Newt’s snout curved visibly to one side, but that was not what held Melanie Price’s attention. After another family returned the dachshund puppy, her husband quietly submitted an adoption application for the dog she had been unable to forget.
Price and her husband already had three dogs and had not planned to bring home another. Newt then called Twister was 11 weeks old when Price first encountered his rescue listing from Dream-A-Dream Dachshunds in Pflugerville, Texas.
According to Price, Dream-A-Dream owner Sherry had obtained Newt, his parents and 12 other dogs from a breeder. Price said she was told that another dog had attacked the puppy at his former home, causing a suspected jaw fracture that went without medical attention. His jaw was left in its unusual position.
The group had faced another serious threat. Price said the puppies and their parents had parvovirus, and Sherry nursed them through the illness, although some of the puppies died.
Newt was adopted by a family before the Prices, but their dogs rejected him and he was returned. That reversal reopened a possibility Price had not expected.
My husband showed me the post that he had gotten returned, and I told him I had not stopped thinking about him since that first day that I saw him, Price said.
Her husband applied without initially telling her. Sherry had several applications to consider, but she selected the Prices because she knew them and knew Newt would have other dogs as companions.
There was still an uncertain introduction ahead. Oscar, the Prices’ oldest dog, had previously shown some aggression toward newly arrived dogs. Yet Price said Oscar accepted Newt immediately. Luna, the youngest dog in the household at the time, bonded with him too and became his closest canine companion.
He immediately took Newt under his wing, and Luna, our youngest at the time, fully took him under her wing, Price said.
A Crooked Jaw Requires an Individual Assessment
Newt’s experience offers one outcome, not a general rule for dogs with facial asymmetry or an old jaw injury. Veterinary evaluation focuses on function and comfort not appearance alone. A clinician may assess facial symmetry, how the upper and lower jaws meet, tooth position, and whether any tooth is pressing painfully into another tooth or the mouth’s soft tissue.
Veterinary guidance on canine malocclusion explains that jaw and tooth alignment can continue changing during a puppy’s development, making follow-up particularly important during the first year. When misaligned teeth cause self-trauma, treatment may involve extraction, endodontic care or orthodontic movement. The goal is a comfortable, functional mouth rather than a cosmetic correction.
That distinction matters because a visibly irregular jaw is not enough to determine whether treatment is necessary. A peer-reviewed clinical review of canine malocclusion notes that traumatic tooth contact can cause oral pain, reluctance to have the head handled, periodontal disease and damage to teeth or surrounding tissue. Treatment decisions depend on the particular alignment and whether it causes injury or interferes with normal function.
Price said a veterinarian had advised that Newt might need some teeth removed depending on how they grew. She later reported that his teeth adapted to the shape of his mouth. He eats from a round bowl with high sides, drinks water easily and has no breathing problems, she said.
The bowl works for Newt, but feeding adjustments for another dog should be based on that animal’s needs and veterinary guidance. Difficulty eating, refusal to eat, drooling, swelling or apparent mouth pain can accompany jaw injuries and warrant prompt veterinary attention. Detailed assessment can sometimes require dental imaging or other imaging to understand how the jaw and teeth are affected.
The Prices have not pursued surgery because, in Price’s account, changing Newt’s snout would be cosmetic rather than medically necessary. She describes him as healthy, active, loving and playful.
A household that had not intended to grow made room for him anyway. Newt kept his crooked snout, gained Oscar’s protection and Luna’s companionship, and settled into a life where looking different did not require becoming different.
Have you ever adopted a dog with a story like this? Share it in the comments.
By Jake Patterson — Freelance feature writer and former animal-shelter volunteer focused on rescue, adoption, and second-chance dog stories.
