WMOT 89.5 | LISTENER-POWERED RADIO INDEPENDENT AMERICAN ROOTS
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Tongues And Tails Are Wagging: Mochi's Mouth Laps Up World Record

It's like a tongue twister every time this Saint Bernard bounds about.

Mochi's supersized "licker" measures 7.3 inches "from snout to tip," said owner Carla Rickert of Sioux Falls, S.D. That qualifies her as having the longest tongue on a dog (current), according to Guinness World Records.

Mochi, or "Mo," was rescued from a Colorado shelter for big dogs when she was 2 years old. Rickert said that she was once abused and neglected but that the now-8-year-old is "resilient, comical, loving and eternally grateful and loyal to us — her forever family."

Mochi has a taste for: peanut butter, sweet potato and dressing up in costumes.

Mochi dislikes: dust and leaves sticking to her tongue.

While proud of her "unique" feature, Rickert says it also comes with some issues: extra slobber, especially when nervous, as well as breathing problems.

Mochi takes the title from the previous record holder, Puggy, whose tongue measured a mere 4.5 inches, reports The Associated Press.

But the holder of the longest tongue on a dog (ever) has Mochi licked. Brandy, a boxer, had a tongue measuring nearly 17 inches, or almost a foot and a half, according to Guinness. She died in 2002.

Rickert said she hopes Mochi's moment of fame can inspire others.

"With this record, we hope to bring attention to how much joy rescued animals can bring to their new family," Rickert said. "She has brought a lot of joy to our life because she is so calm and she is also a comic relief to us."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Amy Held is an editor on the newscast unit. She regularly reports breaking news on air and online.