Re: Brushing Coat and Teeth

In Reply to: Brushing Coat and Teeth
Category:   Other
Posted by:  Lisa
Posted on:  April 30, 2003 at 11:44:36

: Hi,

: I have a 19 mo. old rough coat JRT that absolutely HATES to have his coat and teeth brushed. I've tried everything(he's long gotten wise to the peanut butter on the wall trick, unfortunately!)! First of all, do I have the right brush for his coat? I'm using one of those ergonomically correct slickers. I don't think the brush bothers him so much as having to sit still in one place!ha ha And caring for his teeth....well, I'D rather have a root canal! He can be a little monster! He either thinks we're going to play "tug" with the toothbrush, or he'll gulp all the toothpaste off and spit it out! He just had a mild teeth cleaning at the vet, and fortunately he doesn't get a lot of buildup on his teeth. I feed him dry kibble and he loves giving his marrow/soup bones a workout, so he's doing a lot of cleaning naturally. But I do want to do my part to keep his teeth/gums as nice and clean and white as they are now! How often should I be brushing his teeth, and does anyone have any great ideas for making both brushings(coat and teeth) more enjoyable for the dog(and me!)?

: Thanks for all the wonderful advice, as always!

: Lisa and Petey(the Jack Russell TERROR!) :-)I say this with the utmost affection! :-) :-)

Response:

Hi Lisa,

Our terriers have had a love/hate relationship with their hair and tooth brushes all their lives. When they really start getting fussy about being "brushed" we go to Plan B. Instead of the pin and bristle brush, we use a grooming glove; it doesn't have the same effect as a brush but it still stimulates their skin. And instead of a toothbrush, I wrap a piece of gauze around my index finger and work it around in their mouths. (If you have long nails, you'll need to trim them before doing this!) After a couple of months of weekly grooming sessions with the "Plan B tools," we bring out the pin/bristle brush and the toothbrush and they're okay with them again.

For us, not making a big deal out of the brushing and/or the fussing when being brushed makes the process more enjoyable. And the more we enjoy it, the more our terriers do too. I suggest you give Petey a break from grooming for a few weeks -- thinking you guys will both benefit by not butting heads on this particular issue.