A smile is a natural action by humans to express joy, and has become a universal language that connects people all over the world. But what about dogs?
While dogs appear to “smile,” the meaning behind theirs is a little more complicated. Of course, the best way to tell a dog is happy is their wagging tail, but maybe a dog’s smile isn’t too different than a human’s. While there is no definite scientific answer behind a dog’s smile, there are several dog grins that mean different things. According to Rover.com, one of those smiles is the submissive grin. Dogs show their teeth in this way to gesture submission, social awkwardness, or confusion.
This smile is harmless! A dog’s smile that could be more of a warning sign is a snarl, where they show their teeth out of aggression.But the ASPCA explains that when dogs feels happy and content, they have a calm body language just like humans. In this moment, their facial muscles are relaxed, which make their mouth open and the corners of their mouth turn upwards. So it’s very possible that their smiles can be pure bliss! In the video below, you will see a dog who smiles on command while his human mom is video-taping. We all know our own dogs best, and this woman knows her dog’s smile is more on the goofy side and is totally harmless! Thanks to her dog’s silly antics, we get to enjoy a good laugh and smile ourselves!