"Do Dogs Smile?" Topic

Whenever I come home, my big galoot of dog named Dave runs up to me wagging his tail and then he shows his teeth in what sort of looks like a smile. Do dogs smile, or do they just wag their tails when they are happy>

Generally speaking, the "smile" is an aggressive thing -- baring the teeth. So, most dogs don't do this. But there are some who have learned that our smiles aren't aggressive, even though we're baring our teeth. Some of those learn to smile in response to our smiles and the feelings that go along with them.

I had an Alsatian who, I swear, smiled too. So, I'm a believer. But, the current crop of hounds don't smile at all.

I've also read that tail-wagging isn't a sign of happiness but rather a sign of ambivalence. In other words, the dog wants to do two conflicting things. Like wanting to jump up to greet you but at the same time wanting to sit in place to be petted (because you've trained him that way); so, he stands and wags his tail. Sometimes, I can see this, but I'm not entirely convinced that this is true yet. Just food for thought.

I like to think my bulldog smiles at me when I see her. She's on my profile above. Bulldogs have a lot of facial character, and I can generally tell her mood and what she's thinking just by looking at her face. So, in that way I think she has a smile. Her eyes light up, her mouth goes open, the back of her mouth parts back but the jowels hang low over her jaw.

When she's extremely excited, her upper lip peels back to show her buckteeth. When I have meat or cheese for her, that's generally her facial expression.

She also has anxious face, scared face, pensive face, etc.

I've never seen her angry face yet. In fact, I've never seen an angry bulldog, English or French.

The answer is yes. But not for the same reasons that you do.

link

Mike

Mine have certainly had looks on their face that I know was their "happy face".

Greyhounds do.

"In reality, the "smile" is indicating that the dog is not threatening to overturn the status quo."

Same as with humans then.

I agree that dogs smile, but from the description in that link, I'm thinking of a different expression I think.

I also believe that dogs are more individual than many people think and don't necessarily buy into all the "hard-wiring" crap. Unless you concede that humans are wired much the same way.

dogs smile.

My dog when I was growing up smiled.

My employer brings his dog to work most days and the dog smiles.

Experts say dogs don't smile.

Experts are wrong.

In all-dog packs? Not sure.

Dogs are obviously trainable and eager to fit into the pack, so I imagine that they learn how to smile to better communicate with their humans. Same with tail-wagging.

One of my terriers I had when I was a kid used to do the same exact thing that DaF descrbed. While I'm sure she was smiling and was happy to see me, I'm also certain it's a pack instinct sort of thing.

We had a lab who would show his teeth when we came home and he greeted us at the gate. We never interpreted it as a smile, though. We thought he was trying to show us he'd been guarding the place while we were gone.

I had a dog that would grin most mischeviously after doing something he *knew* was wicked – like move a crocket ball behind a tree (because of him we had an "Act of Dog" clause in our crocket games…)

I really think it depends on their sense of humor.

GREAT answer, OG!

I have a dog, and she smiles big for anybody that visits the house, or when I come home from a job. If she didn't do it to me as well I might have thought it some nervous angry expression or something.

They can smile and yes, they CAN look up.

According to my missus they can….but then, she has a rather tenous grip on reality as far as animals are concerned.

I think my two shepards smile but for different reasons – one because she's a bimbo [she chases anything in the air – bugs, snow, rain, voices, etc.] and the other because she's very mischevious.

'Science' experts are idiots when it comes to animals – and I think that any pet owner knows that. After living with 2 dogs, 2 birds and a rabbit for the past 7 years, I don't believe a thing that animal 'experts' say – unless, of course, I agree with them.