The plier or level bite, which was the preferred bite in the original standard of the breed, is also a bite commonly found in wild canines such as wolves, jackals and foxes.  This sort of bite is efficient for self-grooming, for removing thorns and stickers from the coat, for freeing oneself from parasites, and so on.  However, over the years that the Canaan has been selectively bred for the show ring, selection has been made for the bite more commonly seen in the show ring, the scissors bite.  As this bite does not really interfere with functionality, it is totally acceptable.  Both scissors and level bites should be equally acceptable.

Missing teeth is not a common problem in the Canaan, although it is not very rare for one or two premolars to be missing, or in an older dog, to be worn down to the point where they can not be seen or felt.  One or two missing premolars should not be seriously penalized; this will not interfere with the effectiveness of the bite.  However, a number of missing teeth is definitely undesirable and should be penalized.