Why I call Clovis Mr. Tongue-Hangs-Out.

Maybe this will be news to you, but apparently a dog’s tongue is held in its mouth by teeth. You may have noticed a lot of hairless Cresteds have their tongues hanging out. Typically, the hairless Crested in North America has poor dentition. I’ve never seen a Powderpuff with a hanging out tongue, and I’ll bet Torsti in Finland will have full dentition when he’s finished teething! (Check out the photo Tero Heino took of the inside of Torsti’s mouth, markings on his palate and fresh teeth and all!)

As for Mr. Clovis Tongue Hangs Out, he mastered his own profile through his high-strung nature. After losing a couple of bottom front teeth during zealous bone feasting, he finally brought about the last straw for his tongue’s tenure inside his mouth

One day I was taking him for a walk with my mom and we stopped to chat with a neighbour. This neighbour had a very sweet mellow old lab named Blue. Seems like the older dogs recognize when another dog isn’t interested in saying hello because Blue just kept his distance and wagged his tail and looked generally unthreatening.

Meanwhile Clovis was jumping at my side trying to persuade me to pick him up. But since I realized Blue was no threat at all, not even a come-and-sniff threat, I ignored Clovis’ pleas, hoping he would come to his senses. Unfortunately, he instead lost his little mind and attacked Blue.

Blue tore off a short distance with Clovis nipping his hocks. I think Clovis realized he may have overstepped and he raced blindly up the easement hill towards home. He was so frantic to get away he stumbled and banged his face. Half way up the hill he stopped and sat down and howled, pawing at his face. By the time I got to him he was a puddle of nerves. He had broken one of his top front canines and was bloody and in shock. I carried him home, cleaned him up, and he curled up for some serious processing /healing time.

Not really any worse for wear following that incident, he is now missing the teeth necessary to hold his tongue firmly inside his mouth, so it hangs out.