Why does a dog stick out its tongue? For what reasons does a dog stick out its tongue? Dog's tongue sticking out

Many have seen a dog stick its tongue out of its mouth, but not everyone can explain why it does this. At first, you might think that tongue sticking out is a normal dog habit; because this happens quite often. But it turns out that this behavior of the animal is caused by important processes in the body that help adapt to the environment and maintain health.

A dog's tongue is a multifunctional organ with which dogs drink water, clean their fur and paws, lick their owner, and even cool down during the hot season. Therefore, the protrusion of the tongue from the mouth is caused by various reasons.

Reasons why a dog sticks out its tongue:

hard breath;
hot weather;
physical exercise;
rest and sleep;
elevated emotional state.

: The tongue sticking habit is common among Chihuahuas, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and other small breeds.

Hard breath

Brachycephalic dog breeds stick out their tongues due to genetic traits

Dogs with a flat muzzle and flattened noses, so-called. “brachycephalic breeds” (pug, bulldog, Pekingese, etc.) stick out their tongue due to genetic characteristics. These breeds are prone to brachycephalic syndrome, which consists of obstruction of the upper respiratory tract. Due to heavy breathing, the animal keeps its mouth open with its tongue hanging out. In addition, brachycephalic dog breeds sometimes have their tongues sticking out because their tongues are too large to fit into the mouth.

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In some cases, tongue protrusion occurs due to the abnormal structure of the animal's jaw, which does not support the tongue.

Hot weather

A dog sticks out its tongue in hot weather to cool itself.

Dogs have a hard time withstanding hot weather conditions, to the point where it leads to illness in the animal. The bottom line is that a dog's sweat glands are not located throughout the body, as, for example, in a person, but are located only in two places: on the pads of the paws and on the nose. A dog's tongue contains a system of blood vessels. When a dog's body temperature rises from the heat, the blood vessels dilate due to increased blood flow to the tongue.

To reduce body temperature, a dog needs heat transfer. To do this, it opens its mouth and sticks out its tongue, wet with saliva. The surface of the protruding tongue comes into contact with air as saliva evaporates, which cools the tongue and removes heat from the blood supply. In this way, the dog’s body temperature is normalized and the animal’s well-being improves.

In this regard sticking out the tongue is a dog's way of sweating, a process that adapts an animal to hot weather conditions.

Helping your dog in the heat

To help your pet cope with the heat, make sure your dog has fresh, clean water available at all times. Overheating an animal often leads to dehydration, which negatively affects the animal's health. To avoid unnecessary exposure to heat, the pet is doused with water or bathed. However, such measures are taken with caution, since even on sweltering days the dog can catch a cold through disruption of the fat layer that is contained under the skin. It is recommended to select a muzzle for a dog in such a way that it does not interfere with the animal sticking out its tongue.

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Wool and thermoregulation

Long-haired black dog breeds are most susceptible to body overheating

It has been noted that short-haired dog breeds (Doberman, Dachshund, Labrador) stick out their tongue less often than those with long, thick hair (Samoyeds, Chinese Chins, Retrievers, Collies). Hairless dogs (Chinese Crested, American Hairless Terrier) do not need this, since they cool themselves with their entire skin. The most susceptible to heatstroke are shaggy dogs that are black in color because they absorb the sun's rays.

Physical exercise

Dog sticks out tongue while jogging

After intense physical activity (workout, long run, exciting game), the dog’s blood circulation increases, breathing quickens, body temperature rises, resulting in a need for heat transfer. By opening its mouth and sticking out its tongue, the dog normalizes its body temperature and helps the body cool down. The animal uses the same method of getting rid of excess heat in case of severe fatigue, excitement, or stress.

If you ask any dog owner when their four-legged pet sticks out its tongue, there will be several answers, and even fewer explanations for this behavior. Most people notice that their dog sticks out its tongue during hot weather or after intense physical activity. What does sticking out your tongue mean when at rest or when meeting another dog? Is sticking out your tongue always the norm? Let's try to find answers to the question of why a dog sticks out its tongue.

The physiology of mammals covered with fur is significantly different from those that are “naked.” Thick hair reduces heat transfer through the largest organ - the skin. Dogs with thick, long hair, especially dark-colored ones, suffer from overheating on hot days.

The number of sweat glands that can reduce body temperature due to the evaporation of fluid is very small in dogs. They are located on areas of the body not covered with hair - the nose, paw pads. The remaining sweat glands secrete a secretion that is slightly different in composition and consistency than liquid sweat. This milk-like secretion, together with fat, forms a natural lubricant for the coat. Therefore, the thermoregulatory function of the sweat glands of dogs is minimal. Its deficiency is partially compensated by the evaporation of saliva from the surface of the protruding tongue.

