Odd Question: Could My Dog Be Smiling?

• Odd Question: Could My Dog Be Smiling? Cheryl Harvey Posted : 12/7/2006 4:54:53 PM The past couple of weeks, I've noticed that my 8-month old lab/hound/?? mix puppy has been showing her front teeth when she greets us. She's not growling or upset. Quite the opposite--she's wiggling all over, the tail is wagging like crazy, and she seems pretty happy. It happens only when I get up in the morning or when I've been out of the house. Of course, I'm talking and smiling at her when this happens.   I've never seen a dog do this before and I have to admit, it's just a little scary. Probably because she's a black and dark brown brindle and seeing those white front teeth is a little disconcerting. She does it to me all the time, my husband a couple of times, and my grown son has seen it once.   I know it seems like a strange question, but could she possibly be trying to smile in response to our greeting? Or is this something I need to be concerned about? LIKE 32 REPLIES 2106 VIEWS LAST POST JENNIFER GOBLE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• zsrg;lb ksr'pfjsoprej dfsg;va bjpskopa] Posted : 12/7/2006 5:10:16 PM My uncle had a hound that did that too! He accompanied his with a growl so some people were caught off guard but his tail was wagging and he was happy! 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Cheryl Harvey Posted : 12/7/2006 5:22:43 PM Maybe it's a hound thing, then. Sophie doesn't growl, though--at least she hasn't yet. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• zsrg;lb ksr'pfjsoprej dfsg;va bjpskopa] Posted : 12/7/2006 5:48:57 PM Well it could defintly be distinguished from a mean growl if you knew her. It was really cute when she did it too! 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• jones Posted : 12/7/2006 6:09:27 PM Some dogs do smile with their teeth bared like that... it's more common in some breeds though I'm blanking on which ones. In animal behavior terms it's called a "submissive grin" and something dogs will do instinctively as a display of submissiveness... other dogs seem to "learn" this behavior by watching and imitating human smiles. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• iluvyulots Posted : 12/8/2006 1:03:28 AM I believe the bred your thinking of is the Dalmatian.  Dals love showing off there pearly whites, when my boy showed his off it always scared people because they thought he was going to attack them or something, but nope he was just saying hello.  As long as he's not growling in a not so nice way I wouldn't worry about it. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Xebby Posted : 12/8/2006 2:27:27 AM Where is Xerxes with his Pharaoh Hounds?  He has some really good pics of his hound doing that.   I think it's more of a hound thing, I caught my dog doing that once but never saw it agein, if I didn't know it was a smile I would think she was growling. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• NicoleS Posted : 12/8/2006 7:09:21 AM yeah where is Xerxes, I love seeing pictures of the pharoah hounds!!  [] 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Cheryl Harvey Posted : 12/8/2006 9:05:14 AM I just saw a post by Xerxes with the photos of his dog. That's pretty much what Sophie looks like when she "smiles!" It just looks so strange!   Thanks, everyone, for putting my mind at rest. It's good to know it's not something I need to worry about! 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Katy Harvey Posted : 12/8/2006 9:10:31 AM We had a Golden Retriever that lived down the street from us that "smiled" all the time.  When they first moved in she came bounding across three front yards "smiling" the whole way and I thought we were going to be killed!  Her owner yelled to us to not be afraid, she's just smiling at us!  Sure enough, she was the sweetest girl and turned out her name was Katy, and so is mine! 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Xerxes Posted : 12/8/2006 9:53:56 AM ORIGINAL: Xebby Where is Xerxes with his Pharaoh Hounds?  He has some really good pics of his hound doing that. It was 2am, we were in bed like any normal people on the east coast! [] Smiles?  Like these? I think with sighthounds they do it because they use their teeth on live running prey, and they get the lips out of the way to avoid injury to them.  If you think this is a smile behavior, capture it (with a clicker or another bridge) and train the behavior. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Cheryl Harvey Posted : 12/8/2006 10:43:23 AM Smiles? Like these?   Yup. Like those, but not quite as big. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• Xerxes Posted : 12/8/2006 10:56:04 AM The best part about having your dog "smile" for you is that now you have a new "trick" or behavior that you can reinforce.  Start by bridging when your dog offers the behavior. (Click or verbal reinforcer-"good boy") and then offer the command after a few tries of this.  The smarter the dog, the shorter the time between the connections.  All of a sudden you have a dog that "smiles" on command. 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• jjsmom06 Posted : 12/8/2006 11:21:26 AM The best part about having your dog "smile" for you is that now you have a new "trick" or behavior that you can reinforce. Start by bridging when your dog offers the behavior. (Click or verbal reinforcer-"good boy") and then offer the command after a few tries of this. The smarter the dog, the shorter the time between the connections. All of a sudden you have a dog that "smiles" on command.   Cheryl...if you can train your hound mix to "smile on command" it is truly a WONDERFUL thing!  I have seen a few greyhounds do it and it is totally amazing to watch them. Also, if you can "train the behavior", then pm Ed (xerxes) and he can tell you some "fun" tricks to go along with those smiles. []   right Ed???   Congrats on having a "smiling dog" Cheryl...I would love to own a sighthound someday that did this![]  0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login
• fuzzy_dogs_mom Posted : 12/8/2006 2:01:23 PM I think sometimes Max "smiles" when we're walking because people coming toward us will say "Oh, what a happy looking dog" but of course, I can't see his face. []   Joyce 0 LIKE Like Share You have posted to a forum that requires a moderator to approve posts before they are publicly available. Hey, it's way more fun when you sign up or log in Connect With Connect With Sign Up Login