Posted by Robert on February 26, 2005

Q: I have a question when a dog drinks water do they curl their tongue back as they drink or do they drink with their tongues forward. Is their tongue scoop forward or backward?

A: I think it goes without saying that the best way to answer this question is to observe a dog as it drinks. I don't have a dog but I did do some lapping of water to see what I do. Keep in mind that dogs have a relatively long tongue, in relation to humans, so it is easier for them to lap up water than it might be for us. Furthermore, not all humans have a tongue of the same length - some are rather short while others are rather long.

Based on what I did to lap water and what I can remember dogs doing, I believe that their tongue curls back as they bring their tongues to the water then it moves forward, curls to scoop up the liquid and is brought into the mouth. So, the tongue begins a little behind the lower jaw, moves forward and then upward into the mouth. As you may already know, the whole process is a rather fast one so it is difficult to observe. A slow-motion camera would certainly take care of that problem, however. Hope this helps.

John Wiessinger ( February 27, 2005)