Ozzy is a four year old mastiff from Newcastle, near Oklahoma City. He now holds the Guinness World Record for the longest tongue on a living dog. His tongue measures 19.89 centimeters, or 7.83 inches, from the tip of his nose to the very end. That length beats the previous record by more than two inches and turns an ordinary family pet into a global headline.
Meet Ozzy and his family
Ozzy lives with the Pick family in Newcastle. He comes from a French mastiff mother and a Bullmastiff father. His owners, Angela and Jon, chose him from the litter for his calm nature and big, soft eyes. He looked like a gentle giant even as a tiny puppy.
From the very start, his tongue got everyone’s attention. It hung from his mouth in nearly every photo. Friends and relatives commented on it at every visit. The family treated it as a funny trait at first. Over time, the tongue grew longer and longer, and jokes about “world record length” started to sound a bit more serious.
Angela’s stepfather pushed the idea the most. After one visit, he told them they really should talk to Guinness World Records. The family laughed, then realized he had a point. Ozzy did not just have a long tongue. It looked extraordinary.
How the record became official
The Picks decided to apply for the record. They brought Ozzy to a local veterinary clinic. Staff sedated him for a visit, then measured his tongue. They used a ruler and took careful readings. The result looked amazing on paper, yet the application failed.
Guinness rules do not allow sedation only for a record check. The dog must visit the clinic for normal health care, and the measurement must fit into that visit. The first attempt did not meet this rule, so the record office said no.
Some time later, Ozzy needed treatment at a clinic in Oklahoma City. He had separate health issues to manage and regular nail trims to schedule. During one of those sessions, while he was already under care, staff measured his tongue again. They measured from the tip of his snout to the end of the tongue, took several readings, and wrote them all down. Each reading matched.
This time, the paperwork and the medical context fit the rules. Guinness reviewed the file and confirmed the figure of 19.89 centimeters. Ozzy became the official holder of the record for longest tongue on a living dog.
Daily life with a 7.83 inch tongue
Record or not, Ozzy still acts like a big, slightly goofy family dog. He has a wide chest, loose jowls, and a heavy frame, yet he often bounces around the yard with real energy. His tongue hangs far out of his mouth in most situations, sometimes off to one side, sometimes straight ahead. People stop and stare when they see him.
Many expect constant licking from a dog with a tongue like that. His family says the opposite. Ozzy rarely licks faces. He prefers to lean in, press his head close, and share little “nose boops” with kids and adults. Children often giggle and ask for photos. Adults pull out their phones almost on instinct.
Living with him brings a few practical challenges. He drools a lot during meals. Strings of slobber land on walls, floors, and sometimes clothes. The family often feeds him outside, then wipes surfaces and doors more often than they once did.
Eating takes longer for him than for many other big dogs. He cannot just shovel food in at top speed. The family gives him a large portion of high activity dog food each day. The texture stays soft enough for his unusual mouth and tongue. On special days he enjoys treats like pizza or a double cheeseburger, which his tongue seems happy to reach for.
His tongue can dry out under strong sun, so the family keeps fresh water nearby and pays attention during long outdoor play. Regular vet checks show a healthy jaw and teeth. There is no surgery or deformity behind the record. Ozzy simply has a very long tongue.
Away from cameras, he loves car rides most of all. He tries to climb into the front seat and stay as close as he can. At home, he still forgets how big he is and sometimes hops around the garden “like a kangaroo,” as his owners describe it.
How Ozzy compares to earlier record holders
Before Ozzy, several other dogs held the title for longest tongue on a living dog. Rocky, a mixed breed from Illinois, had a tongue a little over five inches long. Zoey, a Labrador and German shepherd mix from Louisiana, drew attention for a tongue longer than a soda can. Mochi, a St Bernard, once held a related record with a tongue just over 7.3 inches.
Guinness uses the same method each time. Officials measure from the end of the snout to the tip of the tongue, with the tongue stretched out as far as the dog can manage in a safe way. Vets and witnesses confirm the reading, and the dog must stay calm and well cared for during the process.
Ozzy’s 7.83 inch tongue moves the bar far beyond the recent record holders. It sets a new mark that will stay in the books until another dog comes along with an even longer one.
A light, happy story for dog lovers
Ozzy’s photos and videos spread fast. Local news stations, national outlets, and social media users all shared the same image. A huge mastiff with a tongue nearly eight inches long, hanging out of his mouth, is hard to scroll past.
For the Pick family, life still feels normal most days. A framed Guinness certificate hangs on the wall, yet daily routines still revolve around walks, feeding, cleaning drool, and heading out for drives. At parks, children ask to meet “the dog with the giant tongue.” Adults smile, take a few photos, then move on with something fun to talk about.
Owners of active dogs like Ozzy often think more about safety and tracking on walks or road trips. Tools such as this in depth Tractive GPS dog and cat tracker review help pet parents pick a device that keeps curious pets safe when they wander.
In a busy news year, Ozzy gives people a simple, cheerful story to share. He is a gentle mastiff with a tongue that measures 19.89 centimeters, a loving home, and a record that makes strangers smile all over the world.
