It’s easy for humans to brush out their hair and brush their teeth when needed. Unfortunately, dogs don’t have that luxury of brushing their fur and teeth, without their owner’s help.
No matter how long or short (or even wiry) a dog’s fur can be, like human hair, their fur must stay healthy and good-looking at all times, in order to prevent it from being an unintended home for dirt, fleas, ticks, etc., and instead allow its natural oils to make it more lively. The same is true for brushing your dog’s teeth; like humans, dogs need to have good oral hygiene, so that they won’t have tooth decay, gum disease, or needing painful procedures done at the vet.
Properly Brushing Dog Fur
- Gather the Supplies – Make sure you have all of your grooming supplies in one place, so that you won’t have to look for them right in the middle of the grooming process. You need to have a bristle brush, a comb, a mat and tangle remover, a pair of scissors (if trimming the fur), and a shedding blade (to remove excess fur). And depending on your dog’s fur type (long, short, or wiry), you’ll need to make sure that you have the brush and tools for the job.
- Standing – First, you’ll need your dog to cooperate, while you brush out their fur. To make brushing safe and comfortable for the two of you, teach your dog to stand, and let them know that they’ll have stay still until you’re finished and say so.
Properly Brushing Dog Teeth
Just like brushing their fur, brushing your dog’s teeth takes prep, readiness, and know-how.
- Buy A Toothbrush – Dog toothbrushes are available at pet stores or online pet supply retailers. These toothbrushes tend to have a longer, curved handle, so that you can easily brush the back teeth. And don’t forget the toothpaste, but get one that is specifically made for dogs, not for humans, since human toothpaste can make your dog feel sick.
- Test With Your Fingers – “Before using the brush, make sure you’re familiar with what your dog’s teeth looks like and feels like,” says Ronald Goodspeed, a health writer at 1Day2write and Nextcoursework. “Using your fingers, touch the teeth and gums without it first. Move the lips up or down, so that you’re able to touch the teeth. By doing this, you’ll get a good idea of this part of the anatomy.”
- Introducing The Toothbrush And Toothpaste – Show your dog the toothpaste first by letting them lick it off your finger. Then, show them the brush, and then touch all the teeth with it. If they pull back, then that’s okay, because the next step is to put the toothpaste (the “tasty” part of this) onto the brush, and they’ll start licking the paste off the brush. Once they have the brush in their mouth, praise them for doing a good job.
- Brushing The Teeth – Start with the top teeth by holding the upper lip up. Then, work you way to the sides and back. Do the same with the lower teeth by holding down the bottom lip. As you brush, make sure to frequently praise your dog for being good. And if your dog is okay with you brushing their teeth, then brush the outside and inside of their teeth.
- Rewarding – Since teeth-brushing is unnatural for dogs, it’s understandable that this can be a new experience for them. So, praise your dog every so often and, if you like, offer them a treat at each step (even though the treat-giving part is for beginners only).
Conclusion
Brushing the fur and teeth are essential to your dog’s grooming routine and will help keep your dog’s coat looking good, and their teeth looking healthy. To do both jobs correctly, all you need are the right It’s easy to do yourself, but you’ll need a few tools and techniques to do the job right.
Mary F. Montgomery was born in the US, Mary has been an extensive Mary F. Montgomery was born in the US, Mary has been an extensive traveler, graduating from a college in France with a marketing degree, and working as a marketing specialist at AcademicBrits and PhDKingdom. As a marketing expert, she specializes in digital marketing, psychology, and social media.