Puggles

Question
My sister has a puggle, I live downstairs from her well anyway he sleeps with me sometimes and I noticed he sticks his tongue out, its cute but why do they do that?

Answer
Dogs can only sweat from their tongue and the pads of their feet. In order to maintain body temperature it is common for a dog to have its mouth open and tongue out to release excess heat. Panting is their form of accelerating their cooling process. Cats do it also, but usually only the tip of the tongue is visible. Breeds with thick heavy coats are better insulated from heat and cold (which is why desert area people were multiple layers of wool) Breeds with thin to little fur lack the insulation and are generally less able to cope with temperature extremes. Keep in mind hte dog's normal temperature is in the 101-103 range, 4-6 degrees higher than humans.

regards,
Henry Ruhwiedel
Westwind Kennels LLC