Smiling is a natural part of human existence. But do dogs do it too? Here’s what you need to know about dogs and smiles.
Do They Smile?
A smile refers to any facial expression where the mouth corners curve upwards and the eyes brighten, often accompanied by positive emotions. It is, mainly, a form of body language that only humans really have.
However, this doesn’t mean that dogs don’t smile. You may notice your dog curling their mouth upwards sometimes, and this is a smile. But it’s not being done out of happiness, like humans do!
Types Of Dog Smiles
A dog may “smile” for the following reasons:
- Aggression
- Uneasiness
- Snarling
- Submission
This means that dog “smiles” usually aren’t positive. However, a submissive dog may smile in order to indicate they are not a threat by showing their teeth in a non-threatening way.
Training Smiling
There is no way to train genuine smiles in dogs, but you can teach them how to adopt a smiling facial expression by using rewards and positive reinforcement.
When your dog smiles as wanted, use a praise word (“Yes” is the most common) or a clicker to mark the wanted behavior. You can then reward with small treats.
Slowly, begin incorporating a cue word, like “Smile!”, as a command when you know your dog is going to perform the behavior.
Feature Image Source: Pixabay