Some world records make you question humanity. Others make you question anatomy. Ozzy, a mastiff mix from Oklahoma, just secured the Guinness World Records title for the world’s longest tongue on a living dog, and honestly, the number feels made up.
His tongue measures 7.83 inches. That’s almost the length of a dollar bill. That’s more than a candy cane. That’s…a lot of tongue for one animal to manage.
Ozzy lives with the Pick family, who describe him as a sweet, lazy, sometimes kangaroo-adjacent creature who hops when he’s excited. His tongue was already hanging out the day they brought him home as a puppy.
“He has always had a tongue that sticks out of his mouth, ever since he was born,” Angela Pick told Guinness. She added that vets have checked him more than once. “There’s no dental issues or anything, it’s just abnormally, awkwardly long!”
The official measurement happened during a nail trim, which feels like the canine version of discovering you’re famous while ordering a sandwich. Vets placed the ruler from snout to tip and realized Ozzy had obliterated the previous record. Rocky from Illinois held the title with 5.46 inches. Ozzy beat that by more than two inches, which in dog tongues is basically a whole different weight class.
The wildest part is that Ozzy doesn’t really use it. “He doesn’t really lick a whole lot,” Angela said. For a dog carrying a slab of tongue that could double as a bookmark, he’s surprisingly restrained. Instead, he prefers gentle nose nudges as his main form of affection. If you expected a saliva tsunami, he is not your guy.
He does, however, eat like someone who needs serious fuel. Angela estimates he downs about half a pitcher of dog food a day. They keep him on a soft, high-activity formula because it’s easier for him to manage. The long tongue doesn’t get in the way, but you can imagine scooping dry kibble with a ribbon of muscle trailing out the side of your face. Practical adjustments must be made.
Public reactions are predictable and immediate. Kids stare. Adults laugh. Phones come out before questions do. “It puts an automatic smile on people’s faces,” Angela said, and she means it.
Ozzy has no idea he’s a world-record holder. He’s just out here hopping around Oklahoma with a tongue that flops alongside his adorable face.
The post A Dog in Oklahoma Just Set a World Record With His Enormous Tongue appeared first on VICE.
