Often, when playing around with my furry friend Kirby, I think of some of the strangest and yet equally interesting questions — to me, at least — to ask the little guy. Questions like: “What do you dream of?” “what’s it like being a dog?” “what’s the deal with you insisting on rolling in horrible things,” or “do you have an Adam’s apple?” often crop up.
As you can imagine, every time I ask Kirby these questions, he doesn’t say much. Instead, my dog looks up at me as if to say, “You need to get out more,” followed by a few sloppy licks.
Despite my dog’s apparent disinterest in my probing questions, I still wanted to know whether dogs have Adam’s apples. I did a little research on the web, and this is what I found out.
Do Dogs Have Adam’s Apples Like Humans?
Do Dogs Have Adam’s Apples Like Humans? Yes, dogs have Adam’s Apples like humans. The Adam’s apple in any dog or the ‘laryngeal prominence,’ to give its correct medical term, isn’t nearly as noticeable as they can be on humans, but they are certainly there!
Do Female Dogs Have Adam’s Apples?
Along with male dogs, female dogs also have Adam’s apples — all dogs have a laryngeal prominence.
Just like the bizarre and erroneous myth that dogs can’t look up — if you weren’t aware they could by the way — there’s a common myth that not all humans have Adam’s apples.
Every human, yes, even females, have an Adam’s apple. Most animals indeed have an Adam’s apple; it’s just not always that perceptible.
Amongst males, the laryngeal prominence can be extremely noticeable. However, amongst females, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that they don’t have one because you can’t always see it.
Men have more bones in their neck, and during puberty, the neck grows in a way that caters to longer vocal cords; hence men generally having deeper voices than women.
The thyroid cartilage (this is the science bit) surrounding the voice box, or larynx, sticks out more on men because the more extensive the larynx (more resonant voice), the larger the Adam’s apple is.
This is true of dogs too; sometimes, but not always, male dogs have a deep bark rather than a yap — it’s just a large larynx and, therefore, a more significant Adam’s apple. It’s all quite technical, granted, but the takeaway is this: deep voice means prominent larynx and big Adam’s apple.
Plus, on top of that, they’re called ‘Adam’s apples’ not ‘Eve’s apples, so again, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking they are not there, but they are there all the same.
Adam’s apples get their name due to the story in the bible of Adam getting a piece of forbidden fruit in his throat. For some reason, this stuck — literally— and the term was later used to describe the larynx. If the bible isn’t your thing, call them a laryngeal prominence, which admittedly is a bit of a mouthful.
Although the bible doesn’t mention Adam and Eve’s pet dog, Fluffy, she still very much had an Adam’s apple. Okay, I’m joking of course, but every dog, just like every human, has an Adam’s apple.
How To Find Them?
The next time you’re feeling particularly interested — or just bored perhaps — run your thumb and forefinger gently up his or hers’ throat towards the chin and you should feel a bump.
That ‘bump‘ is indeed your doggy wogs’ Adam’s apple! And you should be careful! No dog and no person for that matter will be all that pleased with you fondling their throat!
Oh, and by the way, I am not responsible for your dog’s almost inevitable look of disapproval!
Unfortunately, our dogs are light on conversation, so they can’t say, “Yes, I have an Adam’s apple, leave it alone, or bring me some treats, and then maybe we can talk!”
You’ll almost always be returned a somewhat confused glance…
Final Thoughts
So that’s a wrap. The short answer is this: yes, dogs do have Adam’s apples. While the term can be confusing and shrouded in myth, most animals — that means humans too — have an Adam’s apple. Male, female, dogs, cats, aliens (maybe?) have little or big protrusions from their throats that are known as: Adam’s apples.
Gifts for Dog Lovers
Do you know someone who loves their dog more than anything?
Then they’ll love these gifts! From kitchen accessories to stylish jewelry, we’ve got everything a pup lover could want.
Our selection of gifts for dog lovers is sure to have something perfect for the special person in your life.
Head over to our list of 50 Pawsome Gift Ideas for Dog Lovers to find that perfect gift!
Recommended Reading
- Can Dogs Eat Dandelions?
- Can You Put Baby Powder on Dogs?
- Why Do Dogs Like to Chase Squirrels?
- Help! My Dog Ate A Dryer Sheet! What Do I Do?
- Are Humidifiers Safe for Dogs?
Featured Photo Credit: BaileyMartin15 / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)
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