The first or milk teeth of a puppy begin to appear soon after birth, and within a month the first process of dentition is completed. The permanent about the fourth month, begin to replace the temporary teeth, and are usually through the gums before the eighth month. They are forty two in number and the following is the recognized formula. -

Occasionally supernumerary teeth appear and are irregularly placed.

It has been supposed that by the teeth of the dog his age could be deter, mined; a mistake in many instances as is very evident. Disease will cause them to decay, certain medicines promote their early destruction, the too frequent feeding of bones wear them away, and a young dog may have poor teeth, and those of an old one be well preserved.

It will be observed by the arrangement of the teeth that their purpose is to bite, tear, and crush. Nature makes no provision for grinding or mastication. In this the construction is identical with that of all carnivorous or flesh eating animals. The food is bolted, and passes into the stomach without meeting with either a mechanical change from the teeth, or a chemical influence from salivary secretions of the mouth.