# bites moving back and forth?



## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Does anyone have anymore information about bites moving back and forth on small breed dogs? I've heard this from many places, but every time I try to google it or find more information, I get info on teaching your dog not to bite. Hmmmph. 

Is it actually common for their bite to go off, then come back, go off again, come back, etc?


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## TripleAChihuahuas (Apr 8, 2010)

as much as I know bites can go off and come back around 8-9 months old
where's my pic you holding out on me? j/k LOL


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## Natti (Jun 24, 2010)

A lot of dogs bites go out while they're teething and then come back once they're done - I know its very common with Cavaliers, no idea if it is with Chi's though


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## LiMarChis (Mar 29, 2010)

I don't know if there's documented research out there or now. You could try searching for the development of canine jaw structure. For all the breeders that I know, we all agree that the lower jaw continues to grow for a longer period of time than the upper jaw. If a pup is undershot, that doesn't generally correct without assistance. As soon as I see a pouty expression, I make the determination of pet placement. Even it it catches up to a reverse scissor, it's still undershot so that's out for me. If a pup is overshot, there's a chance for the lower jaw to catch up, depending on the severity. If it's an exceptional pup with a slight overbite, I'll hold till 5-6 months if I'm seeing progress, naturally, not man made intervention. Teething only affects it if there's a failure to pull retained puppy teeth at an appropriate time. I typically watch bites from birth to 8 weeks. If the jaw alignment is correct then, it generally will correct even if it happens to go off for a small bit. If there's any misalignment before 8 weeks, it's just gonna get worse and not end up within the Standard (scissor or level) regardless of how many times it changes during development.

Honestly can't pass on any documentation, just combined experience of everyone I know, which is several hundred years of breeding if you add it all together. It hasn't proven wrong for me yet. 

Good luck in your search. If you find anything, please share. I'd love to read it. I love it when the vet field catches up with breeder experience. lol


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## sugarbaby (Dec 21, 2009)

not sure if this would have anything to do with it but i have noticed keona's muzzle changing as she ages .
when she was little it was pretty short than she went through a stage where it was long ,at around 8mths her head started to fill out but her muzzle stayed the same ,i was pretty confused at this point to wether she was an apple or deer head lol than hubby asked last week if i had noticed her muzzle getting longer , so now at 10mths i gather she is a deer head .
maybe this would have something to do with bites changing ? i never thought to check her bite .


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## cprcheetah (May 4, 2009)

I know it's not small breeds but my sister rescued a German Shep from her ex boyfriend (he was an idiot) and he bought the dog for deeply discounted because his bite was off at about 9 months, by about 18 months his bite was perfect (and he LOVED to use it to bite people ha ha) and the breeder was kicking herself in the pants because he was a gorgeous specimen of the breed. I know Zoey's breeder told us hers would correct (one of her many fairytales)....I don't think hers changed at all (she has an overbite), since she was a puppy. It might have gotten slightly better but not much.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

My Trigger has a pretty bad overbite and quite honestly, I can't ever see his correcting, whereas I think Bryco's has gone on and off so many times I've lost count. Over, on, under, on, over, on, under...it was scissors @ 8 weeks, currently is level but last week was under...its doing my head in.

Triggers I'm fine w/ his doesn't inhibit his ability to eat, chew, or enjoy life! Its kinda cute, he has a teensy bull dog look going on when he's really excited. His bite was off even when I bought him as a baby, but not so much it was cause for concern.

Bryco it would be nice if his eventually was level or scissors as I want to show him, but if not, I won't breed him and will likely buy an adult for the next show pup if that happens  

Oakley's has always been right on, and Laurel's is perfect too...its so annoying. I haven't found any more info about it, nothing concrete whatsoever. Even the vet kinda smiled and said no one really cares much, cuz it doesn't affect a dog unless it's so extreme you knew it was gonna be that way anyway. 

