Owners of two or more dogs can learn a lot about their pets by watching mutual grooming sessions. Canine teeth are the scary ones. 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 Boomer has to exercise his jaws, and feed a kibbled diet.