Most dogs naturally possess pink tongues, while certain breeds naturally possess blue or “black” tongues (commonly called black tongues). At least two breed standards mandate having solid blue tongues: The Chow Chow and Shar-Pei both always feature solid blue tongues; Eurasier and Thai Ridgeback may feature black-spotted or solid blue-black tongues too; in addition, other breeds may occasionally possess either solid blue-black tongues or pink ones with blue spots.
Blue-black coloration (which also appears gray) in some dogs’ tongues is caused by extra pigmentation that accumulates over time in certain breeds of dog, passing from generation to generation. Other species also exhibit blue tongues such as giraffes, polar bears, okapis, impalas and blue-tongued skinks – so read on to discover which dog breeds may have blue tongues!