Abby Sunshine

What is up with a dog’s tongue? Did you hear the one about the dog with a long tongue on his first day of obedience school? He said “I’ve got this licked.” Does that sound like the beginning of a standup comedy routine? Perhaps a funny one, maybe not.

But let’s get real here. What is the deal with a dog’s long tongue? In comedy productions about a dog, jokes and general discussion, the dog’s tongue regularly gets mentioned. It is responded to with an “ewww” or “sick” as people get sort of grossed out with the whole doggy spit thing. 

Have you ever been licked by a dog? Abby loves to lick a nice sweaty leg- preferably after a long run or bike ride. EWWWW!!

Obviously, dogs don’t feel this way. For one thing their tongue is an integral part of their internal temperature gauge. When they pant, we all see their tongue hanging out. It is cooling off, which in turn cools them off. Very important.

We’ve heard about a healthy dog having a damp nose. Well, how do you suppose their nose remains wet? They lick it! That’s what they do. Your dog ought to have a wet nose, and if it isn’t, they might be under the weather.

As with us, a dog’s tongue is also crucial for their nourishment; eating. This moist organ assists dogs with their food intake, chewing and swallowing. It is also critical for hydration. Their tongue is used to lap water. This is something we can watch and listen to in amazement! Water getting slopped up into their mouths. To us, we may find it disgusting, to the dogs, it’s necessity. 

And finally, this long tongue creates a closer connection between dogs and Gene Simmons. What could be more cool than that?

 (FYI, Gene Simmons is a famous rock ‘n roll musician from the group KISS. The photo to the left shows the group, wearing their face paint. Another little claim to fame for him is that he has a very long tongue- he often poses for photos sticking his tongue out!)