This answer today is not considered the only correct one. If you compare the surface area of the dog's body and its protruding tongue, it becomes clear that this method of cooling is ineffective. Scientists from the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University proposed a hypothesis according to which, when overheated, the exhaled air in the dog’s body is additionally ionized and heated in the lungs. With rapid breathing, hot air is released like “steam from a kettle,” creating an additional factor in the body’s thermoregulation.

Intense breathing and sticking out the tongue reduce body temperature when overheated due to intense physical activity or stress. The protruding tongue in some individuals of brachycephalic breeds is physiologically determined. The shortened muzzle of the dog and the small volume of the oral cavity do not allow the tongue to fit freely. This anomaly is undesirable. But it is allowed by the breed standard.

Frequent breathing and protruding tongue may occur in dogs in the last days before giving birth. This is due to compression and displacement of the animal’s organs by the growing and moving fetuses inside the uterus. After birth, the condition returns to normal, including the dog’s breathing normalizes.

The dog also sticks out its tongue in order to increase the sensitivity of smell perception. By moisturizing the nose, the dog promotes a more complete transfer of molecules to sensitive receptors. In addition, through an open mouth with a protruding tongue, the flow of warm air to the chemoreceptors increases, which also enhances the perception of odors.

In a dream, a dog's tongue sticking out indicates sound sleep and complete relaxation. The muscles that hold the tongue during rest relax, and the tongue falls out of the mouth. In addition to physiological reasons, which are not pathology and should not cause alarm to the owner, there are psychological manifestations accompanied by a protruding tongue in dogs.

Psychological manifestations

According to Charles Darwin, man borrowed most of his basic emotions from his animal ancestors. Gestures, postures, and body movements in the animal world play an important communicative role. For example, a dog's tongue sticking out indicates high emotional arousal.

Norwegian canine expert Tyurid Rugos in his book “Dialogue with Dogs: Signals of Reconciliation” writes that licking the muzzle with the tongue sticking out far indicates a peaceful but persistent request (for example, “please leave me alone”) or serves to calm the counterpart. - a person or a dog.

Licking with a long tongue seems to mark a pleasant person or object. Rapid breathing, sticking out a wet tongue is a reaction to stress or excitement. The release of adrenaline into the blood affects the respiratory center, which causes hyperventilation (rapid breathing with an open mouth) to saturate the blood with oxygen and put all organs on alert.

Pathological causes

A protruding tongue can serve as a symptom of some serious pathologies:

stomatitis;
sinusitis;
pneumonia;
bronchitis;
heart failure.

Also, a protruding tongue should cause alarm in the owner if it does not retract into the mouth when touched. The cause of this anomaly may be pinching or damage to the nerve endings that innervate the glossopharyngeal muscles. A protruding tongue can also be a sign of neurological diseases and severe intoxications that affect nerve nodes.

A protruding tongue can be caused by:

malocclusion;
incomplete dental formula;
misalignment of the jaws.

In addition, this may be a symptom of poisoning or intoxication caused by helminthic infestation.

Many people notice that dogs periodically stick out their tongues, but few can explain the reason for this phenomenon. Some people think that this should not be given much importance, and it is just a dog's habit. And they have a reason to think so, because this does not happen so rarely. But in fact, this is not an ordinary habit, but a consequence of certain processes in the animal’s body, which helps it adapt to the world around it and maintain its own health.

The dog's tongue is an important organ, because with its help dogs not only drink water and lick their owners, but also wash themselves and cool themselves in hot weather. Therefore, there can be many reasons for this action (tongue protrusion).

Reasons why a dog sticks its tongue out of its mouth

Labored breathing.
Hot time of year.
Also, a dog’s tongue can be seen sticking out during sleep or rest.
The reason for this may be the pet's good mood.

Hard breath
For this reason, a protruding tongue often occurs in dog breeds such as pugs, Pekingese or bulldogs. These representatives belong to the “brachycephalic breeds”. They all have flattened noses and are therefore more prone to brachycephalic syndrome, which is difficulty breathing due to damage to the airways at the top. Therefore, in this case, we can say that these dogs stick out their tongues due to genetic characteristics.

Representatives of the listed breeds can also stick out their tongues due to the fact that they are quite long for their mouths. And some animals simply have an incorrect jaw structure, which is why it cannot hold the tongue inside. This phenomenon is often found in Pekingese.

