Why Does My Dog Stick the Tip of His Tongue Out? 4 Possible Reasons (Vet-Reviewed)

Dogs are always doing the silliest things! While it’s not uncommon for them to have their tongue hanging out, such as when panting, it may seem a bit more peculiar when they stick just the tip of their tongue out.

In this article, we're going to explore several reasons why this might happen. Most of them are no big deal, but some of them are cause for concern. So, it is important to take note of additional signs associated with the behavior. Let's get into it.

The 4 Reasons Dogs Stick the Tip of Their Tongues Out

1. Complete Relaxation

You probably know the feeling, you’re so relaxed that your body feels like melted goo. There’s no way you can move or even want to. Every muscle is calm and quiet. Even your face feels relaxed. Even if you don’t recognize this feeling, your dog probably does. When some dogs experience this state of relaxation, the tip of their tongue may stick out of their mouth, almost as if they don’t realize they’re doing it. Look for this to happen when sleeping, during a good pet, or when calming down after a long play session.

2. Lost in Thought/Focus

It could be that your dog is just concentrating. After all, they need time to think, too. Have you ever been lost in thought and then realize you're doing something strange with your face? It could be as simple as that.

Dogs may stick out the tip of their tongue when focusing on a smell or sound that they just can’t quite discern. Maybe they think they hear the mailman in the far off distance or are picking up on the neighbors grilling three blocks down.

3. Flehmen Response

Dogs may do the Flehmen response as a way to direct especially confusing or tantalizing scents towards the roof of their mouth where it can be further analyzed by their vomeronasal organ. When they do this, they may curl back their lips, hang their mouth slightly open, and even chatter their teeth. During this whole process, the tip of their tongue may protrude as well, making it seem like a watered down version of panting. However, you won’t typically see the increase in respiratory rate as with and it won’t last that long.

4. Anatomy, Teeth, and Other Potential Abnormalities

When you’re looking at the anatomy of a dog’s skull, there are numerous components that have to fit together in perfect harmony in order for everything to function properly. This means that the bony base needs to be large enough to accommodate not only proper tooth placement but also the soft tissue players as well. The teeth need to be in a straight line, and the tongue needs to be of a size where it rests gently in the lower jaw when not in use.

Any abnormality in any of these components can create an issue where the tip of the tongue can stick out of a dog’s mouth.

• Brachycephalic dogs often have a distorted facial structure where their smooshed in face creates little space for teeth and tongue to have enough area to reside in. So, you may see a brachycephalic dog stick the tip of their tongue out on a regular basis simply because there isn’t enough room in there for it otherwise. Some small breed dogs may have the same issue, smooshed face or not.
• The way the teeth are aligned may also be a problem. The teeth naturally create a barrier that helps corral the tongue inwards while a dog isn’t actively using it. If the teeth are misaligned or even missing, it may allow the tongue to droop out of the mouth. While this may mean the whole tongue, making a dog look like Taz from Looney Tunes, it can also mean just the tip of the tongue.
• On the less common order, there are a couple of issues like macroglossia or hanging tongue syndrome where the tongue is either too big for a dog’s mouth or can’t be retracted properly. Both could lead to the tip of it sticking out, but you’re probably more likely to see the whole tongue lolling to one side rather than just the tip.

Allergic reactions that cause the tongue to swell may also create an enlarged tongue that can’t fit in the mouth anymore. Reactions to things like bee stings, toxins, or medications may cause an increase in tongue size. Look for difficulty breathing and swelling of other areas as well.

Any of these potential causes should be seen by a veterinarian, especially an allergic reaction that is causing difficulty breathing.

Conclusion

Sticking out the tip of their tongue is most often an endearing behavior that some dogs do when completely relaxed or intensely focused on a sound or smell. It is typically nothing to worry about other than adding to the list of your dog’s other peculiar behaviors. However, sometimes sticking the tip of their tongue, or their whole tongue for that matter, can be a sign that something is wrong. Be sure to see your vet if your dog is sticking out their tongue and can’t seem to pull it back in or if the tongue is swollen and your dog is having trouble breathing.

Featured Image Credit: Nik Tsvetkov, Shutterstock