More About Teeth

For the first time ever little miss Meerah hasn't eaten today, though she seems fine in herself, maybe teething? I have been good and put the breakfast away. Eat it or lose it! Though her jaw seems to be correcting itself, I have a feeling she's going to have a double P1, bottom, right side I think it was, but I'm not sure, and she's asleep now so I won't go poking! In days gone by, a double P1 would have been a disaster. Kiri had it and I never bothered showing her at Champs because of it, though once I did qualify her for Crufts at an open show and decided to take her. It was a breed judge and of course Kiri was stone last. People on the outside of the ring were shocked as she was a nice bitch and of the type that the judge was going for, but of course I knew what the judge had seen and in those days it was near as damn it a disqualification. 

In recent years less importance has been given to double P1, and it's now suggested that judges do not penalise one or two double P1's, but missing teeth should be considered a serious fault.

"Premolars -Used for cutting, holding, shearing and breaking food into small pieces. Puppies do not have P1 teeth. Adults have eight (8) premolars in the upper jaw and eight (8) in the lower jaw, four (4) on each side. The premolars vary in size from the smallest (P1) to the largest (P4 upper) apart from the P1 they have a serrated crown. The most common of faults is missing or additional premolar 1 in either the upper or lower jaw, it has not been scientifically proven that these are linked hereditarily, however, there are clear bloodline connections which link these faults. While additional P1 teeth are undesirable, they should not be penalised in the show ring." 

I firmly believe there is a family link to additional P1's as I know exactly when it started here and it has nothing to do with Lucca.