# Handling exercises - mouth/teeth



## Grove (Oct 17, 2012)

Need some advice on what I should be doing here

A little after Gandhi started teething with his adult teeth he became less keen on people looking inside his mouth, which we had done daily and he had been fine with. Once he squeaked when a finger had touched his gum. Later when he was tired and relaxed we had a look in and all seemed ok so I think it was just sensitive with the teething. So I wondered if we shouldn't try and look inside as he seemed to be more reluctant/uncomfortable and I didn't want him to become uncomfortable with us doing it because of associating that with pain from teething 

At the same time I didn't want him to become unfamiliar with hands around his mouth incase he becomes uncomfortable in the future due to lack of handling here, so I've been gently stroking around his face/mouth but not trying to open it, but I think this tickles because he twitches his face and then puts his paw up in front of it - I know the face is a sensitive area. I give him a treat if I stroke his face but when he realises I am the bearer of treats he springs up very quickly and it is difficult to do any more after that! 

I'm not really sure what to do as I will need to be able to touch and look in his mouth and I feel like because he won't let us that it's something we really need to work on to desensitise him to, but I dont know if now is the time to do that if he has a sensitive mouth? he's still teething, we're still seeing blood on his toys and can see some baby teeth in there still (when he's on his back and we are holding a toy for him to bite on we can see in)

I am now hand feeding him some of his meals just so he is used to my hand being near his face (and also hand feeding seems like a good thing for him to know I am providing for him and trying to look after him!) 

I'm also not sure how much of this is that he's sensitive from teething or just that he's older and more fidgety and assertive!

Grateful for any advice about what I should be doing/expecting at the moment 

Ps we are able to touch him everywhere else without a problem like his paws and looking in his ears etc


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

Do you brush his teeth? If so how often?


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## Grove (Oct 17, 2012)

We had been working up to it, I had been able to put the paste on my finger and put that on some teeth but he tried to chew the brush when I used it


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## Mazzapoo (Jul 28, 2013)

It sounds like you're doing the right things, he's probably still sore. These issues pass soon enough it just feels like things aren't moving on when you're in the middle of it! I understand the problems with keeping calm with treats too, Sometimes I find a food treat can wind her up when it's a reward for being calm  Have you thought of something on your hand to lick off? Like coconut oil or peanut butter, it keeps building the bond of hand near mouth until he's not sore.


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

I really don't know, maybe one of the three or four dogs people will help?  We never saw blood from teething and if he is having pain there too it would make me wonder. 

If it is just bossy adolescence then I'd ignore him, do a quick matter of fact go round with your finger followed by treat before starting with the rest of his grooming until he gets used to it. I do Rufus' teeth daily, as long as I give him little breaks to lick the toothpaste he tolerates it.


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

Great advice already.
Be gentle, be calm and take it slowly.
While he is licking a bit of peanut butter or marmite off one finger use the other hand to gently lift his lip and say good mouth...
Go round his whole body: paw, paw, paw, paw, tail, ear, ear, mouth.
Really gentle and calm. Biscuit treat at the end.
Try never to grab or squeeze - once they associate being held with discomfort it is harder. Try and ensure front paws, ears and mouth are done while he is sitting, then you can use the sit command.
Once he is fine with you lifting his lip, gently slide your thumb into the back of his mouth from underneath - to begin with don't hold his mouth open, just while your thumb is there it will be open - honestly he won't bite down hard on your thumb ... Try not to do it with your hand over the top of his muzzle, some dogs panic if their sight is obstructed.
Calm and slow - don't make it a fight.
Good luck.


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## Lexi&Beemer (May 5, 2013)

Beemer let's me close with cuddles and kisses. It's a thing I do all the time anyway. But when I need to look at his teeth, I do it even more. I kiss his face. He kisses my face. I look at his teeth. I kiss his face. He kisses my face. I look at his teeth. Takes a long time. 

Lexi likes to suck on my fingers. That was the only way to get her to not bite me as a puppy. So she just sucks on my fingers and I pull her lips up to see teeth. But much faster than Beemer. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Great advice. The brushing does get easier too, Lola happily allows me to brush her teeth with the proper toothbrush now and I do it daily. Nina is much more tolerant than Lola was as a puppy but she still plays around a bit as she is young, Lola knows now it just means business and tolerates it until I'm finished. 

