Once upon a time, dogs lived to the ripe old age of nine or ten, just the age when the teeth, after a long life of dedicated service, would begin to give out. Today that canine lifespan has extended into the teens, thus exposing a great many of our dogs to such conditions as canine gum disease, which were unheard of 30 years ago.

Tooth care has thus become an important element in the realm of both grooming and general dog care.

• Have your Samoyed’s teeth cleaned professionally by the veterinarian twice a year, and brush the dog’s teeth daily or every other day at home, and you can help your companion keep its teeth, or at least most of them, well into its golden years. The concept of canine tooth brushing is fairly contemporary, and there are still those who scoff at the idea. But the resulting clean teeth, fresh breath, and a full set of choppers are well worth the effort.
• Begin by gathering your supplies: a pet toothbrush and toothpaste formulated especially for dogs (human toothpastes can burn a dog’s mouth and cause gastric upset).
• Place the paste on the brush, pull the corner of the Samoyed’s lips back and out with your finger, and take the pasted brush to the newly exposed back molars.
• Brush in a circular motion to address both teeth and gums, and work your way forward to the teeth in front. Then, start all over again, back molars first, on the other side of the mouth.

It sounds so easy, yet this is obviously not a natural activity for a dog, and even the fun loving, adventure-seeking Samoyed may practically laugh out loud at your intention of placing this strange stick in its mouth. If this is your dog’s reaction, appeal to its curiosity.

Allow it to sniff and lick the toothbrush, and before even attempting to brush the teeth, squeeze a dab of toothpaste on your finger and offer it to the dog for a taste. Most dogs enjoy the meat or other flavoring with which the paste is laced, and will thus gladly cooperate with your subsequent attempts to brush the stuff all over their teeth.

It may take a few sessions to convince your Samoyed that you mean well and that this is actually an enjoyable activity, but most dogs eventually come around. Even if grudgingly, they seem to realize and acknowledge that they enjoy the sensation of tooth brushing and actually feel better when it’s done.

Of course they’ll feel even better when they are afforded the luxury of greeting the aging process with all their teeth intact, but that is a benefit of tooth-brushing that even the intelligent Samoyed will never be able to understand.