if you are interested in why dogs smile
 

i found this article that talks about why dogs smile, i think it's really interesting.

here it is:
Ask an expert on dog behavior why dogs smile, and you may get a somewhat complicated answer involving submissive behavior, automatic responses, etc. They often ruefully conclude, "But dogs don't really smile, at least, not for the same reasons we do."

Ask the average dog owner the same question, and he'll respond indignantly: "Of course he smiles! Just look at that face; he's smiling right now – you can't say that's not a smile!"

We'll look at both sides of this question, because, in a way, both answers are correct.

In wolves, the expression we take for a smile indicates nervousness or submission to another wolf. Dogs also are hard-wired to interpret the expression this way. To signal that he accepts his subordinate position, a subordinate dog retracts the corner of his lips, which pulls the mouth into that happy face we recognize as a smile.

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

Confident alpha dogs rarely smile. They think of themselves as our equals and have no need or desire to signal their deference to us. Consider two men in a bar, one smaller than the other. The smaller man smiles to placate the bigger guy and avoid a conflict

An exception is the "smile" that comes with teeth bared – a smile that decidedly does not indicate submissiveness. A dog that lifts his lip to show his fangs is giving a signal to an encroacher to back off ... NOW.

But dogs are, if nothing else, extremely astute observers. An owner sees his dog "smiling" at him without fangs showing. The owner, touched by this adorable face, rewards the dog with a belly rub, a pat on the head, treats, or some other form of positive attention. The dog notices that when he performs this submissive gesture, he gets something desirable in return. So in a way, the dog's "smile" may become genuine, because he associates the expression with something that makes him happy.

This also helps explain why dogs roll on their backs for those treasured belly rubs. Rolling onto the back normally indicates submission, which the dog is happy to concede because of all the perks that come with it. For the dog, acting submissively is a pretty good deal.

Yep...I just wish I could remember where I read it. I tried to look it up today and found nothing....Maybe it was a dream. :eek:

:eyeballpc:sidesplt: you always:mademyday you are a crackup, so mini-Trump is not your's aren't you afraid that he can fire you anytime he wants:lol tears ones he find out the kind of stuff you saying here about him:rofl28ib:, anyway the no manners I think he get from his father lol.

My fletcher smiles ALL the time! My boyfriends kids get the biggest kick out of it. They are always telling people that my dog smiles all the time! Its really cute! He just has this look of a smile on his face 24/7! I love my babies!!! :)

funny that I only have 1 pic of one of my babies smiling and its not my fletcher, its my dexter! :D

can you teach them to smile on command? makes taking photos easier :P

Sorry didn't mean to qout this whole thing. Anyway, Snickers always smiles when he meets a new person. For him, I think that it is a nervous thing. People always start laughing. When I say he smiles, I mean he smiles and you can see his teeth just like a person would smile it is so funny.

that's cute :) hehe

I think both Lily and Kingston Smile. But i can only fine a picture of Kingston

This is a baby picture of Mayzie. She had just woken up from a nap and gave me this big smile. It's my favorite of her smiles....so far! It's the same picture, just one is a close up.

Yes, you can. I taught mine when he was real little. I just put my index and thumb finger together and say SMILE. and he does. LOL

:p

My little girl smiles! if I've been working & come in later in the day, she runs to the side of her x-pen & she is so excited & grinning!!! my hubbie has a outside dog, a rat terrier named peanut & he's got the cutest goofy smile too & I didn't know the rat terrier did that either until he brought him home... Welcome to YT!!!

My Shelby smiles, but only on one side. She does this when we come home and she is so happy to see us.

My sister has a Jack Russel that had never smiled until we came to visit after a long absence. She was so happy to see us that she started smiling. Now she does it every time she sees us, even if we just saw her an hour before.

Here's my favorite picture of Smokey smiling!

Welcome to YT! Of course they can smile!! Here is a link to a thread with two of my boys smiling. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/my-...can-smile.html

My Phantom smiles in just about picture I have of him!! Here is his photo album. http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/album.php?albumid=381

OMG All these adorable smiling furbutts!!!!! I'm so stinking Jealous...Daizy is as submissive as they come but NO SMILES....what I do get is this:
ALL THE TIME.....I think she's taunting me!!!

OH to the OP..........WELCOME TO YT!!!!! :0)