Sugarbaby -- I don't think I'd call Keona a deer head based on pictures I've seen? A longer muzzle doesn't mean their head isn't apple shaped, but you could take a side profile pic and we could help you decide :-D Trigger is in between deer & appleheaded, so maybe she's like that


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## jessicao32 (Jul 21, 2010)

You will see that alot of chihuahua bite can go off between 6 to 18 months just like you said on them off and keep doing this for awhile. if they bite are on at 12 week most likely their bite will be on by 18 months. if you ask long time breeders and showers they will say this. each dog is different so keep that in mind also...so the rule of thumb is 6 to 18 months


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## Lou_lou (Jul 23, 2009)

how old is bryco now? perry mouth keeped moving when he was a puppy but stopped when he turned 6months. 
i think at about 6months its not going to change, a few people said they can but i have never seen it happen. would love to be proven wrong lol 
you could try bands?


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

Daisys bite was always scissor then and 7 months she was v slightly undershot she's now about 10 months and scissor again


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Lou_lou said:


> how old is bryco now? perry mouth keeped moving when he was a puppy but stopped when he turned 6months.
> i think at about 6months its not going to change, a few people said they can but i have never seen it happen. would love to be proven wrong lol
> you could try bands?


What do bands do? Bryco's about 7 months, the bite hasn't stopped moving since he was about 14 weeks old, its been driving me mad. I think we aren't supposed to use anything to alter the structure of a dog we show here so I guess it doesn't matter a lot...


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## Lou_lou (Jul 23, 2009)

no were not allowed too, but you can buy some sort of bands that pull the teeth back, i dont know how they work or where you could get them, just heard a few people in lowchens talking about them at a show.


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

Kristi can u get a pic of his bite?? If his adult teeth aren't in yet I would worry if it was ok at 12 weeks I wouldn't worry


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

I'll try to get one tonight, its really not off, its hard to explain, the two middle lower incisors, which I think are still baby teeth (???) stick out, making his bite look off, but the other teeth meet level, at least thats how it was yesterday lol. It was a reverse scissors a week ago, ...


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## lalluvia750 (Sep 15, 2010)

I don't have a Chi, but I do have a small dog so I may be of assistance? 

When I got my IG she had an AWFUL underbite. It was like a perfect inverse scissors bite. I asked people online if they thought it would ever correct at all and basically I was laughed at. 
Her bite improved as her adult teeth came in, but it remained undershot for the most part. Well, until her canines started to come in.

At age 8 months her bite is a perfect scissors bite.
My IG proof that underbites can correct themselves. 

do they happen all the time? likely not... but they can. and I have the pictures to prove it. so be optimistic and let nature run its course.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

I'm trying my best to be optimistic  I knew getting a puppy there was no guarantees -- but I fell in love w/ the little boogar and he needed me to be his mommy  Sooo no regrets there -- I guess I just have to be patient and wait!


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## sugarbaby (Dec 21, 2009)

flippedstars said:


> Sugarbaby -- I don't think I'd call Keona a deer head based on pictures I've seen? A longer muzzle doesn't mean their head isn't apple shaped, but you could take a side profile pic and we could help you decide :-D Trigger is in between deer & appleheaded, so maybe she's like that


i just found that out on another thread lol , all this time i thought if the muzzle was long she was a deer head lol well now i feel silly haha
i will make a thread with some pics taken a few days ago so i dont hijack your thread  .


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

flippedstars said:


> I'll try to get one tonight, its really not off, its hard to explain, the two middle lower incisors, which I think are still baby teeth (???) stick out, making his bite look off, but the other teeth meet level, at least thats how it was yesterday lol. It was a reverse scissors a week ago, ...


I think I may have figured out what describes his bite right now...anterior crossbite...










He absolutely refused to let me get a picture, so that's all I've got for now, but yeah, basically the center 2 incisors are off like that, but the rest of the bite looks fine, at least ATM, as I said, its moved back and forth and is doing my head in


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## 18453 (Feb 6, 2010)

Kristi I'm sure it will correct itself if he still has puppy teeth his mouth will be a mess!!! Honestly it's fine even if his bite is still off it's just a fault nothing major he's still showable!!


