Horsefeathers! Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Does anyone believe a dog can smile? One of my former fosters (Peyton, a black Standard Poodle) is a bigtime grinner. This dog doesn't have a mean bone in her body, but some people are kind of intimidated when they visit my best friend (who adopted Peyton). She meets and greets everybody with a big smile. My best friend often has a hard time convincing people that it's really ok to come inside. There's nothing at all snarly about her; she just "smiles" a lot. Peyton has to be the least menacing dog I know. Would you be afraid? Does anyone else's dog "smile" like this? [img]http://groups.msn.com/isapi/fetch.dll?action=MyPhotos_GetMBPhoto&ImageID=nFgAAAAoJjGPmRkF*zjRR7DoEO*ftzbQoIOjr8LMJJlO366qYrG5eyw[/img] [img]http://groups.msn.com/isapi/fetch.dll?action=MyPhotos_GetMBPhoto&ImageID=nFgAAABgJwGSb6r1HjTIcZgT3VxI*K2ijSl6bAIKFU029C37SeCumNA[/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackieMaya Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Oh what a ferocious animal! LOL When Jackie talks, she uses growly talk. The first time my youngest nephew heard her do that he said "Jackie was growling at me!" Jackie also doesn't have a mean bone in her body. But someone who didn't understand dogs might think that she was growling (of course they would have to ignore the wiggly butt and the whirlybird tail). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ESSlover Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Mocha was a big time smile-er! When we saw her at the shelter, she'd do her little baring teeth thing, but her tail was wagging like crazy! After we adopted her, whenever anyone came home, she'd greet us like that, and whenever she'd get excited she would too. :lol: I never could get a picture of it though, it was very very cute. :angel: Plus it would fend off any potential burgelers!! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Kat Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 One of my friends has a crossbred collie x golden retriever and shes a big smiler [img]http://www.truska.com/dddtc/gallery/21.jpg[/img] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackieMaya Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Kat, what a beautiful happy girl! Great smile! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ObedienceGrrl Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Awwwwww........ I've seen so many dogs that smile....but mine never have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotten_two Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 it looks/seems to me this could be a submissive grin. lots of people mistake it for aggression but (and you can't tell real well from these particular pics) the dog is really saying i am not a threat. in the second pic you can look at her lips and where the corners are (far back) and understand she is not set to bite. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bk_blue Posted August 1, 2005 Share Posted August 1, 2005 Apparently a lot of Dalmatians have a "grin". I think it's cute. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsefeathers! Posted August 1, 2005 Author Share Posted August 1, 2005 R2, I'm pretty sure it would be a submissive grin. She's about the most submissive dog I know. Very sweet dog, and submissive as all get out. I just think it's cute how she "smiles" and how many people get kind of intimidated by this big ol' grinning Poodle. BK, it's interesting you mentiond Dalmatians. Someone on another board said the same thing. I'd never heard it before, but it must be fairly common then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 my hound has that submissive grin, and also does the grumbly/growly thing. I always have to explain it, however, I cant seem to catch her doing it to get a picture. she doesnt do it to me, only people she doesnt know or isnt sure about... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bk_blue Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 Yeah HF, I was doing a bit of research on Dals ages ago as I was thinking of adopting a rescue Dal and the "grin" kept coming up. I've never actually seen a Dal grin in the flesh though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bubblezzz Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 [quote name='Horsefeathers!'] Would you be afraid? [img]http://groups.msn.com/isapi/fetch.dll?action=MyPhotos_GetMBPhoto&ImageID=nFgAAAAoJjGPmRkF*zjRR7DoEO*ftzbQoIOjr8LMJJlO366qYrG5eyw[/img] [img]http://groups.msn.com/isapi/fetch.dll?action=MyPhotos_GetMBPhoto&ImageID=nFgAAABgJwGSb6r1HjTIcZgT3VxI*K2ijSl6bAIKFU029C37SeCumNA[/img][/quote] It would depend on the rest of the dog's body language. If her/his ears were flattened & hackles raised, Yes, I would be intimidated. :P At least enough to not do anything stupid like approach him/her suddenly. :lol: I've seen smiles accompanied by lots of tail wagging & friendly gestures - that's just sooo sweet to see. :angel: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ickle Posted August 2, 2005 Share Posted August 2, 2005 I have many shelties over the years who were smilers.They would do it on command and the matriach would greet visitora with a smile and I did have to show them she was indeed smiling at them Ickle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 no I dont, but if you believe the mass hysteria about Pits, seeing teeth, even though we know its a grin, comes across as a threat... showing teeth is always portrayed to be bad. even when we know its just a smile, other people dont... 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 I dont find it threatening at all. I have a few who flash those kinda smiles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Bitch Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 Yep Dalmatians are big smilers. Two of our three would "smarl" all the time. Does Peyton sneeze when she smiles? Phyllis would always sneeze like a fiend when she smiled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackieMaya Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 That picture of Sagan is just hysterical! What a goof! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackieMaya Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 [quote name='Alan']My first thought when I saw the picture was, if I was face to face with that dog, I would be backing up lol. After I read you said he was happy, I could see it. It's kinda like those pictures that change depending on how you look at them. I could easily tell in person but is there any way to tell from a photograph if its agression or a smile?[/quote] That's right, in a picture you can't see the rest of their body language, see how they react to your body language, hear any noises they're making, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Kat Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 R2 the photo of Cassie definitely isn't just a submissive grin. Cassie smiles like this all the time when I see her about the agility shows :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotten_two Posted August 3, 2005 Share Posted August 3, 2005 i think i am lost . . . who is cassie? is that the poodle in the original photo? you know her? i def dropped the ball Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Kat Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 Cassie is the golden retriever/BC mix in the pic that I posted :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotten_two Posted August 4, 2005 Share Posted August 4, 2005 oh whew! there for a minute i thought i was losing my mind. i am caught up now! no doubt there are pups out there that do it for other reasons. when i brush front teeth gaia holds her lips back so that i can get to her pearlies. so now i just say "teefers" and she smiles for brushing -- tho she only does it in the presence of the toothpaste canister as i have not trained it in other situations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.