THE MOUTH OF AN OLDE ENGLISH BULLDOGGE
side note: I have heard argument for a reverse scissor bite, but don't know enough proof to believe its superior to an undershot. Read on.
Different than most breeds, the OEB should not have a scissor bite. A scissor bite is when the upper incisors overlap and touch the lower incisors ( this puts wear and tear on the incisors as years go by). A bulldog should not be overshot, where the top jaw is longer than the bottom. They should be 1/4 to 1/2 inch undershot. This helps create the typical look of the bulldog, and by slightly extending the lower jaw, you gain better leverage and a stronger bite. Think: Crocodiles. They too have a slight undershot jaw and have much greater jaw power than the caiman and the alligator, who have a sort of scissor bite. OEB's are supposed to have a full set of teeth, I have heard 42 in number. However, many of them are missing a pre-molar on one of thier top maxille or bottom mandibles.The pre-molars are located right behind the canines. There should be 4 pre-molars behind each canine. After the pre-molars, there are 2 big molars on the top jaws and 3 big molars on the bottom jaws. These pre-molars get bigger as they head toward the back of the mouth, the 4th one being the biggest. If the bulldogge is missing one or more of these molars ( on the top OR bottom), it can weaken the jaw and bite! THIS IS A GENETIC TRAIT. This is a very easy trait to fix: Don't breed to other dogs who are missing teeth, and there will be little risk of it passing to future generations. You can have dogs with stronger jaws and bites in 1 generation by adhering to this rule.
In general terms, the bulldogge teeth are his only tool for offense and defense. This is also how he eats. An OEB's teeth are very important. For bulldogs, it is best if the teeth do not meet crown to crown or for the top to overlap (scissor bite). The bottom jaw should be slightly longer than the top. Most other working breeds are not this way, but because the manner in which the bulldog bites, attacks, holds, crushes, and chews, an undershot is desirable. Besides that, it helps create that distinct look (Im not talking extreme EB look here). When you study your dog's mouth, move the pendulous lips and cheek tissue completely out of the way. The placement of a bulldogges teeth are affected by these things in order : genetics, jaw structure, other teeth, and the habits of the dog (what they bite, how they bite it).
As breeders, we need to look at how the teeth relate to each other & how they respond to the jaw. We need to know about the whole mouth, not just the teeth. Don't stop at counting number of teeth and checking the bite. Those 2 things alone do not account for a good mouth. It's about every part of it. The number of teeth, the bite, the depth, length, and width of the jaw, jaw curvature, excessive flews, tongue size (and size when dog is heated), deepness and clearness of throat,gum strength and depth, and pallate. All of this should be processed when considering dogs for breeding.
WRY JAW
A wry jaw occurs when: Either the 2 upper or lower jaw bones are a different length than each other, or in drastic cases, all 4 are different lengths. This is genetic as well, & a dog with wry jaw should never be bred. Since one of the top or bottom jaw bones grows too fast in comparison to the others, it pushes out the relative facial area, giving it a swollen and twisted appearance ( a.k.a. "wry"). Dogs who have wry jaw will have extreme difficulty with a proper bite and hold, and many even have difficulty chewing food with normalcy. The bulldogges mouth is just one of many important factors in the OEB, but it is very important.
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