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## lalluvia750 (Sep 15, 2010)

if all of those baby teeth have been lost already, I would say then you're looking at his adult bite. of course, if that's what it looks like. 
I took a couple of pictures a few minutes ago (yeeeeah......) of my pup and her teeth vs. what they looked like at about 12 weeks of age if it helps you any. Funny how the puppy uglies work out, right?
please forgive poor photography... camera phones at 2:30am during homework breaks don't take the best pictures.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

lalluvia750 said:


> if all of those baby teeth have been lost already, I would say then you're looking at his adult bite. of course, if that's what it looks like.
> I took a couple of pictures a few minutes ago (yeeeeah......) of my pup and her teeth vs. what they looked like at about 12 weeks of age if it helps you any. Funny how the puppy uglies work out, right?
> please forgive poor photography... camera phones at 2:30am during homework breaks don't take the best pictures.


He really just started teething full on about 2 weeks ago, so hardly any adult teeth are in yet...hes a late bloomer LOL.


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## FireFox (Jun 4, 2009)

Roxy's teeth are like that now  cross bite! But she has still one baby incisor left in the upper jaw and then there are two incisors missing in the lower jaw. She is 9 months old now, I am really hoping the two adult incisors will grow in soon, and then the bite will correct by itself, but maybe not  There is a space for them, so I am hoping it will be ok! Her bite was perfect until she started teething!
I brought Roxy to her first show two weeks ago, I entered her in the puppy class, the judge didn't really look at her bite, because it doesn't really matter while they are pups, so she did well, we got 2nd and Promising grade  It was fun!


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

FireFox said:


> Roxy's teeth are like that now  cross bite! But she has still one baby incisor left in the upper jaw and then there are two incisors missing in the lower jaw. She is 9 months old now, I am really hoping the two adult incisors will grow in soon, and then the bite will correct by itself, but maybe not  There is a space for them, so I am hoping it will be ok! Her bite was perfect until she started teething!
> I brought Roxy to her first show two weeks ago, I entered her in the puppy class, the judge didn't really look at her bite, because it doesn't really matter while they are pups, so she did well, we got 2nd and Promising grade  It was fun!


That makes me feel a bit better  But I feel your frustration too, girl! Now two of the lower incisors have moved, so he has 2/3 reverse scissors bite, 1/3 is on, ha ha lucky for me its on the left, the side the judge sees :-D JK i know it doesn't work like that, but ye,s his bite was on then when teething started, moved back and forth like crazy. I don't get why it works like that!


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## KayC (May 3, 2005)

Kristi, I brought this thread up because I was curious has to how Bryco's bite turned out. Did it correct at all? Chloe Has a overshot bite (the breeder said it was a scissor) but it looks more overshot to me. I was holding out hope that it may correct.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Kay,

Interestingly enough, it DID! He has a perfect scissor bite now at 2 years old. By around 10 months his bite was level, and somewhere between then and now, it moved to scissor. 

Now that I have learned more about his line, I totally would not have worried when his bite went off. MOST come back from that line. But I didn't have that info then.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

Kay - how much of an overbite does she have?


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## KayC (May 3, 2005)

I was just looking at my first thread on her to see if it showed the bite. I was going have you take a look and tell me what you thought.


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## flippedstars (Dec 16, 2009)

You can pm me pictures if you don't want to post them here, too. Try to get a side view where I can see canine placement as well as a picture where I can see the size of the gap between her teeth.

Overbites CAN correct if they are not severe. The lower jaw grows longer, and it grows last. But it doesn't grow an extreme amount.


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## KayC (May 3, 2005)

I drug up my first post in pictures. She is already in bed (likes to go to bed at 830 everynight) but I will get better photos tomorrow and post. Thanks so much.


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## pri quindim (Oct 25, 2014)

i´m having the same problem in here! my girl had perfect scissors bite untill she started to change her teeth, she entered her 6 months old this week, and started changing her canines, but incisors are a tiny tiny udershot, she is gorgeaus black and tan long coat and I am hopping that she will come back to scissors bite as I would love to show her


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