Palatal rugae (ridges on the roof of the mouth) aids in swallowing.
The tight contact between the tongue's surface and palatal rugae will trap the liquid and prevents it from falling out as the tongue is protruded.
Dogs’ messy drinking, caused by that backward curl of their tongues, actually enables them to drink more liquid per lap than they would be able to swallow with a straight tongue, said study senior author Sunghwan “Sunny” Jung, an associate professor at Virginia Tech.
As per Latimes.com, dogs’ tongues exit the water at speeds of up to 4 mph (or 1.8 meters per second), creating a pressure difference between the tongue and the water’s surface. That causes a column of water to shoot up in front of the tongue.
You spend hours comparing dog food brands, and making sure you buy safe toys for your pup, but did you know that water may be the most important step in keeping your dog healthy? Check out some tips on how to keep your dog hydrated at Dogtime.com.