Hot weather
Dogs, almost all breeds, have a hard time withstanding the hot season. Sometimes this can lead to illness in the animal. And the reason for this is that dogs have a completely different arrangement of sweat glands. Because of this, their body cannot cool down like a human body. In humans, these glands are located throughout the body, but in dogs they are located only on the nose and pads of their paws.

The animal's tongue is equipped with a whole system of blood vessels, and when the dog's body temperature increases due to heat, these vessels dilate due to increased pressure. Blood flow increases significantly, and the dog feels the need to cool down. So she sticks out her tongue. The saliva that is on it evaporates upon contact with air, which leads to cooling. Because of this, the dog’s well-being improves significantly, and the temperature returns to normal. Therefore, in this case, we can say that dogs stick out their tongues in order to adapt to environmental conditions.

How to help your pet in hot weather

In order for your dog to feel better in hot weather, it is necessary to provide him with clean drinking water. If this is not done, the animal may overheat and this may lead to dehydration. Which will not have a positive impact on your condition and health in general. Also, in order to alleviate the condition in the heat, you should bathe your pet or pour water on it. But you shouldn’t overdo it, because the dog may catch a cold.

It is worth considering the fact that in the hot season, if the pet wears a muzzle, it must be selected in such a way that it cannot prevent the tongue from sticking out.

Thermoregulation and dog fur
Dog breeders have noted that the shorter the pet’s fur, the less it sticks out its tongue. For example, a dachshund and a Labrador with a Doberman do this much less often than a Samoyed or a collie. And bald pets have no need for this at all, because their cooling occurs through the surface of the body.

Dogs that have rather thick and long black hair are at risk.

Physical exercise
Due to the fact that during active rest or jogging, pressure increases and blood circulation becomes more intense, the pet’s body temperature rises significantly and the body urgently needs cooling. This is what causes a dog to stick out its tongue. The principle of operation here is the same as in the case of the hot season.

Sleep or rest
If during sleep or rest a dog sticks out the tip of its tongue, then you can be sure that the pet feels quite comfortable. If a pet played for a long time and then lay down with its tongue hanging out next to its owner, then it feels relaxed. The dog also feels good if he sticks his tongue out when he is simply resting in his place.

Expression of emotional state
The most positive reason for a dog to stick out its tongue is to express a friendly disposition. When an animal is in a great mood, the tongue is a kind of confirmation of this. A pet can touch things with its tongue or lick its owner, thereby expressing its affection for him. The dog also uses its tongue to mark “its” things and objects. And this further helps him recognize where his things are and where others’ things are.

If the weather is not hot outside, and the pet does not suffer from obstruction of the upper respiratory tract, and he has not been running in the near future, then we can confidently say that the cause of the protruding tongue is the pet’s goodwill and good mood.

In order to better understand a particular dog and its behavior, it is necessary to follow it. Basically, these animals are quite open, and all their actions have a reason. Therefore, sticking out your tongue does not pose any danger if you properly care for your pet. It is worth noting that if the animal’s tongue is wet, then its health is normal. But you should be wary if the dog sticks out a dry tongue.

Video: Why does a dog stick out its tongue?

Many dog owners sometimes notice that their dog is breathing rapidly. This can be considered a completely normal phenomenon, but it can also indicate serious illness. To determine what this is connected with, it is necessary to take into account some features. The normal breathing rate for dogs is 10-30 breaths per minute. To determine the number of breaths, you need to place your hand on your pet’s chest and time it for one minute.

Your dog's breathing may change frequently throughout the day. If nothing bothers your pet, then he breathes through his nose and calmly. But if the dog does this with his mouth, then this action is not always a cause for concern.

Causes that are not related to disease

Let's look at the less serious reasons first. Frequent breathing is possible after an active walk. This symptom may also appear after training or playing with other pets. Dogs do not have sweat glands, so to cool down, the dog often breathes with its mouth open. It can also be fear, stress or joy.

Diseases

Another thing is when the dog breathes frequently for no apparent reason (described above). The most common problems may be those related to the respiratory system: pulmonary edema, bronchitis, pleurisy or pneumonia. If your dog is breathing heavily and frequently, he may have asthma or heart failure.

Breed Features

Some breeds, such as pugs, are inherently prone to respiratory problems. Their nostrils and throat passage are narrowed. They are also much more likely to overheat, which also contributes to increased breathing. Therefore, if a dog breathes frequently with its tongue hanging out, this can be considered normal. A similar phenomenon can be observed when the body temperature rises or the neck is constrained by the collar.

Other reasons

If your pet has not had any physical activity, and breathing has become faster, this may mean the following:

heart attack:
poisoning;
severe pain.

In this case, you need to immediately consult a doctor to examine the animal and find out the exact cause.

