Showing her teeth

[nlavett]

We are preparing for the USRC show in Orlando next month and she's doing very well with the exception of getting her to let us manipulate her mouth/gums. Is there an excercise I can do to get her more comfortable with this? She was only 4 months old at her last competition, so they didn't expect much from her. She's 7 months now. Thanks for any and all suggestions.

[bjjonesjr]

I’m having the same training issue with showing teeth. It has already cost me one show and it’s a shame because he’s a great dog with a nice confirmation. He was about 1 ½ at the time of our show and I have been working on it since with limited success. My female, 9 mos. old does very well with showing teeth. I worked my male in the same manner as my female but he is very sensitive about showing his teeth. The progress that I have made with him is to let him know that I have a piece of hot dog in my mouth and when he allows me to open his mouth, I spit the hot dog in his mouth. This is the most progress that I have made with him. One other thing that I have been working on is getting him to out on his own instead of me opening his mouth for him to out (negative enforcement). It’s a lot of work but if you’re like me, I love my dogs and we will accomplish what ever I set our goal to. How long is the magic question?

Let me know what you learn about this.

Good luck,
bjones

[brunie's mom]

I don't show my dogs, so I'm not sure about the part of showing teeth?
Do you brush your dogs teeth? This may be a way to get them used to having their mouth touched and opened and teeth touched too.

I brush my dogs teeth once a week (more if I remember) and when they see me get their toothpaste (chicken or peanut butter flavor) and their tooth brush...they line up for me to brush their teeth. Baxter even opens his mouth of for me...lifts his lip...and really does not mind it at all. Even my old girl stands nicely with her mouth open, or I just have to hook one thumb in to get to her teeth.

I think anything that get's them used to having their mouth handled helps.

Gina

[Ayoka]

Since I'm all about clicker training I wonder if there's a way to clicker train this doesn;t become traumatic for her. I know there's a new clicker book our for the conformation ring...I think it's called Click to Win!

I guess I would start by clicking for tolerating a pet on the muzzle, then a finger on the gums, and so on and so on, that way she isn't being bombarded with the entire experience at once.

I also like the flavoured toothpase idea, instead of using a brush you could just apply it to your finger, then when she's comfortable with you manipulating her mouth, recruit one of your friends to try it.

[warriec]

encourge people to give treats to your dog and slowly ask them to put there fingers into the mouth. as ayoka says,

"instead of using a brush you could just apply it to your finger, then when she's comfortable with you manipulating her mouth, recruit one of your friends to try it"

This works well too, same concept.

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by brunie's mom

I don't show my dogs, so I'm not sure about the part of showing teeth?

In conformation showing the judge checks to see the bite is correct and the dog has the proper number of teeth.

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by AngelBunny

In conformation showing the judge checks to see the bite is correct and the dog has the proper number of teeth.

The part I was not sure of? was does the handler hold the mouth open for the judge to look at? or does the judge open the mouth and poke around.

I've been to enough shows to shows to know why they want to look at the mouth...just could not remember who needs to open the mouth and handle the mouth. Is it different in AKC/CKC and Sieger shows?

Gina

[Ayoka]

here in Canada I have seen both a judje looking for themselves and the exhibitor showing the teeth for the judge to see...I think it might depend on the judge.

[AngelBunny]

Sorry, Gina --I didn't mean to be patronizing.

I've only seen AKC shows. Like Ayoka, I've seen teeth checked both ways.

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by AngelBunny

Sorry, Gina --I didn't mean to be patronizing.

I've only seen AKC shows. Like Ayoka, I've seen teeth checked both ways.

That's o.k., after reading my own post, I sounded like I had just fallen off the turnip truck.

Gina

[damp]

Besides the conformation shows (where of course it is important that the judge can see a correct scissor bite)............ here in the very first and most simple obedience test, the handler must show, he is able the show/present the dogs teeth… even the judge doesn’t care one sec. about a correct bite and the numbers of teeth. The judge only estimates, how calm and willing the dog is to cooperate. When the handler lifts up the dog’s lips and open its mouth and “showing teeth”, it is on the same footing as obedience and controlling.
You can very well compare showing teeth with cutting nails and all the other touching “hot spots” as kind of leadership exercises.

I use to have my relaxed/half asleep pup on the floor and my hands all over his body…. and especial the “critical” spots: Mouth, ears, paws and testicles.

In my club we called that: “Training while watching TV “
No matter where you go to show your dog… the judge want to see mouth/teeth, ears/tattoo and it so sucks to fail an AD test just because your dog refuse to “show paws” to the judge and in the conformation shows, the judge not only have to see but feel the testicles!

[Skip]

In a USRC show, the owner/handler shows the dog's teeth, and the judge does not touch the mouth (as far as all I've seen). Shane has never been great at showing (the full open mouth) tooth exam, but we do it as quick as possible. He shows the front and sides fine, but holding the mouth fully open is still not his favorite part. We work on it once in awhile at home, and he gets a treat for each successful opening. At the beginning, I just held it fully open for a couple seconds, then treat. We would slowly increase the time I held it fully open, then treat if successful.