hi my dog will not let the judge look at his teeth al he wants to do is lick him/her. he will let my husband and myself and other family members look but not strangers. any suggestions? he is six months old.

Keep practicing and he will learn but in the mean time ask to show the judge his teeth yourself.

As jackie says!

Also get as many strangish people just to play with his mouth in lifting flews etc but not looking or taking time.

Do you go to a ringcraft or any dog club where you can get different people to do this? 

Rox

a good tip is too steady the dog by grabbing whole chunk of his scruff i found this to be brill with my dog as it stopped him from retreating backwards and stabilised him for the judge to see his teeth he is now nearly 2 and i don't have to do it anymore just hold his collar behind his ears and it works the same, in rotties the judge usually wants to examine the mouth themselves as its a temperament check too and they sometimes put a bic pen between space in teeth to check its not too big/small strange but true!!!!!

Grabbing the ruff works on some dogs but to others it is the signal that the dreaded tooth inspection is about to take place. ;)

Must say I have one bitch who you grab tightly and she backs off, wiggles and everything, another bitch of the onnly way to keep her still when the judge is going over is a firm hold on the scuff in one hand and food in the mouth (except when the judge is looking at the teeth then I just keep her focused on the food!!!!

Find whats best for your dog, do you talk and reasure as i find that plenty of talking to the dog reasuring them allows them to realise that it is ok, you are not going to hurt them and that they will get lots of food/attention if they get it right!!

Rox

God if you scruffed my youngest Cavalier he would never ever have been handled again. he was a little devil when in minor puppy about having his mouth looked at & it wasn't until he had completely finished teething that he started standing for his teeth inspection

It is simply a case of getting your dog used to getting its teeth looked at by a stranger this is were ringcraft is invaluble. Forcing a dog never lets your dog be comfortable with having it's mouth look at. Oddly enough I've never had a problem with the bigger dogs that I have owned. Especially the GSD's who have to have the whole mouth looked at & not just the bite

I never reassure a dog if it is backing off as this reinforces the dogs dislike & I train with friends who know the dogs to start off with & with the little dogs I do a teeth examination on the grooming table

I still find it a problem with my youngster at times.  I don't like to grab her by the scruff as this seems to indicate the fact that something bad is going to happen and can make her wriggle more.  I try and be really casual (nerves permitting) and hold her as little as possible, whilst talking to her, but as it's been said, I think plenty of ringcraft practice helps.

hi thanks for all the suggestions. i do attend ringcraft but he is the same there. the problem he has is he is a very friendly dog and likes lots of affection which is why he trys to lick the judge. also while i am at ringcraft and i try to show his teeth he then trys to lick me. basically he is an angel at home and a monkey when he is supposed to "perform". i am worried because i have my first show on sunday and i am a bag of nearves as well so the two of us combined i am sure will make good entertainment. 

I think at 6 months old most judges make allowances for puppies and are understanding that they will fidgit.  After all, they are just being puppies!
I know what you mean though, about being good at home.  Willow is great at home stands still etc  but come to the ring with lots of smells and distractions it can be a different story - and she's 18 months old!
Good luck on Sunday - where are you showing?  Let us know how you get on.
sarah

Don't know about other breeds but in mine most judges like puppies to be puppies not little statues. True it is easier to judge little statues but that is not how a puppy should be.

My youngest boy was so naughty at Manchester when he was in minor puppy when the judge tried to look at his mouth that she gave up & I thought he had blown his chances as we weren't pulled out in the last five, but as we were leaving the ring the judge called me back in I though she was going to say something re his behaviour(it was just like he had never been on a table)but she smiled & waved me into the last six & he was placed :O

I always allow puppies to be puppies & always ask the handlers to show me the teeth(goes back to my early GSD days & much more hygenic)

I don't show but I do inspect my dogs regularly and I think they appreciate being told what I'm going to do.  When training him to become accustomed to it use the word "teeth". 
Sally

My Dobie puppy is not to keen on letting you look at her teeth, I have found that if I practice every day 2/3 times and a the same time after giving the command "teeth" she gets a treat of a Brewers Yeast tablet, she has improved no end. (also get her used to taking tablets). This worked for my male Dobe who's now two and doesn't bother about his teeth being looked at, at all.
She