Pregnant and nursing dog

A pregnant dog breathes frequently if the birth is already close. In this case, her health is not in danger. If after birth breathing does not decrease, and the puppies are stillborn, it is necessary to urgently call a veterinarian, since the animal requires surgical intervention.

If she breathes frequently and makes clumsy movements, this indicates that the level of calcium and glucose in her blood is decreasing. In this case, the help of a doctor is also necessary, since otherwise the animal may die.

What to do?

Why does my dog breathe frequently? There can be many reasons. If, in addition to breathing, the dog is lethargic or restless, or whines, then specialist intervention is necessary. If it is not possible to invite a veterinarian to your home, then you should very carefully take her to the hospital.

If a nursing dog is breathing frequently, then the help of a veterinarian is also necessary. The consequences can be very different.

In the absence of extraneous symptoms, a dog’s rapid breathing in unnatural situations requires examination. It will help identify disorders associated with the functioning of the heart.

If the dog often breathes with its mouth open, then the owner needs to take the following actions.

The first step is to measure your pet's body temperature. With hyperthermia, rapid breathing is considered a sign of respiratory diseases. Next, you need to invite a veterinarian for an examination, who should order tests to establish an accurate diagnosis.

If it is a hot period outside, then the reason may be. To do this, the owner needs to give the dog cool water and take it to a cold place. You can also wipe your body with water and place a dampened towel on your head. Then call the doctor.

At normal body temperature, rapid breathing may be a sign of asthma. In this case, only drug treatment will help. Therefore, you need to go to the hospital immediately.

If rapid breathing causes fainting and a blue tongue, this means heart failure. After calling the doctor, the owner should apply heating pads or bottles of warm water to the dog’s paws and keep the pet calm.

Heart failure

Listed above are all the main possible reasons when a dog is breathing frequently. But the most common disease is this. We will tell you about it in more detail. All heart diseases can be divided into three groups:

congenital;
acquired;
age.

Congenital defects are more common in young pets. Very often in this case, animals die, since the body is still quite weak. Acquired defects, as a rule, occur in middle-aged animals, and age-related defects occur in animals older than eight years. In addition to rapid breathing, heart disease may cause other symptoms in pets.

Small dogs stop playing, sleep longer, and do not gain weight at all due to the fact that they do not eat well.

Adults may experience shortness of breath even at rest. The dog is very lethargic and may faint during a quiet walk. There is a possibility of rapid weight gain due to high water consumption.

All of these symptoms are causes of heart problems in your pet. This can also include unsteady gait, weakness, and refusal to eat.

If it is a sign of heart disease, you should switch your pet to feeding in small portions, and also reduce the amount of physical activity and walks. The doctor must prescribe special medications. They should be taken exactly as directed.

Conclusion

So, from all of the above, we can identify the most common causes of rapid breathing in a dog:

Overheating or heatstroke.
Nervous excitement. This may happen if the pet is being transported for the first time or if it is in a place unfamiliar to it.
There is some damage that is not visible to you. Various bruises or abrasions, the consequences of a fight with other dogs, and more.
Heart attacks. This usually occurs in adult dogs due to overheating.
Pregnancy.
Feeding newborn puppies.
Cold.
Heart failure.
Various tumors.

Thus, to exclude negative cases, it is better not to self-medicate your pet, but to seek help from a professional who will conduct an examination, make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe treatment. The only thing you can do is to provide peace for the animal.

All dog owners note features in their animal's habits that distinguish it from others. But all dogs, without exception, stick out their tongues. Why do they do this? This question may not be of interest to the owner, who believes that this is the norm for the animal. In this article we will tell you why it is so important to know why a dog breathes with its tongue hanging out. This could indicate a lot of things.

Key reasons

There are several moments at which four-legged animals begin to stick out their tongues:

Extreme heat, heat, the dog’s body overheats. Why a dog sticks out its tongue in the heat - we will explain further.
The stress suffered, overexcitement, emotional upsurge - both joy and sadness.
Sometimes the cause of a constantly protruding tongue is various diseases.

To know the exact reason why you stick out your tongue, you need to observe it for some time and learn to distinguish the reasons. Most often, the dog sticks its tongue out of its mouth in hot weather. Why he does this remains unclear to many owners. Let's talk about this reason in more detail.

Why does a dog stick out its tongue when it's hot?

A person, when the ambient temperature is too high and the body overheats, begins to sweat. In dogs, thermoregulation occurs differently, because they have very few sweat glands. Why does a dog stick out its tongue when it's hot? Precisely for thermoregulation. While the mouth is open and the tongue, abundantly moistened with saliva, falls out of it, increased evaporation occurs precisely through the surface of the tongue, and not through the sweat glands.

