Dog teeth served as decoration and money in different parts of Papua and Papua New Guinea. Their quantity was restricted because only the canine teeth were accepted as means of payment. They were holed and strung on cords, then worn as necklaces and headdresses. Dog teeth strings were also used for bride prices.
The Mafulu, a people living on the slopes towards the Gulf of Papua, used dog teeth also to pay for pigs. The cost of a pig at one time was a chain of dog teeth that equaled the length of the pig from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail.