Do you think dogs can smile?

[Kfamr]

What would you call this?

That's what I call a big goofball! Thanks for posting those, bittersweet memories.

[Suki Wingy]

Dals do!
Most other breeds, no. It doesn't mean the same thing. My dog can just be hot and "smile" even though he's really bored. He is the best smiler, he does if all the time! My sig has my favorite picture in it.

[Canis-Lupess]

Some dogs do learn to deliberately smile by copying humans. Normal panting wouldn't be classed as a smile even if it looks like one although dogs do have what they call a laughing pant where they pant with mouths quite wide and eyes wide open when they are excited but not hot. If I do this back to our dogs, they get really excited.
None of the dogs in this thread are doing the deliberate smile. They just look like that simply because they are panting or they are laying in a position that makes their lips fall back. Parrots and other birds always look like they are smiling too because of the shape of their beaks...doesn't mean they are though.


But for actual smiling, dogs will stretch the back corners of their mouths back to reveal all of their teeth like humans do. Our Mist did this a few times and one of her other daughters, Tess, also used to smile. Some dogs open their mouths to do this also but many keep their mouths closed.
We also had a terrier that smiled at me once. Showing all his teeth whilst I was fussing him. I was only a younger teenager and it took me by surprise at first but then I realised what he was doing. An aggressive teeth showing would be quite different because the dog pushes the back corners of it's mouth forward so you only see the teeth at the front. A smile copied from humans is totally different.

Many dogs never learn to do this deliberate smile copied from people but quite a lot do. They see us pull this particular face and associate it with when we are pleased or excited and so they try to copy it in certain situations.

No doubt the dogs above are content and happy but those smiles aren't deliberate smiles copied from humans.

It would be interesting if somebody had managed to photograph their dog when it smiles deliberately.