|
It’s a common myth that Chow Chows are the only dogs with black tongues, and that any dog with a black tongue or black-spotted tongue must be part Chow. In reality, dozens of dogs have something other than pink tongues.
Here are 37 non-Chow Chow dog breeds with black tongues and an explanation of where the black color may have come from.
|
Breed |
Origins |
|
Australian Cattle Dog |
Australia; uncertain ancestry |
|
Australian Shepherd |
America; ancestry may originate from Northern Asia and the Bering Land Bridge |
|
Belgian Sheepdog |
Belgium; similar to other Northern European shepherds |
|
Belgian Tervuren |
Part of the Belgian Sheepdog line |
|
Belgian Malinois |
Part of the Belgian Sheepdog line |
|
Bichon Frise |
Spain and the Mediterranean; descended from spaniels and Poodles |
|
Bouvier de Flandres |
Flanders; bred by monks from imported hounds and local dogs |
|
Bull Mastiff |
England; part of Mastiff family for guarding |
|
Cairn Terrier |
Scotland; part of Terrier family |
|
Chinese Shar-Pei |
Descended from Chow Chows |
|
Collie |
England and Scotland; uncertain ancestry |
|
Cocker Spaniel |
Uncertain ancestry, may have originally come from game dogs in Spain |
|
Dalmatian |
Croatia; uncertain ancestry |
|
Doberman Pinscher |
Germany; descended from several breeds of this region |
|
English Setter |
England; descended from spaniel-type breeds |
|
Eurasier |
Part of the Spitz family |
|
Fila Brasileiro |
Brazil; descended from Mastiffs |
|
Flat-Coated Retriever |
England; uncertain ancestry |
|
German Shepherd |
Germany; descended from regional sheep dogs |
|
Golden Retriever |
Scotland; descended from retrievers and spaniels |
|
Gordon Setter |
United Kingdom; descended from setters, pointers, and spaniels |
|
Great Pyrenees |
France and Spain; descended from large European guard dogs |
|
Irish Setter |
Ireland; part of the Setter group of dogs |
|
Kai Ken |
Japan; part of the Spitz family |
|
Keeshond |
Germany; part of the Spitz family |
|
Korean Jindo |
Korea; part of the Spitz family |
|
Labrador Retriever |
Canada; descended from the spaniel-type St. John’s Water Dog |
|
Mountain Cur |
Europe; uncertain ancestry |
|
Newfoundland |
Newfoundland, Canada; similar to Mastiff and Great Pyrenees breeds |
|
Pomeranian |
Pomerania (eastern Germany/Northern Poland); part of the Spitz family |
|
Pug |
China; uncertain ancestry |
|
Rhodesian Ridgeback |
Africa; cross between native African dogs and breeds brought by European settlers |
|
Rottweiler |
Europe; may have been bred in the Roman Empire as one of the oldest herding breeds |
|
Shiba Inu |
Japan; part of the Spitz family |
|
Siberian Husky |
Siberia; part of the Spitz family |
|
Tibetan Mastiff |
Tibet; part of the Mastiff family |
|
Thai Ridgeback |
Thailand; uncertain ancestry |
How does this happen?
It comes down to genetics. Chow Chows are part of the Spitz family of dogs, which includes many breeds of Arctic and East Asian ancestry. Chow Chows are also one of the oldest breeds of dog known to man. This means that many of the breeds we know today are descended from the ancient Chow. As a result, many breeds have black tongues commonly associated with Chows.
As you went through these breeds, you may have noticed many of them come from the same regions and/or are descended from the same type of dogs. A few trends stand out:
• Members of the Spitz family, as expected by their relationship to Chow Chows
• Setter, pointer, and spaniel type ancestors
• Dogs originating from what we now know as the United Kingdom and Germany
• Mastiff type dogs from various parts of the globe
Much like tails curved over the back (Spitzes), inclination for the water (setters/pointers/spaniels), and size (Mastiffs), a black tongue is simply a physical trait that is passed along the generations by genetics.
The next time someone tells you your dog's black spotted tongue must mean he's part Chow Chow, you can tell them that sure, he could be. But he could also be related to dozens of other dogs with black tongues.
If you want to find out just what breed or breeds your dog is, check out the DNA test for dogs. It compares your dog's genes to over 185 breeds.
If you liked this, you may also like:
Dog Behaviors That Come From Wolves - Another way ancestry affects the dog you see today.
Dog DNA Testing: How Does It Work? - The process is pretty easy. At least for the non scientists.
Microchip For Dogs - What Should I Know? - Answers to common questions about how they work and why they're recommended.
Photo credit: mt23
|
