Again, you will quickly realize this is not natural for your dog, the brushing of teeth, but it is very important for a domesticated pooch. Check out the following steps and proceed!

1. Handling. Get your dog used to your fingers in his mouth by doing some simply handling exercises. Start by just putting your hand near his muzzle, without touching, and giving him a treat when he does not move his head away. Progress as your dog is comfortable, until you can lift his lips on either side without movement.

2. Bite Inhibition. Put some Peanut Butter on your finger (I recommend peanut butter because your dog can consume more of it safely for the sake of training than the toothpaste) and allow your dog to lick it off, while you slowly move toward his teeth, holding up his lip. This will help your dog associate a finger in his mouth as something good, but not something to bite.

3. Tooth Brush. If you have a little dog and are using a finger brush, you can probably skip this step. However, if you dog is larger and you are using a toothbrush, repeat steps 1-2 with the toothbrush.

4. Brushing. There are several flavors of toothpaste. Chose a few and put some on your finger to test which flavor your dog likes better; the more she enjoys the taste the easier this will be.

And above all, be patient! Work a tooth at a time if you have to. Eventually, your pup will catch on and, if you speak kindly and gently to him or her, the dog will associate it with pleasure!

To learn more go to Dog Channel. The above steps are particularly helpful if your dog is new to the wonderful world of tooth brushing. If you have a puppy – start early!