38 Dog Breeds with Spotted Tongues (and Why)

Seeing your most loved dog breeds with spotted tongues most time is termed to be that the dog is a Chow mix.

Does a black spot on a dogs tongue actually mean that he’s really a Chow mix? The answer to the question is: No!

The blue-black tongue is one of Chow’s most evident physical appearances. Sad that this feature is largely misunderstood amongst pet owners.

Being an ancient ancestor of many breeds today, the big dog black tongue is a mystery to many; we still don’t know why or how he came to have it.

One thing is certain; the Chow is really not the only breed with a blue-black tongue. The Chinese Shar-Pei shares this trait as well. A few other animals like the bear, giraffe, and other breeds of cattle including the jersey portray this characteristic as well.

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We can also tell you out rightly that spotted tongues are a common thing in dogs- more than 30 pure breeds are known to be members of dogs with spot all over their tongue.

Golden Retrievers, Labs, and Shepherds are also known to have spots on their tongues. In fact, over 30 breeds are prone to spotted tongues.

Like freckles and birthmarks on people, spots on tongues are simply extra pigment. Dogs can also have spots of dark pigment on their skin, too, hiding under their coats. These spots can be small, large, few, or many.

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My Chow tongue has a pink Spot, Does that mean, it’s not purebred?

The answer is NO! Chow puppies tongues are colored pink at birth. They begin to darken to blue-black by 8-10 weeks of age. Some tongues don’t cover completely and they may have splashes of pink or small spots. Chows with the dilute coat colors of blue and cinnamon plus elderly chows sometimes lose tongue pigment as they grow and develop pink spots.

What if the dog looks like a Chow but has a completely pink or mostly pink tongue?

Does this mean that my dog is not a pure breed Chow and might not even have any percentage of Chow gene? Yes, that is a clear indicator.

The Chow is a member of the spitz family, a large group of breeds that includes Norwegian Elkhound, Keeshond, Malamute, Akita, Shiba Inu,  Pomeranian, Samoyed, Siberian Husky, etc. They all similar physical traits: a similar body structure, over-the-back tail carriage, upright triangular ears, and a dense offstanding coat.

Over 35 Breeds Are Prone To Spots On Their Tongues

Why are Their Dog Breeds with Spotted Tongues and Why Do Dogs Have Spotted Tongues?

So why do certain dog breeds have spotted tongues? Dogs tongue display these spots a s a result of extra pig….. My friend, Gboyega dog has countless dime sized “freckles” on her chest, but her DNA doesn’t show any Chow.

However, having a Chow in your mixed breed is very possible since they’re one of the oldest breeds known to man, but there’s also 38 other breeds known for having spotted tongues.

Dark spots on the tongue are a common thing among breeds of different varieties. If you were hoping to narrow down your dog’s genetic make-up based on their tongue alone, you’re not going to make much success.

You can pin down the area a little bit, but you’re still looking at a lot of combinations when you consider 38 breeds that are prone to develop spots on their tongue.

If you really would love to know your mixed breed dog ancestry, you might consider getting a dog DNA test done.

Breeds That Are Prone to Spotted Tongues

Genetics define the spots on your dog’s tongue. A lot of these breeds are a part of the Spitz family, and a handful of them have Pointer or Spaniel ancestors. A lot of these dogs are known to have come from United Kingdom or Germany.

So although there are some clear similarities in some of these breeds, no one has been able to determine exactly why these breeds have tongue spots while the rest of the canine breed doesn’t.

Here’s a list of the 38 dog breeds known to have spotted tongues:

• Australian Cattle Dog
• Australian Shepherd
• Aeirdale
• Akita
• Belgian Sheepdog
• Belgian Tervuren
• Bouvier de Flandres
• Bull Mastiff
• Belgian Malinois
• Bichon Frise
• Cairn Terrier
• Chinese Shar Pei
• Collie
• Cocker Spaniel
• Dalmatian
• Doberman Pinscher
• English Setter
• Flat Coated Retriever
• Golden Retriever
• Gordon Setter
• German Shepherd
• Great Pyrenese
• Irish Setter
• Keeshond
• Korean Jindo
• Kerry Blue Terrier
• Labrador Retriever
• Mastiff
• Mountain Cur
• Newfoundland
• Pomeranian
• Pug
• Rottweiler
• Rhodesian Ridgeback
• Siberian Husky
• Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier
• Shiba Inu
• Tibetan Mastiff

When Spots on Your Dogs Tongue Aren’t Just Color

Pigmentation with flat spots are just like birthmark on you; a unique physical trait. However, if your dog shows any suspicious new spots on their skin or tongue, ensure to get them examined by your veterinarian

Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Canine melanoma can manifest as spots on your fogs skin, and oral cancers can present themselves as fleshy masses that are pigmented inside of your canine mouth. Have your dog checked again if you notice any unusual changes in his/her mouth.

Oral examinations and brushing your dog’s teeth are daily routine dental care that helps aid in the early diagnosis of oral cancers.

The next time you hear someone say that dog breeds with spotted tongues are part Chow you can tell them that those spots aren’t limited to Chows only. There are over 35 breeds of fur-pets prone to developing dark spots on their tongue.