Jowls are the loose skin around a dog’s mouth. While some breeds have more obvious loose skin, all dogs have jowls, even breeds with a sleeker profile.
When cleaning, you’ll need to spread apart the skin folds. Use either a cloth or wipe soaked in a cleaning solution. Gently and deeply rub the skin. When possible, consult a vet about which cleaning solution is best. For example, you might use classic soap and water. Or antibacterial and antifungal detergents.
Whether it’s bacterial, viral, or leftovers that overstayed their welcome, if an unpleasant smell lingers after brushing Fido’s teeth, it’s time for a vet check. You don’t want to discover leftovers from that bird Fido hunted three weeks ago.
Keeping your dogs out of fights is still preferred, but if an incident occurs, it’s better to puncture some loose skin than other sensitive parts of their face.
Since you’ve already read the title of this article, it’s no surprise that dog jowls help retain saliva. Of course, your dog still needs to drink water to create a drool supply, but more prominent jowls reduce the odds of drying out.
All dogs have jowls and while some might be more prominent than others, they all serve a purpose other than producing dog drool.
Dog breeds like the Bloodhound use their jowls to help scoop up scents from the ground or surface.
If you’ve ever looked at your dog and noticed that loose skin that hangs on its muzzle, those are called jowls.
Dog breeds like the Newfoundland have big jowls that are hard to miss but a dog breed like the Cardigan Welsh Corgi’s jowls don’t stand out as much but they’re still there!
While dogs with big droopy jowls might drool more than others, they also help to keep some water inside the mouth.
Shar-Pei
The Chinese Shar-Pei is another dog with a distinctive look.
If you are asked to describe the breed, you will probably mention his incredibly wrinkled skin and regal appearance.
No doubt this is the most wrinkled dog especially as a puppy. As he grows up, some of the wrinkles tighten out but some remain unchanged into adulthood.
As a guard dog, herder, and herder, the Shar-Pei needed the curls and droopy jowls to look tough and intimidating and most importantly to protect himself if need be.
Top 10 Best Dogs With Large Jowls You Should Know | Smart Dog Mom
But why do dogs have jowls? What are they and what is the purpose of dog jowls?
It’s actually surprising to know that dog jowls have several practical uses. But also, although jowls give some physical advantages to dogs, they can cause some problems that must be considered and cared for.
Dog jowls are the loose skin around the dog’s mouth, cheeks, and throat. Although all dogs have this loose skin, when we talk about dog jowls, we mainly refer to the large, floppy and droopy jowls characteristic of some dogs.
One would think that jowls are only an aesthetic feature of some dog breeds. But in reality, dog jowls have several practical uses.
When they track down a smell, jowls hang down to the ground, brushing the ground. This helps to collect scents in the dog’s nose. This allows them to find and track scents, however small they may be.
Dogs bred to retrieve prey in the water often have long jowls. There are some water dogs like the Labrador Retriever that, although they don’t seem to have big jowls, have more than non-water dogs.
In water dogs, jowls help them create an airbag around their mouths, which helps them breathe more efficiently when they swim.
In dogs that were bred to fight, jowls serve to protect the face. The loose skin of the jowls makes it difficult for another dog to bury the bite in the sensitive and important parts of the face.
A bite on the jowls is not as painful as on other parts of the body and, in case the bite is buried in the skin, it gives the dog enough mobility to return the bite.
