Hi, Has anyone else had a puppy who won't let people look at his teeth?
My pup is 5 months and will quite happily let me, OH and our kids look in his mouth when we say "TEETH"
but at ringcraft he  won't let the trainer look without a struggle.
He isn't angry or frightened but just wriggles and puts his paw up to push the trainers hand away.
I'm just worried that we will be sent out of the ring in shame if he behaves like this at his first show!! :(
Please any tips as we only have 4 weeks until first open show.
Paula

Every Elkhound pup I have ever had.

Remember they are teething at this stage,a nd mien just seem to think someone else looking at them is a bit of a cheek.

I persevere gently but do not make a big deal about ti.

Thanks Brainless, do you think the judge will give him some "benefit of the doubt" as he is still just a puppy ?
I'd be mortified if we were sent out on our first ever show! (his breeder will be there too)
Some people are saying get as many people to look in his mouth as possible and others say don't make a big thing out of it as it could become a problem if he gets frightened. so confused!
Do they get used to it?
Paula

There's no reason why you can't show his teeth to the judge in the ring, especially as he's a baby.

I would not force the issue at this age - all mouth/teeth experiences should be pleasant for him.

You may find in a week's time all will be well.

At our ringcraft when they are teething they ignore teeth.

As suggested if necessary you can always show the teeth yourself.

When Calida was teething a month and a half ago I just told everyone at ringcraft that I did not want anythig being done with her mouth and they didn't.  Now at 6 months yesterday she loves showing her pearly whites, well let's say I hope she does on Saturday at her first every show!

Thanks everyone,
We will just have to carry on gently gently, softly softly.
He is such a sweetheart and loves all the other attention at ringcraft, a propper show off, just not his teeth! :)
Glad he's not the only one and if he is still funny about his mouth in a few weeks time we'll do it for him.
Good luck on Saturday perrodeagua.
Paula

I can't offer much advice, but just wanted to offer my support as I am having similar problems, although sadly not with my pup, but with my girl who has just turned a year, only been to two ringcrafts and not been in the ring yet. It is hard with her as I think people accept a certain amount of 'behaviour' from a pup, but my girl is very mature and so may not be excused so much.

I walk all of my dogs to the school bus stop with my son every morning, so what I have been doing is getting people to look at her teeth everday, as, like yours, she will let us look in her mouth. Everyone thinks I am bonkers, but that's OK.... :-)

my husbands pup is 21 weeks old and teething to start with we told everyone at ringcraft and they left alone his mouth , but in the last couple of weeks he has been quite happy for me just to quickly lift up his lips and say teeth and just let it go at that , ringcraft last night they asked if they could see his teeth and we did just a quick couple of looks but i lifted his lips , there is not reason you should not do it, just remember to keep your head out of the way, you will see it time and time again in the breed ring the judge having to duck under the owners own head to see the mouth of the dog he does not wish to see the back of your head :-)
carolann

Are you trying to just show the teeth (lift the lips back) or open the mouth completely?

Are you staying as calm as you can when at ringcraft?  Could your pup be feeling any tension?

I checked my dogs mouth so much, and had other people do it to her, that now if you say "show" she will actually pull her own lips back, to show the teeth.  Now I gotta be really careful, with quickly getting my hand there before I say "show" or she may appear as she is growling! 

But when I have to open her mouth, thats another situation.  she doesnt like that at all! 

It seems a bit different there though, am I correct in reading between lines, that judges are the ones that check teeth?  Here, its the handlers that show the teeth to the judge, and the judge never touches the dogs mouth.  It was started because if a judge opens the mouth of dog A, then goes and does it to dog B, if dog A was sick, then Dog B now has the virus (possibly). 

Hi Crespin, yes it was just his teeth that I wanted the judge to be able to look at, (I think to check that he has a properly aligned jaw, but could be wrong)
Good point about passing germs from one dog to another, never thought of that!
As far a I am aware here in the UK the judge usually lifts the dogs lips to check their teeth, but as mine is only a puppy the general consensus is that it should be ok if I do it.
How clever of your dog to be able to do it herself, that would make my life much easier!! :)
Paula

We have a 5 month old bullmastiff and at ringcraft they were very good when she started teething if she backed off they left well alone now she is happy for you to look at her teeth but the only problem is you have to be standing behind her as the only way we could get to look at her teeth was for her to sit down in front of us so we sort of lean over her and so if someone come up to her and trys to look in her mouth she will back off but were working on that now we sit on the floor call her over lift her lip then give her a treat she is slowly getting the hang of it, dont rush your pup judges are very forgiving of young pups in the ring, my boys first show was a nightmare we wouldnt run around the ring, tryed giving the judge a good wash as he was going over him, and for the life of me i could not get him to stand still, i though he was going to ask us to leave the show but he got a first and best pup in breed. Now the only thing i am worried about is my new girls brother is also going to be shown and the first few shows they will be going to together how to get her behaving in the ring and not trying to jump all over her brother, its going to be fun.

