English Setter claims the world record for dog with the longest TONGUE

One of the newest entries into the Guinness Book of Records could give you a slobbery doggy kiss from nearly a third of a foot away. 

A three-year-old English Setter called Bisbee from Tucson, Arizona has become a world record holder for having the longest canine tongue. 

Measuring 3.74 inches (9.49 cm), Bisbee’s tongue is longer than an ice lolly and droops out of his mouth like a flap of ham when he’s panting. 

Bisbee picks up the title from previous record-holder Mochi, a St. Bernard from Sioux Falls in South Dakota, who had a 7.3-inch-long tongue. 

Dog tongues serve as essential heat regulators – although they can cause issues such as breathing difficulties. 

Bisbee’s owners – Jay and Ericka Johnson, who have had him since he was a puppy – said that family members first thought that his tongue could win him an award.

‘I sent a picture of him panting to my sister and my dad, and I think one of them mentioned that it could be a world record’, said Ms Johnson.

The owners initially had trouble measuring his tongue when he was awake because the mischievous pup thought they were trying to play. 

So when Bisbee was sedated at the vet while having radiographs taken of his hips, Ms Johnson took some preliminary measurements before contacting Guinness World Records. 

For this record, the dog must have its tongue out of its snout as far as comfortably possible, without causing the pup discomfort or pain by stretching it. 

A qualified vet then measures from the very tip up to where it is first visible out of the snout to get the official figure to the nearest fraction of an inch. 

Although Bisbee’s tongue is quite the mouthful, it isn’t actually observable until he opens his muzzle, according to the owners. 

‘His tongue is not noticeable unless he’s panting – when he’s panting and tired it falls out and hangs out,’ said Mr Johnson. 

‘Otherwise he keeps it relatively well in his mouth most of the time.’ 

Long tongues that droop down over the jaw can help dogs cool off when they are panting. 

Having a longer tongue increases the surface area for moisture to evaporate and remove heat, although sometimes dog tongues become too long to be practical. 

Macroglossia is the medical term for an abnormally large tongue and is a rare condition that can often cause the pup issues. 

Dogs with unusually long tongues can face breathing challenges and may need help to pick things up off the floor with their mouth.

They can also cause a particular mess at dinner time, as food that they lap up from their bowl can go flying several feet, or cause themselves injury by biting their tongue. 

Despite having a record-breaking tongue, the Johnsons said that Bisbee has many other star qualities, including loving to cuddle, sticking close to his owners and having an ‘amazing disposition’.

‘We feel we were lucky to get him, and he was lucky to get us’, Mr Johnson sad.

Bisbee’s favourite hobbies include swimming, chasing wasps and going on daily walks, even though he has hip dysplasia, which reduces the amount of exercise he can get.

At 3.74 inches, Bisbee’s tongue doesn’t quite compare with that of Mochi, the female Saint Bernard, whose tongue measured 7.3 inches (18.58 cm) –equivalent to two-and-a-half Jenga blocks. 

Mochi, a rescue dog in Colorado, held the record for five years but sadly passed away in October 2021. 

Mochi smashed the previous record held by a male Pekingese named Puggy whose tongue measured 11.43cm (4.5 inches). 

But both paled in comparison with the longest dog tongue on record, which belonged to a boxer named Brandy.

Brandy’s tongue measured an incredible 1 foot 5 inches (43 cm) – longer than a full-sized Subway sandwich – and had to constantly be protected from sunburn and dryness using a spray bottle. 

Brandy lived with her owner John Scheid in St Clair Shores, Michigan until her death in September 2002.