The Chow Chow is such a beautiful creature, and some say it reminds them of a lion or a bear. Originally from Northern China, these dogs are truly fascinating. But why do they have blue tongues? It’s a very odd sight when seeing a tongue of a Chow Chow, a blue tongue isn’t what you would expect poking out of a dogs mouth, but it is very typical among all Chow Chows.
Chow Chow dog has a blue tongue because the dog breed has a high level of pigment cells in the tongue, which causes the tongue to turn blue. It’s passed from Chow Chow to Chow Chow during the breeding process, and all purebred Chow Chow’s should have a blue tongue.
What are pigments cells?
A pigment is what makes a dog different in colour. Pigments cells make up fur colour, tongue colour, eye colour, skin colour, paw colour, and every other colour on our dogs. These pigment cells are passed during the breeding process, 50% from the dad and 50% from the mother.
How many pigments are there?
Only two primary pigments determine all the colour ranges of our dogs, which is extraordinary considering the number of different types of dog breeds and colours.
Dog Pigments
- Eumelanin
- Phaeomelanin
Each pigment has a default colour, and with minimal genetic modifications, can create many different colours. They either dilute or strengthen the colours.
Default pigment colours of a dog
- Eumelanin – Default colour is Black
- Phaeomelanin – Default colour is Red
Eumelanin is responsible for the nose, lips, tongue, eye colour. Wheres, the pigment Phaeomelanin is produced only in and for the fur. Are you wondering about white coated dogs? Since the Phaeomelanin pigment default colour is red. How do you get a white coat on a dog? Well, white dogs lack pigment resulting in no colour. White is not a colour according to dog genetics.
Are Chow Chows born with blue tongues?
No, Chow Chows are born with a pink tongue. Their tongues will turn blue when they are two months plus. If your Chow Chows tongue doesn’t change colour, it is more than likely that they are not a full-bred Chow Chow.
How long have Chow Chows had a blue tongue for?
Chow Chows have been thought to have blue tongues since the start, but unfortunately, we can’t pinpoint the exact date and how they become to have blue tongues. However, we do know that in the 1820s, London Zoo recorded them to have blue-black coloured tongues. So the Chow Chows have been around for a very long time dating back millions of years ago before that of paper and pen was ever invented. From this time, the blue-black tongue became a unique characteristic to identify a purebred Chow Chow and is still used today.
Other breeds of dogs that have blue tongues
- Chinese Shar-Pei
- Miniature Shar-Pei
- Eurasier
- Thai Ridgeback
- Phu Quoc Ridgeback
My dog has a blue tongue but isn’t a Chow Chow?
It’s not uncommon for dogs to have high pigmentation, and this clearly shows on the tongue. It could be little spots or even the whole tongue. It’s nothing to worry about, and you never know your dog could be a descendent of a Chow Chow or any of the other dog breeds from the list above that have blue tongues.
Other animals with blue/black tongues
- Polar Bears
- Giraffes
- Jersey Cows
- Angus Cows
- Blue-Tongue Lizard
- Impalas
- Okapis
Competition entry
Chow Chows must have a blue tongue to enter a competition, showing a purebred Chow Chow.
Conclusion
The blue tongue is from extra pigment cells called Eumelanin found in the dog breeds DNA, and it defines each type of dog breed. The strange blue tongue also seems to be shared by other animals as well as other dog breeds. So we know that it’s down to the genes of an animal or dog that makes the blue tongue. To recognise purebred Chow Chow, they must have a full blue tongue, and this is one of the must-haves for a Chow Chow to enter into a competition.