Good luck at your first show and dont forget to come on and let us all know how you get on.

Have you tried using something like Bonjela for your pup, if you can take away some of the pain of teething & that is a big help.
Also, put yourself in the pup's place; if you had toothache and someone kept insisting on looking in you mouth and pulling up your lips, would you not object or say Enough?
I have never favoured letting every Tom, Dick & Harry check the mouth as not enough people know exactly how to approach this. Even some judges attack the dog's mouth as though they are peeling a banana, full hand pulling back the top lip from the front and blocking the nose. My preferred method is to use just the middle finger and thumb placed either side of the tip of nose and then gently lift the loose flesh of the lips. Done correctlythe judge can see the whole jawline and dentition.
Don't worry a month in a puppies life so much can change (for the good too!) you will not be sent out of the ring just because you pup does not want it's mouth lookd at, or generally behave like a puppy. Only sick or vicious dogs suffer that indignity.
If you can show the Full dentition clearly, then do it yourself, there is No rule that says you cannot. A judge that does not allow you to do this is in my opinion, not considering the puppy.

also a lot of people prefer to show the teeth, as not every judge wipes their hands after going over the dog infront of you say, and then transfers whatever that dog may be carrying into your dogs mouth,
that was an elderly lady told me last night and i never thought of it that way until she mentioned it
carolann

Teeth and testicles !!

If mine have any of the above they have them touched, stroked, prodded and felt everytime I have them on my lap (a lot!). When visitors have hands on them I ask them to poke and peek everywhere whilst cooing silly words and cuddles.
These two areas are places where usually dogs associate with ring craft because people dont normally touch that part of the body in everyday life :-) or not nearly enough.
At ringcraft I ask the owner are they making sure that they touch 'boy bits' and teeth often and usualy told "oh yes every day" but when I touch them ( as the fake judge) they invariably flinch. After the above treatment they treat it as old hat.
I know that many people pussy-foot around with mouths but I never have and have never had a problem. The two puppies I'm showing at the moment stand up on the table and would let the judge examine their tonsils :-)
I find dogs think there's a problem when their owner does. IMHO

My pet hate is judges who wont 'get in there' and then faff about curling up the side of the lip. I then usually take the dog's mouth myself and do a wide yawn view and then close the bite a couple of times to show all they need.

Ask to do them yourself its perfectly acceptable.  You are lucky its just the teeth one of our dogs is still being a pain about every part of them being touched. :)

At midland counties yesterday our judge checked all the teeth on my bitch not just the incisors! I wasn't worried about it at all I think bite is important but thats the first time I have had that happen in 3 years of showing - someone told me some breeds dont check the bite which I found quite shocking?
Angela

Was it a overseas judge as we have had this before.  Mind you junior handlers always show all the teeth to the judge ;)

no she wasn't but I was quite impressed!.
angela

My pet hate is judges who wont 'get in there' and then faff about curling up the side of the lip.

I have to agree with you Tooolz.
We took our pup to his weekly obedience/socialisation class on Sunday and it just happens that the trainer said that they were going to run hands over the dogs and check ears/teeth to get puppies used to it for vets etc.
At first Charlie wriggled and fussed but she persevered and he let her look!! :)
Trainer didn't know that he has a problem letting people look in his mouth so she didn't "pussyfoot" around him and just got on with it, so there is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel!!
If we forget that its been a problem, so might Charlie!!! :) :)
Paula

Aha Chloe, that depends on whether they are asked for the 'teeth' or the 'bite'. :-)

Sounds like a gentle but 'no nonsense' approach is the way to go, good luck!

Indeed Lucy - but then it's not always that simple some ask for bite but want the teeth and others ask for teeth and only want the bite - the joys of some handling judges :)

Really? I would be furious if I was placed down the line because the judge asked for the wrong thing!!!

It hasn't happened yet to my girls but certainly have heard of it - they now are very careful and always start with the bite - pause before showing the rest just in case!