[OwnedByJezebel]

All of my dogs have been "smilers." I think all dogs do it, but most people don't recognize what they are doing and don't even notice it.

With mine, when they would do it at first, it was very subtle. Because I would fuss over them, calling them "smiley" when they did it, it would become gradually more and more pronounced as the years went on. Loosie, my late Yorkie, was a fantastic smiler. Her mouth would open wide, and as she shut it, she would lower her head and turn it to the side, pulling back her lips and flashing her teeth. She would sit in dh's lap, doing this over and over, because it would make him start laughing and get her all kinds of attention.

Animal behaviorists actually have a name for it: submissive grinning. Flashing the teeth, a little or a lot, while the rest of the body displays a submissive stance is their way of showing that they aren't a threat. If you think about it, isn't that what we are actually doing when we smile at another human?