We did have blood on toys when Nina's teeth came out, hers seemed to all go at once though whereas Lola's was more gradual.


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## Grove (Oct 17, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the advice on this. 

Marzi - I would never have thought about a hand on top of the muzzle obscuring sight and being alarming for some dogs - thanks for telling me about this. 

I had another good tip from someone which is to not approach them straight on but rather from the side

Ruth - when did you start brushing Lola's teeth? 

Gandhi is still teething - found 3 teeth on the floor in the last few days!

However I actually think that part of the problem is that the previous method of checking his teeth was based on how he was a smaller puppy. He would come and jump on my lap and lie on his side/back and when I opened his mouth he would just lie there and let me look in. Now he's too big to do this! He still tries to get on my lap but curls up in a circle with his head facing the wrong way. So I never had a technique for checking his teeth when sitting or standing and opening his mouth. I think I need to develop a technique! 

Have started off by letting him lick peanut butter off my finger and will try to progress from here!


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Started brushing Lola's teeth at around 12 weeks I reckon.. Puppy training. We have progressed from finger, to finger brush, to tooth brush. I found recently if I put her up on the kitchen counter she tolerates it a lot better. Plus I think now she knows we just have to do it and she lets me. Nina's still a wriggler, we will get there. Nina's got second child syndrome, gets away with everything!


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

RuthMill said:


> I found recently if I put her up on the kitchen counter she tolerates it a lot better.


note to self* pack anitbacterial wipes shoud I ever be so lucky as to visit Ruth!


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Lola's not the worst thing that's been on my kitchen counter! I'm pretty sure of that! Of course I'm talking about prepping raw meet and workmen with their boots on fixing lights etc!


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## Grove (Oct 17, 2012)

The trouble with having peanut butter on my finger is his little tongue sticks out and just licks it off with his mouth not open very much and if I try to move it in he moves his head back and carries on licking 

I'm sure someone who knew what they were doing with dogs could do this without a problem, its my inability to get a good technique, not him.

sigh


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## fairlie (Sep 7, 2013)

As problems go this is a pretty nice one to have. Maybe google techniques for opening a dogs mouth, or brushing dogs teeth and see if they have some good pointers.


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## RuthMill (Jun 30, 2012)

Just lift his lips up at the side and get him used to that. So use the peanut butter (sugar free hopefully) on one finger, then use your other hard to lift his chops up away from his teeth and run your finger along and in towards the back teeth, his mouth should open up and you can get a good look in and if he is happy have a feel around too. Repetition is great for getting them used to it!


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## Grove (Oct 17, 2012)

fairlie said:


> As problems go this is a pretty nice one to have. Maybe google techniques for opening a dogs mouth, or brushing dogs teeth and see if they have some good pointers.


I know, it's not the end of the world, it's just something we need to work on. Particularly as he has smelly meaty breath!


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## Grove (Oct 17, 2012)

RuthMill said:


> Just lift his lips up at the side and get him used to that. So use the peanut butter (sugar free hopefully) on one finger, then use your other hard to lift his chops up away from his teeth and run your finger along and in towards the back teeth, his mouth should open up and you can get a good look in and if he is happy have a feel around too. Repetition is great for getting them used to it!


Thanks Ruth, I'll give this a go

It makes me feel a bit stupid that I'm not able to do it. I think a lot of it is just confidence because when you do something confidently they are more likely to just accept it, but I'm not doing it confidently


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## Marzi (Sep 17, 2012)

If having food on your finger as a distraction is not working then I would put a treat in his view on the side where he cannot reach it.
Sit stay command and then gently run hands over his head, around his ears and along his muzzle. Once he will stay sitting while you do this reward him.
Then introduce looking in one ear before he gets the treat, two ears and then gently hold his muzzle - only rewarding if he remains calm and seated while you do this.
Once he is happy and settled while you handle his head in this way, then you can start looking under his lip and then try slipping your thumb in at the back of his mouth - you should be able to get a good look in his mouth while he is attempting to spit out yout thumb.
You will work out a technique that works for you over time, in the meantime just make sure that he is happy to have his whole head handled by you.


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