The Real Reason I Brush Puppy's Teeth

In the past week, the subject of brushing your dogs teeth has come up several times among friends. These days, I tell myself that the reason I do it is for my dog’s health. Thinking about it, however, started to bring up long-buried memories of why I really brush Bitey’s teeth…

Prior to Geordie, my family had a dog, and in all his years we never brushed his teeth. We never even thought about brushing a dog’s teeth. When I first heard about the practice, I thought people were going overboard with anthropomorphizing their pets. On the day Geordie showed up on my doorstep, my folks brought along a little puppy starter kit with a leash and bowls and toothbrush/toothpaste. I wasn’t sure how much I would use it, but it was a gift, so I wanted to at least try.

If you’ve ever brushed a puppy’s teeth, you know how awful this process can be. They are bitey creatures by nature, and putting your fingers in their mouths sets you up for a world of hurt. The reason I was so persistent about brushing Geordie’s teeth was that it was a war of wills. He was determined that he was going to be the boss of everything, and I was even more determined to prove him wrong. Wrestling the puppy each day and forcing him to be still while I cleaned his teeth turned out to be a good lesson on which of us was stronger willed.

Eventually, I found a brand of toothpaste that Geordie liked, and that helped the process a lot. Nowadays, he will actually remind me if I forget to brush his teeth. He still doesn’t like the brushing part, and for as long as he can, he stalls and hides his face against my shirt so that I can’t get to him. He thinks he is getting away with something, but to me it is a chance to get some snuggles from my non-snuggly guy.

Go ahead. Hide away, my little boy. I will take all the hugs I can get.