, here is the link to the Dyson website.

Let's Discuss!

How do you keep hair to a minimum. Do you like this new method, a brush or something else?

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The Wonders of Brushing

Brushing is something that should be done for all dogs. Even hairless dogs such as the Chinese Crested, should be looked after because they have a small area of hair that grows on the head and the legs. For dogs that don't shed such as the poodle, brushing is a good thing to do for them it keeps their hair from matting.

If you have a dog with a huge coat like a Golden Retriever or Siberian Husky, it helps them shed alot of their winter coat and gets them ready for summer. With those type of dogs, it's good to stop a little before you're done. Shaving isn't a wise idea because the hair that grows on those types of dogs, although it's massive, acts as an insulator for them by keeping the heat out. When you shave a dog, it actually can get hotter, especially if it's an outdoor dog.

I would say the two most important benefits of brushing your dog is the fact that dander is greatly reduced and that it keeps shedding to a minimum. Some dogs are impatient when it comes to brushing. I've had the best luck by starting out by doing it for 3 minutes. Make it a great moment of bonding by petting your dog by sliding your hand along the area you brushed gently. Tell your dog that he's a good dog and reward him or her with a treat if they are good sports.

Most dogs love brushing. There are different kinds of brushes to use. Slicker brushes are great for dogs like Cocker Spaniels, Poodles and Bichon Frises. If you have a long haired dog such as an Afghan a pin brush with rounded metal bristles would be more effective.

Another post on grooming you may want to check out is Brushing your dog's teeth. Now I must walk the pooches before Gigi goes nuts. Have a great night and feel free to share your thoughts. :)