[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

This raises another good point. It's a really good idea to spend a little bit of time every day letting him get used to you handling his paws, his ears, his mouth/teeth, etc.

Yep. I mentioned dental care and daily brushing because dental disease is the most common cause of dog breath. The bits of food the dog eats and bacteria form plaque, which eventually hardens into tartar. The tartar irritates the gums and gives bacteria access to the tooth roots, which leads to infection, pain and tooth loss as well as bad breath. If not treated, in some cases the bacteria can even wind up in the bloodstream and infect a dog's heart valves or kidneys.

FYI to the OP. If you ever see yellowish, brownish, or grayish build up on the teeth, the gums are red rather than pink or you start to see sores or crust on the outside of his mouth, these are all signs of dental disease.