What I want to know
Something I’ve always wondered about:
Dogs have thin, flappy tongues that look like deli roast beef. Dogs also have very sharp teeth, and their thin, flappy tongues often drape over said teeth.
I have a relatively thick tongue and a lot more molars than canines. This seems to be a setup that is less conducive to self-inflicted tongue damage than a dog’s. I bite my tongue pretty often. I think it’s because I chew a lot of gum.
Why don’t dogs bite their tongues off within about a week of birth? It seems so dangerous to have a mouth like that.
I have no idea, but I love how totally random this post was. 🙂
I’ve heard that most dogs don’t even chew their food, maybe that helps. My dog, Wriggs, should be more worried about me grabbing his tongue when he pants. It’s a fun new twist on the “I’ve got your nose!” game; I do it until he gets annoyed and walks away. Sometimes it takes awhile.
Good question.
Dog’s don’t chew gum. DUH!
Also, evolution has the human mouth shrinking, but tongue size staying the same. Evidence for this theory is found with your wisdom teeth. There is no more room for all of our Neanderthal teeth or tongues. This is also why all descriptions of Alien’s from abductions portray the Visitors as large brained and tiny mouthed creatures. Plus the Alien’s never laugh due to the constant tongue biting.
not to freak you out or nothin’, Aprille, but I’m not sure you should be going off about the thickness of your tongue on the Internet.
never know who reads these things.
I have two dogs with huge tongues. I am therefore uniquely qualified to answer this question, and I am also uniquely qualified to seriously start washing my hands before every meal.
Here’s the thing with dog tongues- they aren’t used in chewing and pushing stuff around inside the mouth (which would be pointless anyway in the absence of cheeks). They basically flick water and food down the throat. So, they’re designed to flop out when the mouth opens and pull back when the mouth closes, like a very wet smelly pop-up book.
So, when a dog closes its mouth, the tongue retracts. Presto- no tongue-biting.
This is an awesome post and comment thread. I have nothing to add. Well, except to note that Mason’s tongue is not that thin, it is actually quite large and well-anchored inside his mouth, something that can be ascertained when you are lying on your back and your dog spends ten minutes licking you all over your face.
Oh, and I totally play the grab-the-dog’s-tongue game with (to?) him.