Daily Dose

[SheltieChe]

This is very interesting to me as Megan has an underbite AND what appears to be lower teeth crowding as two of the teeth are not aligned. Are we as pet pwners supposed to do anything about this condition??

I believe dogs same as people can have braces or other orthodontic procedures done to correct dental problems. Teeth are living and moving so it is possible for them to change especially as a puppy grows up, at least to some degree. I believe many pups end up being sold as pets and not show prospects this way- everything might be fine but crooked teeth or misalignment will disqualify from show ring. So lots of pet owners do end up with pups with dental problems. I think short of going to doggie dentist all one can do is not pull too hard when playing tuggy and give plenty of good quality chewies to work things out.

 

[Emmasmom]

Emma has an underbite, which is why even though she is of show quality and from good stock, she was sold as a show puppy. Her brothers and sisters from other litters (same parents) have been shown. She was a singleton in her litter.

 

[SheltieChe]

Che had an overbite at 8 weeks but not anymore. His lower jaw is not deep and full to the standard, this did not change but overbite corrected itself when he was growing. I made sure we did not start tugging seriously until about 1-2 months ago and he always had plenty of bones to chew.

 

[Justicemom]

This is very interesting to me as Megan has an underbite AND what appears to be lower teeth crowding as two of the teeth are not aligned. Are we as pet pwners supposed to do anything about this condition??

No you don't need to do anything if the teeth are not interfering with each other. Dental care will be important to prevent plaque and tartar build up. Alignment problem are a jaw problem not a tooth problem generally. Lance canines being one exception.

Underbites and overbites happen in even the best breeding programs. However, a good breeder will place that pup as a pet on a spay/neuter contract. Yes, it makes them non show quality but does not disqualify them in shelties. It is just a fault but good luck finishing the dog with that fault.

The main reason is that if you breed a dog with an underbite, you risk getting a dog with a worse bite and they may have problems shutting its mouth , chewing, picking things up and the like. Conformation is not just about beauty, it is about function and selection of your breeding stock(or atleast it should be). Without breeder selection of only the best breeding stock(which is what BYB and puppy mill do, they breed everything they produce or have regardless), you have no pressure(genetic) to move away from the structure problems and suddenly you have tons of problems as well a dog that no longer looks like the breed it is supppose to be.