Articles about American Pit Bull Terrier
Teeth Information/Care
Fangs for grabbing and puncturing, incisors for nibbling, premolars for tearing, and molars for crushing bone -- although the family pet is far more civilized than his wild relatives, he still has the same equipment for eating, grooming, greeting, and defense. Like humans, dogs have two sets of teeth in their lives. The 28 baby teeth erupt through the gums between the third and sixth weeks of age. Puppies do not have to grind much food, so they do not have molars. Puppy teeth begin to shed and be replaced by permanent adult teeth at about four months of age. Although there is some variation in breeds, most adult dogs have 42 teeth, with the molars coming last, at about six or seven months. The order of tooth replacement is incisors first, then canines (fangs), and finally premolars. The teething period can be frustrating; the puppy clamps his mouth on everything he can reach, from body parts to Johnny's $80 sneakers, in an attempt to relieve the discomfort. Teething can be accompanied by drooling, irritability, and fluctuations in appetite. Mutual grooming is a greeting and bonding behavior in dogs that maintains pack order. Dominant and submissive dogs both groom each other, but the solicitation and order of grooming are quite specific. The dominant dog can seek grooming or deliver it whenever he wants to do so; the submissive dog must wait to be asked or approached. Owners of two or more dogs can learn a lot about their pets by watching mutual grooming sessions. Canine teeth are the scary ones. They conjure up mind-pictures of ferocious wild creatures and lead to fear of mild-mannered dogs that happen to show their teeth a lot. Wolves use their fangs to grab and rip their prey; dogs use them to hold objects in their mouths and to defend themselves when necessary. Four premolars line each side of the upper and lower jaws in back of the canines. These are the shearing teeth, used to rip great hunks of flesh from prey animals. Although they no longer hunt for survival, dogs can still eat in the manner of wolves — by grabbing meat with the premolars and ripping it off the bone. Dogs use their premolars to chew on rawhides, bones, and other chew toys. They hold the toy between their paws and grab it with these strong pointed teeth by tilting their jaws to the side. The top jaw has two molars on each side, and the bottom jaw has three. These are the crushing teeth, use by wolves to crack caribou bones and by dogs to finish off a large biscuit. Like people, dogs can have tooth problems ranging from retained baby teeth and malocclusion to tooth decay. Since a healthy mouth depends on healthy teeth, pet owners should periodically check pet teeth, provide chew bones and toys, use biscuit treats so your dog has to exercise its jaws, and feed a kibbled diet....to continue reading this article please click on here...
