How to Determine Puppy Age by Teeth

Inside your dog's mouth

Like human babies, puppies are born without teeth so they can nurse without hurting their mother. Unlike human babies, however, puppies' first set of teeth, called deciduous teeth, appear 30 days after birth. Once their 28 temporary teeth have come in you can determine exactly how old they are based on the state of their teeth.

Things You'll Need

• Latex gloves
• Flashlight

Instructions

1. 

   Open your puppy's mouth by putting your hand on top of its nose, gently pushing your thumb into his mouth and behind the back tooth. While their mouth is open, use a flashlight check the teeth. If there are 28 teeth that are pointy, white and small then the puppy is between 1½ to 3 months old. After about 3 months, the permanent teeth start to come in, replacing the deciduous ones.

2. Look for larger teeth. These are permanent. Permanent teeth begin to come in around 3 to 5 months and will replace all the puppy teeth by 6 or 7 months. If your puppy has all her permanent teeth it's time to look more closely at each tooth to better determine the puppy's age.

3. Observe any tooth discoloration. As dogs age their teeth begin to get more yellow with use. If your puppy's back teeth have started to look a little yellow, this means they are between 1 or 2 years old. The older your puppy is the more yellow and worn your dog's back and middle incisor teeth will look. If your dog's teeth have a build up of tartar (a dark discoloration at the top of the tooth and on the gum line) then she is 3 to 4 years old. Their teeth will also be a darker yellow or light brown.

4. Large amounts of tartar on the teeth are an indication that the dog is not a puppy, but rather an adult. A good amount of tartar on the teeth, extending down from the gum line onto the tooth, that are a light to darker brown means your dog is between 5 and 6 years old. As dogs get older, after around 7 years of age, their teeth will become progressively browner, more blunt with wear and tear and tarter might increase.

Tips & Warnings

• A dog's teeth can wear differently depending on a variety of factors including their genetics, the food they eat, etc. and might not be the best determination of their age. There are other methods of age identification for your puppy or dog such as the condition of your dog's fur. You might want to wear latex gloves when checking your dog's teeth in case you have sensitivity to your dog's saliva.

• If your dog appears to be aggressive do not attempt this and take her to your veterinarian for a further dental examination.

References

• Determining a Puppy's Age
• Puppy's Age
• Puppy's Teeth

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish