Why does my dog smile?

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KidnapMoss

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Today I took this photo of my FC retriever. He smiles all the time, particularly when you come home, or if hes allowed in the kitchen after supper, or sometimes if hes frightened by say, electric fencing, the shetland pony, or shiny floors (long story! :rolleyes:) anyway I think its cute as anything but WHY do dogs smile? My very aloof, opinionated spaniel never smiles? But she also doesnt really like fuss or cuddles, whereas the FC thinks he is tiny enough for lap cuddles and thrives on attention. Who else has smiley dogs?

Fletcher.jpg


at least if any potential burgular came in (we live on a very rural farm) and met this at he top of the stairs they might be scared away! ;)
 
My Lancashire Heeler smiles its a breed trait, of the 2 I had before only one smiled and it was always when she was really happy. My current Heeler has smiled a couple of times, my Dobes dont smile.

Lots of people have posted pictures on here of their dogs smiling but its not a true smile, pleased to say your dog is smiling.:D
 
Oh yes it's a true smile :D usually accompanied by lots of snorting sounds :confused::D but he does smile if he's frightened (which is quite a lot as he's a real baby) when he's frightened he does a huge smile and then pushes his head in between your legs and sort of hides :confused::o he's really quite strange!
 
We had a dog that smiled when we came home from work and when she met people she knew.

It did worry my not very doggy brother when he would come to the house to be met by this rather large dog baring her teeth at him :D It took us a while to reassure him that he wouldn't be savaged if he stepped over the threshold!
 
I haven't a clue why they actually do it, beyond the fact that it's a form of greeting. I love it, and have had 2 or 3 lurchers, only ever the bitches, which have done it. It was generally accompanied by much and violent flogging of anything which was near their tails!! It's appealing.

Back in the mid '70s, there was an elderly man who had some half decent springers, and they used to spend the bulk of the time in the back of his estate car. His party piece, to entertain us lads on a shoot day, was that he'd shift his lower plate, his false teeth, forwards, and lear at the dogs through the window, and they'd return the greeting, by grinning back at him. It was hilarious!! :D

Alec.
 
I do wonder why they do it, I mean teeth baring is a sign of aggression and/or nerves really to a dog. Do they pick it up off us? As we are always baring our teeth at them but making friendly noises at the same time? Loppity is the only one of ours that does it. The labrador snarls fearsomely when she is playing but it makes her sneeze so badly she loses the fierce look.
 
Clodagh said:
I do wonder why they do it, I mean teeth baring is a sign of aggression and/or nerves really to a dog. Do they pick it up off us? As we are always baring our teeth at them but making friendly noises at the same time? Loppity is the only one of ours that does it. The labrador snarls fearsomely when she is playing but it makes her sneeze so badly she loses the fierce look.
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This exactly, it's funny how they bare their teeth as aggression yet some greet us with it! I've always wondered. To get mega mega smiles and sneezy sounds from our FC (his name is fletcher) you have to creep slowly up the stairs when he's at the top going 'fletchyyyy fletchyyyy' in a ghosty voice, and smiling, he LOVES it. Yes that's how we entertain ourselves in the middle of nowhere on a Saturday night :o

Weevil love your smiling spaniel, I wish mine smiled! My husband is really mean, the FC is 'his' and spaniel is 'mine' and he teases me and says the dog smiles becuse he loves him and the spaniel doesn't love me :rolleyes: meanie :o
 
KidnapMoss said:
Weevil love your smiling spaniel, I wish mine smiled! My husband is really mean, the FC is 'his' and spaniel is 'mine' and he teases me and says the dog smiles becuse he loves him and the spaniel doesn't love me :rolleyes: meanie :o
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That is mean! He is a very "smiley" dog - I keep meaning to try and teach him to do it on cue :D
 
Interesting thread!

I could get some of mine to smile by making a mock threat myself. I think that's maybe what it is. After all, we pretend we are a monster and will attack and eat a child -- to it's delight as it knows it won't really get eaten! Seems to be something similar in dogs! Dogs certainly understand humour.
 
One of mine smiles- and growls when he's happy to see you/excited.

A lot of people think he's being aggressive, but he's not. No idea why he does it, but it's very cute. :D
 
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