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.
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.