How many teeth does an adult dog have?

Like humans, dogs have baby teeth as puppies. Due to their rapid development and maturity, they lose those 28 baby teeth and have a full set of adult teeth by the time they’re six months old. The 42 that come in and replace them tend to last longer than human teeth because the shape of canine teeth and the tendency of dog food to be low in sugar, which means that cavities are a rare occurrence in dogs.

As dogs evolved, their jaws and teeth were used to crush bones in order to reach nutrient-rich bone marrow. As biting power increased, their overall size and strength increased too. That added size and strength made it easier for early canines to chase down and overpower their prey!

Today, our dogs are omnivores. They eat wet and dry food that contains plant material but their teeth remind us they were mighty creatures who had to hunt for their meals.