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Our dog is part Black Lab and part Golden Retriever — at least that’s our vet’s best guess.
We found him as a tiny pup, so it’s difficult to know for sure. But he definitely has the looks, personality, and behavioral characteristics of both — a Labrador Retriever and a Golden Retriever, combined.
He also has 2 black spots on his tongue.
We immediately asked or vet if that meant he was part Chow, and she said “Definitely not.”
Further research has confirmed this for us. Here’s what we’ve learned about black spots on a dog’s tongue…
In Our Case…
We first noticed a black spot on the back of Destin’s tongue at about 1 year of age. Then, by the time he was 3, we noticed another one.
I don’t know if the second one just “showed up” or if it was always there. Chances, are we just never noticed it before, because as he got older, his tongue got bigger and he started doing that tongue-stretching yawn even wider, which made it easier to inspect his tongue.
What The Research Says…
Black spots on a dog’s tongue are simply “beauty marks”, similar to freckles on people. They are merely places that have extra pigment than other places on the tongue — that’s all! Consider it your dog’s own birthmark.
Dogs often have spots of dark pigment on their skin, too. If you check the skin underneath their thick coat of fur, you will probably notice spots — which can be large or small, many or few. Source
So, a black spot on your Labrador’s tongue does not mean he’s really a Chow mix.
Believe it or not… Chow puppies’ tongues are pink at birth. They darken to blue-black by 8-10 weeks of age. Source
Pure Breed Dogs With Black Spots On The Tongue
Truth be told, more than 30 pure breeds of dog are known to have members with spotted tongues, including:
- Airedale
- Akita
- Australian Cattle Dog
- Australian Shepherd
- Belgian Sheepdog
- Belgian Tervuren
- Belgian Malinois
- Bichon Frise
- Bouvier de Flandres
- Bull Mastiff
- Cairn Terrier
- Chinese Shar-Pei
- Collie
- Cocker Spaniel
- Dalmatian
- Doberman Pincher
- English Setter
- Eurasier
- Fila Brasileiro
- Flat-Coated Retriever
- German Shepherd
- Golden Retriever
- Gordon Setter
- Great Pyrenees
- Irish Setter
- Kai Ken
- Keeshond
- Korean Jindo
- Labrador Retriever
- Mastiff
- Mountain Cur
- Newfoundland
- Pomeranian
- Pug
- Rhodesian Ridgeback
- Rottweiler
- Shiba Inu
- Siberian Husky
- Tibetan Mastiff
- Thai Ridgeback
Pictures Of Dogs With Black Spots On Their Tongues
To see photos of some dogs with black spots on the tongue, check these out:
Australian Shepherds with black tongues
Lots of other animals have black tongues too, including the giraffe, polar bear, and several breeds of cattle.
See… black spots on your dog’s tongue are nothing more than a birthmark. It’s just another thing that makes your dog unique — not Chow.
Check here for some interesting information about a dog’s tongue — in general.
I like to help Dog Parents find unique ways to do things that will save time & money — so I write about "outside the box" Dog Tips and Dog Hacks that most wouldn't think of. I’m a lifelong dog owner — currently have 2 mixed breed Golden Aussies that we found abandoned on the side of the road as puppies. I've always trained my own dogs and help friends train theirs, as well. Professionally, I worked at a vet and have several friends who are veterinarians — whom I consult with regularly. (And just because I love animals so much, I also worked at a Zoo for awhile!) I've been sharing my best ideas with others by blogging full-time since 1998 (the same year that Google started… and before the days of Facebook and YouTube). My daily motivation is to help first-time dog owners be better prepared from the first day your new puppy enters your home. I like to help dog owners understand what's 'normal' and what you can expect in terms of living with and training your dog — how to get through the ups & downs of potty training, chewing, teaching commands, getting your dog to listen, and everything else that takes place during that hectic first year! When I'm not training, walking, grooming, or making homemade treats for my dogs, you will find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I've written over 500 articles for dog owners on this site!