In this way, the dog regulates its body temperature, getting rid of excess heat.

How to alleviate the condition of an animal in the heat?

Firstly, you need to give a lot of water. Many people are interested in why a dog sticks out its tongue even when it always has cool water in its bowl. You just have to compare yourself and your pet. People don't stop sweating in the heat when they consume a lot of fluid, do they? That's how it is with dogs!

Secondly, for walks, choose a comfortable muzzle that will not prevent your tongue from sticking out comfortably. If a dog is unable to regulate its body temperature in this way, it may get heatstroke, its blood pressure will increase, and the animal may simply faint.

Be sure to take a bottle of water for your dog with you on your walk so that he can drink and refresh himself at any time.

Find a corner of the house protected from the sun where your pet can rest and cool down.

Change your walking time

If you are very concerned about why your dog is breathing frequently with his tongue hanging out, then change the time for walking to the summer. In the morning, go out before ten o'clock before noon, at this time it is already warm, but not yet hot. In the evening you need to go out after ten, when the sun has completely set. The fact is that even at 8 and 9 pm the heat remains, although the sun is no longer so hot. This temperature may seem normal to us, but for a dog it will be hot.

Dogs that do not have fur do not need to change their walking time: Chinese, Peruvian and Mexican Crested. They don’t have a fur coat that interferes with heat transfer, and their body can evaporate moisture on its own!

Stress, overexcitement

Dogs stick out their tongues mechanically if they are very excited or stressed. This can be observed when the owners go on vacation and leave the pet in the care of friends. Even if it's not hot, the dog will still stick out his tongue. Severe fear or the consequences of stress are also common causes of a protruding tongue. At such moments, increased salivation may occur.

If the reason lies precisely in a stressful state and moral overstrain, then you need to calm your pet down as soon as possible. Pay attention to the dog, play, stroke its back and scratch its tummy, and treat it with a treat. If you experience frequent stress, you can add a weak decoction of motherwort to your dog’s water once a day, this will help stabilize the condition.

Causes of stress when a dog begins to breathe with his tongue hanging out:

sharp noise;
a change of scenery;
poor treatment (even if you scolded your pet just once);
another dog barked while walking;
strangers came to visit;
a new pet has appeared in the house;
change of diet;
vaccinations or just a visit to the vet.

Joy

Surely you have noticed that the dog sticks out its tongue and begins to breathe quickly, while wagging its tail, when you come home from work, start talking or playing with your pet, you yourself rejoice and laugh, and treat the four-legged dog with treats. At this time, the dog has no physical activity, it is not hot, but it still sticks out its tongue. Why is she doing this? It’s not known exactly, but the dog probably smiles, rejoices, tries to show its owner that it is happy.

What to do in this case? It’s okay, let the pet jump and be happy, you don’t need to calm him down, in this way you can simply ruin his mood.

Disease

We looked at the most common reasons why a dog breathes heavily with his tongue hanging out. But there are also isolated cases when the cause of a constantly protruding tongue is some kind of disease. If you are concerned about this behavior of the animal, then show it to the veterinarian, he will definitely be able to diagnose if the dog is sick, and will help take measures for a speedy recovery of your friend.

The most common disease that causes a dog to stick out its tongue is hypoxia. With this disease, the level of oxygen in the animal’s blood decreases, and it is simply forced to breathe frequently, and this is easier through the mouth. Observe the behavior and condition of the dog, if it does not change, then take it to the vet. If the diagnosis is confirmed, the owner will be given recommendations for treating the animal.

Also, in case of frequent breathing with an open mouth, you need to monitor the animal’s condition. Keep a diary where you note everything that the veterinarian may need to make an accurate diagnosis:

Record the period of time during which the dog breathes with its mouth open, note whether this happens during his sleep.
Watch to see if the mucous membranes dry out. The nose should be consistently moist and the eyes should be shiny. If there is something wrong with the pet’s health, then the look becomes dull, cloudy, the nose becomes very dry, and scabs may even appear. If in this case the dog is also breathing frequently with his tongue hanging out, then you need to urgently show him to a doctor.
Monitor your breathing quality. Listen for wheezing, whistling, grunting, coughing and other unusual breathing sounds.
Pay attention to the reaction of the pupils. If they do not react when the light changes, then this is a bad signal. Also, the pupils should not be constantly dilated or constricted.
When. when the mucous membranes become pale with a grayish or bluish tint, this is one hundred percent evidence of hypoxia.

Excess weight is also the reason why a dog often sticks out its tongue. If so, then put your pet on a diet!