The Tongue of a Dog

Sage Canine Advice, by Sage Riverdog – Sept. 17, 2012

My Children's Church lesson this week was about Taming the Tongue. I thought it would be of value to share with you all the things a dog's tongue is responsible for:

1. It's a radiator and helps regulate my temperature. I pant to cool my body down after exercise or when it's hot.
2. Its a water-lapper, how I drink. There are really cool videos on YouTube if you want to see the slow motion version of water-lapping.
3. It's a healer of wounds. I use my tongue to clean up scrapes, clean off dirt and help dry me when I get wet.
4. It's a food conveyor. I only use my mouth to eat all sorts of food. Sometimes my paws help position things like bones so my mouth can reach them better.
5. A register of tastes - much like a human tongue.
6. A texture sensor - testing whether something is edible or chewable.
7. A wet equivalent of a dog's handshake.

A dog's tongue has more responsiblities than any othe rpart of the dog anatomy, excluding the brain, of course.

And to clarify an urban myth: dog tongues are very similar in the number of enzymes used for these various responsibilities and are therefore probably not any cleaner than a human tongue. In any case, humans should use good hygiene. Wash your hands after petting a dog and always before eating.

About Sage – Sage is an 8-year-old black Labrador retriever who lives with River District Executive Director Edna Chirico and Edna’s husband, John Huber. Sage earned a Canine Good Citizen award, which allows her to visit nursing homes, hospitals and schools. Sage loves to run, fetch, swim, ride in boats, travel in the car and play with just about anyone, especially children.