Your dog may be your best friend, but when he tries to get up close and personal with you to play or give you love, his breath may be anything but friendly. Canines are notorious for having stinky breath. If you are looking for a solution for bad breath for your dog, you should know that there are likely a few things you can do right at home to help him overcome this rather offensive situation.

Go ahead, brush those doggy teeth.

You may think it seems a bit awkward to grab a toothbrush and brush your dog's teeth, but this is actually a very good practice to adopt. Don't use regular toothpaste because, of course, the dog won't know how to spit when he needs to. But you can use something veterinarian recommended for use with the toothbrush, such as doggy toothpaste, which is made to be appetizing with flavors like peanut butter or chicken. If you want something that you already have on hand, try using a mild aloe vera juice mixed with a small amount of three percent hydrogen peroxide. You can even buy specifically designed doggy toothbrushes that slip over your finger and make the feat much easier to tackle, but a human toothbrush does work.

Give your puppy something to chew on.

You don't have to go out and buy expensive dental-cleaning bones and treats to keep your dog's teeth clean. You can achieve the same results with an actual bone. If you have a bone leftover from a pot roast or other roasted slab of meat, save it because it will come in handy to help clean your dog's teeth. Clean the bone and pop it in the freezer in a zip-close baggie. Pull it out at the end of the day and allow your dog to chew on the bone for a bit. This will naturally remove a lot of the debris and food buildup that can cause bad breath.

Check out your dog's diet.

Foods that your dog eats regularly could be causing him to have bad breath. Dry foods that have a lot of fillers are often high in carbohydrates, which will cause a lot of plaque buildup on your dog's teeth. Try switching your dog's diet around and incorporating fresher ingredients and foods that have fewer preservatives and filler products. You will likely start to notice a big difference in Fido's breath within a few days.

If you try all of this and your dog is still breathing foul odors from his mouth, be sure to contact a veterinarian like Brian E Hall for advice. Bad doggy breath can sometimes indicate other health or dental problems and should be addressed right away.