A Teeth Tantrum
 

My little Piper has horrible teeth for only being a year old. I know that she has at least one retained baby tooth that will be removed when she is spayed. In the meantime I have tried brushing her teeth and OMG...it is a battle!!! She will not hold still and wiggles her body, her head, kicks, you name it. I'm afraid to hold on to her too tight though because she is so little.

Any suggestions on how to go about brushing her teeth!?!

Start by getting her acclimated to the brush. Teach it like you would any other behavior. With Jackson, who HATES having his teeth brushed, I started by just bringing him into the bathroom every night with a treat. He would watch me brush my teeth too. Then I put the brush on the ground and let him investigate it, gave him a treat every time he got near it. I began picking up the brush and putting it near his mouth and any time he did not back away, he got a treat. Then I lifted his lip up and acted like I was going to brush but did not yet. Again, treat. You get the point, after about 2 weeks, we were actually brushing. He still gets a yummy treat for getting his teeth brushed.

Mine like the chicken flavored toothpaste lol. We also use denta sticks for them and they haven't needed a cleaning in ages. I was using a spray but it stopped working well so switched to the Pedigree denta sticks for small dogs. Even our vet was surprised at how well their teeth look.

I know it's hard at first, but in time I'm sure it will be easier. Like everything, it takes time and a lot of patience to get through it. Here is how I got Henri used to brushing:
First, take Piper into the bathroom with you when you brush your teeth (like Britster mentioned), get her used to being in there if she isn't already and so that she knows that the bathroom means teeth brushing time. Also, Britster made a very good point of getting her used to her lips being messed with by using positive reinforcement and treats.
Next, start by putting a little bit of the doggie toothpaste of your finger and let her lick it off. Make sure to get a flavor she likes, this makes a HUGE difference. Considering how much of a fighter Piper is, you might have to do this for a few days to get her acclimated to the toothpaste.
Once she is used to the toothpaste, put some on the toothbrush and let her lick it off. This will get her used to the toothbrush.
Finally, when you think she is ready, go for it! One thing to remember is that you only need to brush the outside of the teeth, the pup's tongue will move the toothpaste to harder to reach places on its own.
Here is a video that might help:
Also, I find it easier to use a finger brush. It gives more control, especially with how small Yorkies' mouths are.

Henri now actually likes getting his teeth brushed, he rarely fights me on it anymore (he only fights when he is in a mood). I hope this helps and good luck!:)

As others here know, I am a big believer in letting the dog brush his own teeth. Helpful hint: cheap, hard plastic toofhbrushes last a week or more while soft, more expensive people brushes can be eaten within an hour and then pooped out over the next couple of days. :rolleyes:
Huey loves his toothbrushes and will bring one to the bathroom when I am brushing mine. He does the happy yorkie twirly dance while I am putting his chicken flavored enzymayic toothpaste on it, too.

This is one of the funniest things I have seen. I missed this thread before, but ran across it while looking for something else. Huey is hilarious.

I'm going to try this! What a great idea :)