Dogs

Snout

A snout is the protruding portion of an animal's face, consisting of its nose, mouth, and jaw. The snout is also often called a muzzle. An extremely elongated snout is often called a proboscis.

A piece of equipment also called a muzzle can be placed over the snout to prevent the animal from biting or eating. See animal muzzle.

Dog's muzzle

Dogs' muzzles range in shape from extremely long and thin (dolichocephalic), as in the Rough Collie to nearly nonexistent because it is so flat (extreme brachycephalic), as in the Pug. Some breeds, such as many sled dogs and spitz types, have muzzles that somewhat resemble the original wolf's in size and shape, and others in the less extreme range have shortened it somewhat (mesocephalic) as in many hounds.

Dolichocephalic Afghan Hound

The wolf head, to which dog heads are compared

Mesocephalic American Cocker Spaniel

Brachycephalic Pug dog

This Black and Tan Coonhound's flews hang well below its lower jaw.

The muzzle begins at the stop, just below the eyes, and contains the dog's nose and mouth. Most of the dog's upper muzzle contains organs for detecting scents. The loose flaps of skin on the sides of the upper muzzle that hang to different lengths over the dog's mouth are called flews.

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