Why Do Dogs Curl Their Tongue When Yawning?
If you're wondering why dogs curl their tongue when they're yawning, rest assured you are not alone!
Countless dog owners wonder about this peculiar behavior, so much so that it makes for quite an interesting topic at the dog park.
Firstly, a confession needs to be made: I haven't noticed my dog's tongue curling ability until the day I was watching a video of my dog yawning in slow motion and couldn't help but feel fascinated by that tongue's acrobatics!
How in the world could dogs curl up their tongues so much when yawning? And why does it happen? Is there an explanation for that?
All these questions just kept popping up in my mind.
Next thing I knew, I started studying a dog's tongue anatomy curious to discover more!
How Mobile Are Dog Tongues Really?
In general, a dog's tongue can be said to be very mobile compared to humans.
This is likely because dogs need to use their tongues to pant and lap up water, activities which involve to a good extent a good amount of curling on their own.
However, dog tongues also have their limitations, for instance, dog tongues are not able to remove remnants of food that attach to the gumline after eating as we do, and of course, they can't just go grab a toothpick!
This leads to dogs opening and closing their mouth and smacking their lips after eating in hopes of removing any starch kibble stuck to their teeth.
In order to better understand why dogs curl their tongue when they yawn, it helps to take a closer look into other circumstances in which dogs engage in tongue-curling activities.
Dogs Curling Their Tongues When Panting
That dogs are able to curl their tongues is nothing new to me really.
I have observed my dogs' tongues curl on numerous occasions, such as on a hot summer day when sitting next to them.
As they started panting, I quickly noticed how their their tongues unfurled from their resting place in their mouth, like a red carpet being rolled out for a VIP.
On very hot days, that long doggy tongue would even whip back and forth like a metronome, keeping time with the rhythm of the dog's heavy breathing.
I thought it was fascinating how this amazing piece of anatomy was able to help my dogs regulate their body temperature and cool down.
This dog's tongue is visibly curling up when panting
Dogs Curling Their Tongue When Drinking
Yes, this may sound odd, but dogs actually curl their tongue when they are drinking, only that it's curled up the other way.
Interestingly, this is something that was discovered recently by carefully watching what dogs do when they drink.
Here's a summary of what exactly happens: when your dog lowers his long tongue to drink, it curls up and pulls up a small pocket of water which is stored underneath the tongue.
The tongue with the pocket of water is then inserted into the mouth like a ladle.
This process is repeated again and again, each time the tongue scooping up a new serving of cool, refreshing water.
While this may seem like an inefficient way for dogs to drink compared to our strategy of gulping water from a glass, there's actually an evolutionary reason as to why dogs drink this way.
Albeit slow, this method of drinking allows dogs to keep their eyes up and look around which came handy back in the days when dogs literally lived in a dog-eat-dog world.
"This way dogs could keep an eye on any prey or predator around them," explains veterinarian Dr. Justin Lee in the book: "It's a Dog's Life...but It's Your Carpet, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Your Four-Legged Friend."
Watch a Dog Use His Tongue Like a Ladle!
Dogs Curling Their Tongue When Licking Their Nose
Dogs do not blow their noses like humans do, meaning they don't rely on tissues to clear their nasal passages.
Instead, dogs have their own unique way of getting rid of annoying nasal secretions. Indeed, dogs are so skilled at "blowing their noses" that it may not even be noticeable to the human eye!
As soon as they sense any watery nasal discharge, dogs strategically remove it with a quick flick of their tongue, similar to using a tissue to wipe a runny nose.
This action is so fast that you may not even see it happen, but if you take a closer look, as in the picture below, you can see how a dog's tongue effectively reaches their nose to clean it!
This dog is effectively cleaning his nose with his tongue
Dogs Curling Their Tongue When Stressed
Did you know? Dogs also use a quick tongue flick as a form of communication.
You may see it happen when dogs feel uncomfortable such as when they're at the vet's office, when owners are trimming my nails or when in a place surrounded by strangers.
Don't ignore these subtle pleads of help!
Take notice of these and try to find ways to make your dog more comfortable in certain situations.
This dog is licking its nose as a sign of possibly not feeling comfortable in this interaction.
So Why Do Dogs Curl Their Tongue When They Yawn?
It is still yet not well understood why dogs curl their tongues when they yawn.
However, we have several theories, but some of them don't make much sense so we will be skipping those.
One valid theory is that it has to do with the shape and movement of the jaw and mouth during a yawn, causing the tongue to curl up as a result.
After all, this makes sense. We have seen earlier how when dogs pant, the tongue ends up curling at times, especially in dogs such as pugs.
However, I have my own favorite theory and I hope one day some study comes out that can prove it.
Perhaps, the tongue curls reflexively as a way to prevent the dog from biting on it.
After all, a dog biting its own tongue must be a really painful ordeal!
Let's face it: the tongue is in a vulnerable position being in the middle of a dog's sharp teeth, so perhaps evolution has considered keeping that tongue out of harm's way by curling up reflexively when a dog yawns.
After watching several videos of dogs yawning slow motion, I can't help but notice how the tongue tends to curl towards the end of the yawn, which is the most crucial time, since next, the dog will be ultimately closing the mouth.
So I'll stick to this theory for now, what are your thoughts?
Curling the tongue during panting may have a protective role
Do Dogs Bite Their Tongues?
Yes, dogs bite their tongues and with a dog's sharp teeth and the tongue being very vascular (prone to bleeding a lot) biting the tongue can do quite some damage!
Luckily Mother Nature has provided dogs with ways to prevent this from happening--at least, not too often.
Chewing requires a well-orchestrated interaction between the tongue and jaw and a precise mechanism that prevents dogs from biting their tongues.
Without such a mechanism, dogs would end up chewing more tongue than kibble. Not a great evolutionary advantage for sure!
Intrigued? Discover more about this: when dogs bite their tongues.
Disclaimer: this article is not meant to be used as a substitute for professional veterinary advice or behavioral advice. If your dog is acting sick or aggressive please consult with a qualified professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.
