Soon to be dog owner here. Do you brush your dogs teeth?

First off let me say hello to all the pet owners. I'm happy to say we are getting a golden retriever puppy next month. We're beyond excited, DH and I waited so long to do this and DD, 3, can't wait.

I haven't had a dog for almost 20 years and I'm stunned by the amount of pet products on the market now. I'm wondering what is "extra" and what is necessary.

Do you brush your dogs teeth? Do I need to have specific "Puppy wipes" or is a damp towel sufficient? I have other questions but I'll leave it at that.

Most of the stuff I see looks ridiculous but for all I know it's standard practice now.

I was planning to get:
Crate & bedding
Bowls
Collar & Leash
Brushes
Nail Clipper
Chew toys
Bitter Apple
Something to clean up odors while housebreaking.

Will I be depriving my dog of something it needs?

ETA: Of course we'll get the dog some food and treats too. Don't know how I forgot to put that on the list.

Message edited 10/6/2010 12:41:23 PM.

Re: Soon to be dog owner here. Do you brush your dogs teeth?

for a golden puppy - i would get a tug rope also

also really cute is a regular size soccer ball too - we have had lots of goldens and love them growing up - i got my own a year and half ago

defiently get nature's miracle for cleaning up around the house- do not clean poop or pee with amonia - will brign them back to that spot

also a strange idea - but worked well for us - my dog likes the cold - i was told by my breeder to put an ice pack in a pillow case in his create - he loved it - it worked well because if we were at my parents house at night i would just bring the ice pack and knew where to sleep

also ask for a blanket or something that smells like the mom to come home with you

get some puppy treats and ask the breeder or stroe what type of food to buy ahead of time

they also make small puppy balls that my dog loved - i got them at petsmart

Re: Soon to be dog owner here. Do you brush your dogs teeth?

Yes, definitely brush the dog's teeth once a week. Buy any of the sets with the regular toothbrush and finger brush (because you won't know which he/she will prefer) and the toothpastes that are NOT mint -- they sell a peanut butter flavor one that my dogs like!

The "must haves" are:
ID tag (with name and number)
leash
collar
food and water bowls

A good idea for puppies:
lots of toys!! we "spoiled" our dogs in the beginning with toys and we never had a problem with them chewing anything other than their toys. They learned that we gave them what they could play with and left everything else - slippers, furniture, etc. alone.
The best bones are nylabone and booda bone for things for them to chew on. Puppies love cuddley stuffed toys so get those too!

Re: Soon to be dog owner here. Do you brush your dogs teeth?

Re: Soon to be dog owner here. Do you brush your dogs teeth?

i did not want to get a rope either - but at puppy kindergarden it was used to teach dog when to play and who was master- we worked on starting and stopping play and how he knows it is over - he does love it

other things he loved was the tricky ball - i woul just fill with his food and he pushed around - i started with a smallkong one and then got a large orange one - he still does it - and it gives me a break from him at times

dog learn how to play with each person and will play differently with each person

Re: Soon to be dog owner here. Do you brush your dogs teeth?

You sound like you're on the right track. I also think two things you should decide is the best food to feed and how you are going to train. They can be overwhelming at first but if you already know where to take classes for learning how to train, you'll be doing yourself a favor.

As far as tug, we waited for that until the pack order was crystal clear. Then we taught "take it", "leave it", and "drop" first. When we wanted to pay tug, we offered the toy (never a rope toy because Brinkley rips pieces off and swallows them - very dangerous) and said "take it". We would play a minute and then say "drop" and as soon as he did, we would reward him with something even better than tug.

I've read similar things about pack order, but since ours is a structured game and since they will drop it when we tell them to, we're ok with it.

Re: Soon to be dog owner here. Do you brush your dogs teeth?

By the way, we brush our dog's teeth every day. We use a toothbrush and get silly and goofy when it comes out, to excite them about it. We only use toothpaste that they like. Mint is totally out, they hate it. But they like Malt, Vanilla, and any poultry/meat flavor.

Re: Soon to be dog owner here. Do you brush your dogs teeth?

We have a lab and I brush her teeth weekly. I love the furminator we have and she loves it too. I brush her with it once a week and use the other brush throughout the week. In the beginning she had this little stuffed dog that had a heart beat thingy inside of it. It really really helped her crate train. She still loves the thing and carries it around with her when she is tired. Tons of tennis balls, seriously, she looooves them. One of those bones that is plastic u think it's called, if she even looked like she was going to chew a piece of furniture i would say no and give her the bone instead. She has yet to ruin anything! She has a tug of war bone now, but we didn't use it until she was a bit older.

Re: Soon to be dog owner here. Do you brush your dogs teeth?

We brush Rexys teeth every day because he eats canned food and it doesnt scrape stuff away from his teeth as well as dry. He also has a naturally shed deer antler to chew on which is great for cleaning them too but you should still brush them. He loves the vanilla flavor and begs when the tooth brush comes out. If you make it fun for them they will love it!

Re: Soon to be dog owner here. Do you brush your dogs teeth?

Hi All!

I just want to mention that my vet told me that unless you are going to brush your dogs teeth practically everyday then it really isn't worth it at all. Imagine if we only brushed our teeth once a week - it would not make much of a difference.

Just sharing what my vet told me.

Re: Soon to be dog owner here. Do you brush your dogs teeth?

Honestly never brushed my dogs teeth but it really is best if you can do it. My dogs sadly have to go under anesthesia every year or so to get their teeth cleaned. They won't let us know, they aren't used to it and won't allow it at this point in the game.

Re: Soon to be dog owner here. Do you brush your dogs teeth?

i brush Jacks teeth when he gets his
bath which is abt every 2mths. In between
i used chewable dental treats & a mouthwash for his water.