Roger was our beautiful Golden Retriever that loved life and everyone that he encountered. He would greet you with his big brown eyes, wagging tail, and a stuffed toy in his mouth whenever one was available. Roger loved the beach, swimming, squirrels, and spending time with his family. He passed away way too early, and he is dearly missed. Marks's Happy Pets (www.markshappypets.com) blogs are dedicated to Roger, and they are written in his voice. Please enjoy.
Humans have such tiny tongues! But not me. My dog tongue is big, beautiful and very interesting. Let me tell you about it please!
Keeping cool
My human family members are often dripping sweat all over the place after we go for a run. Evaporation of the sweat apparently helps to cool them down. But since my body is covered with fur I only have sweat glands on my paw pads and nose. So, instead of sweating to cool off I pant- so please don’t laugh at my big dog tongue! Panting moves air over my tongue, mouth, and lungs which allows moisture to evaporate and cool me off. To cool off even better I can make my tongue bigger and stick it way out. That really helps when I fetch too many balls without taking a break!
When it is really hot please be careful not to make me run too much because it will be harder for me to cool off and I could get heatstroke.
What color is my tongue
When I have to go to the doctor they always want to look at my tongue. They are always happy because they say my tongue is a beautiful pink color, which apparently means that I am healthy. A yellow, white, dark red, purple, or blue tongue could mean that I have a medical emergency like heatstroke or maybe a problem with my heart or lungs.
Well, one day I was playing with some friends and noticed that they had blue tongues so I told them that they should go see the doctor right away. But they told me that blue tongues were normal for them because they were Chow Chows! That was a relief because I was really worried for a moment.
Who has more taste buds
Even though my tongue is bigger than my parents’ tongues, I heard that they have a lot more taste buds – about 6X more! This was quite disturbing news because I considered myself to be quite a connoisseur of fine foods. But at least it turns out that I have more taste buds than a cat, otherwise our cat Pickles never would have let me hear the end of it.
But all is not lost because I have a great sniffer, so I mainly use my nose to figure out what I might want to eat or lick.
My big dog tongue is better to lick you with
I apologize if I suddenly lick your face! Licking releases endorphins in my brain, and these neurotransmitters make me feel calmer and more relaxed. I may decide to lick you for different reasons like anxiety, taste, or just for fun. But if I seem to be licking too much, then it is possible that I am stressed and may need to see a doctor.
Would you like a kiss from my big dog tongue
Sometimes I just want to lick someone, but some people don’t seem happy about it. I hear them say it’s gross! Well, I want to inform them that my mouth has about 600 species of bacteria, which is the same for their mouth. And I always see kissing going on with their mouths. Yes, some of my bacteria are different, but kissing your skin is unlikely to make you sick. I am more likely to get you sick by kissing your mouth, nose, eyes, and open wounds so I will just stay away from those areas ok. Oh, and apparently some people are allergic to my saliva. So if you have a reaction to my kisses then you might want to talk to a dermatologist.
To small, too big, or just right
Some of my friends are always sticking their tongue out at me. I asked if they were making fun of me and they confessed that their tongues were just too long for their mouths. Apparently this is a characteristic for certain types of dogs like Boxers, Pugs, and English Bulldogs. My friends told me that their long tongues make it harder for them to eat, and they typically make a big mess when drinking out of their water bowl. My tongue fits inside my mouth just fine, but my parents still comment on what a messy drinker I am.
Our cat always makes fun of me for being such a messy drinker – he never makes a mess around his water bowl! It turns out that both cats and dogs dip their tongues into water and quickly retract it back, creating a column of water that we bite and then swallow. But cats move their tongues much more quickly, and I curl the tip of my tongue backward to spoon the water up into my mouth. And the bigger the tongue, the bigger the spoon, and the bigger the mess! I have tried drinking like our cat so I don’t make such a mess, but I just can’t get the hang of it.
What’s my mood
My tongue says a lot about my mood. When I am feeling good or playful (which is most of the time since I am a Golden Retriever and have a very nice family) I will be showing off my tongue to everyone! But when I get really nervous or afraid I will either lick alot to try and calm down or I will keep my mouth shut and won’t show anyone my beautiful tongue. Some dogs I have met don’t show me their tongue, and instead show me their teeth. I stay away from these dogs because they seem to be very unhappy and for some reason don’t want to be my friend.
Thank you for taking the time to read about my tongue! I hope that I have been able to give you a better appreciation for why the dog tongue is so awesome!
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