Dental Care

[ILuvMyHounds]

I regularly inspect each of my dog(s) mouths as well as have them on a fairly frequent brushing schedule, with cleanings at the vet's office whenever it may become necessary. My most recent pack member wants to latch onto his toothbrush and refuses to release it (no growling or trying to pry it out of my hands, just a nice, firm death grip on it), he has resource guarding issues as well so I'm wondering what you would recommend to modify this behavior so I can take care of his teeth/gums. I have patiently worked with him so he doesn't have any issues with me handling his muzzle, lifting his lips, inspecting his teeth and he really likes the poultry and/or beef flavored tooth pastes, which apparently is the a portion of the problem but without it, he still wants the dry and tasteless toothbrush all for himself!

Little hard to work with the "leave it" or "out" commands when all outward appearances seem to be telling the dog, "Go ahead, I want you to have this. Really, I insist!"

Any suggestions will be warmly received!

[Teresa]

This is a tricky situation considering your dog's aggression issues and the proximity that your hands will need to be in relation to his mouth in order to brush.
Things to consider:

1. Giving a dental chew such as a CET Chew (rawhide flat chips enzymatically treated to prevent tartar) or other chew like a bully stick. Since he is a resource guarder give this to him when he is seperated out in a crate or confined area. Chews and bully sticks are usually consumed so once gone there is nothing left to guard.

If you would still like to try brushing:

2.If there is any chance of a bite I would recommend using protective gloves.

Below is a link demonstrating various protective gloves, that are helpful when desensitizing dogs in these type of situations.
Protective Gloves and Extinction in Dog Aggression Rehab | Self Help Dog Training - Blog
NOTE** Even very good gloves may not indefinitely protect you from injury and you should use this advice at your own risk. You seem to have a good feel for his body language, so keep an eye out for signals and don't push the issue. **

I would not brush with toothpaste initially or maybe never depending on how he does. The use of the toothbrush will really depend on the dog. I find most dogs (even without aggression issues) are more likely to bite down on toothbrushes than fingerbrushes (not likely to fit over protective glove) or a plain piece of gauze wrapped around a gloved finger may work better. Downfall is that a toothbrush does provide more protection from bites than your hand. If he already allows you to handle his mouth, then touching his teeth with a gauze covered ( and gloved) may not be far off.

You should start gradually, NOT aiming to brush every tooth in his mouth initially until he seems completely comfortable with it over a period of time.

Use your knowledge of your dog to decide whether either of these options will work for you.





Best,
Teresa

[ILuvMyHounds]

Thank you for responding, Teresa.

Your suggestions are superb and will be invaluable to individuals who are having dental care issues with their best buddy.

Sadly, my dog was in a shelter for so long that he quickly becomes overstressed when confined in a crate (I've tried medium and large) and I have not worked to remedy this problem yet. Sometimes, you just have to pick your battles and prioritize behavioral issues in order of importance or the job just might seem bigger than you are!

Secondly, when I have provided him with any type of chew (pig ear, bully sticks, rawhide), he is so stressed over having it in his possession and guarding that he won't even chew them. Basically you provide him with the object, he eagerly takes it and moves away from you, usually somewhere in which he can best defend his prize (a wall to his back or in a corner). He lays with it between his front legs, with his head over it or his mouth on it, with a very stiff body posture (sometimes I would see his muscles trembling). Of course, prior to giving it to him, we are isolated from all living things and I have plenty of high value trade ups (cooked liver and chicken) and he has been leashed. We usually perform this in the laundry room (floor space approx 12'x12') and in the beginning, I remained as far away as possible, I have discovered he is less stressed if I squat or sit in a chair rather than stand. He is usually very vocal for the first few minutes and his face and eyes are unrecognizable (expressions make him look like a totally different dog). After he calms down some, he will usually relax his hold on his prize but it remains between his legs and under his chin, when not in his mouth (at all times); now he will stop growling so long as I do not move in his direction or I do not attempt to talk to him. I have discovered that leaving the room is not an option because he relocates by the puppy gate with his prize and will attempt to stand his ground so you cannot get back in, (I have not tried to leave the room since this first happened). The results were even less desirable when we attempted this out in the yard, and since I can only assume the vast openness contributed to the higher level of stress, I have not revisited this exercise outdoors again. Since I could not chance leaving him alone and having him hide it, which might result in an attack on my other dogs later when someone found it, I have not left him alone in the yard to even know if he would eventually consume it.

Now, this all sounds like a bad and maybe hopeless situation, but he has made much progress because he does not constantly growl (as he did initially throughout the exercise) and he will now abandon it for the high value treats I mentioned previously. His body posture will relax and the demonic eyes soften some and I don't notice the trembling anymore. I am also able to be closer to him while he has his prize, by slowly over the course of time, being closer when I initially give him the item. I still do not talk to him, except when I am letting him know about the trade ups when we are nearing the end of the exercise and he willingly comes (maybe a little slow) and does not growl as the session ends.

Even though this was originally a discussion about dental care in the health area of the forum, maybe it seems more like I should have posted to the aggression/rehab area??

Thanks Teresa, your ideas about dental issues are wonderful!