# Do Dogs Smile?



## HiDesertHal (Aug 10, 2017)

*Do Dogs Smile??*

It may seem that your dog is "smiling" at you with that wide-mouth  "grin", but he's just perspiring...panting with air blowing over his  moist tongue.

Dogs do not have perspiration pores like people, so they sweat by  wide-mouth panting and through the sweat glands on the pads of their  feet.

They are not equipped with complex facial muscles that can give them various "looks", only that wide-mouth panting look.

You may say "Oh no, you're wrong! My Rambo actually smiles at me...I can tell!" 

Then all I can say is "Be sure to return his "smile"!

HDH


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## RadishRose (Aug 10, 2017)




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## RadishRose (Aug 10, 2017)




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## Falcon (Aug 10, 2017)

Hey,  If it LOOKS like its  smiling,  so be it.  Getting technical  spoils all the fun.


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## Kadee (Aug 10, 2017)

I think they do smile


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## HiDesertHal (Aug 10, 2017)

Yes, it really looks like they smile!

However, the only facial expression they're capable of is the "snarl", when they wrinkle their nose and show their teeth. 

Cats have no facial expressions.

hdh


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## SeaBreeze (Aug 10, 2017)




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## NancyNGA (Aug 10, 2017)

With cats, it's all about the eyes.


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## Camper6 (Aug 10, 2017)

HiDesertHal said:


> It may seem that your dog is "smiling" at you with that wide-mouth "grin", but he's just perspiring...panting with air blowing over his moist tongue.
> 
> Dogs do not have perspiration pores like people, so they sweat by wide-mouth panting and through the sweat glands on the pads of their feet.
> 
> ...



Dogs can do something humans can't.  They smile by wagging their tail, even if it's the tiniest stub because a full tail has been bred out of them.  They are amazing creatures.  I was just reading an article on them.  They get bored like humans. And they tolerate humans speaking to them even though they can't understand one word you are saying.


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## IKE (Aug 11, 2017)

Say cheese....


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## debbie in seattle (Aug 11, 2017)

Well, if you look on the Internet, they seem as if they do.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Aug 11, 2017)

HiDesertHal said:


> Yes, it really looks like they smile!
> 
> However, the only facial expression they're capable of is the "snarl", when they wrinkle their nose and show their teeth.
> 
> ...



That was my Duke`s smile-and he was definitely smiling! Wrinkling his nose and showing his teeth as he came towards you with tail wagging. Wouldn`t call it a snarl,as that involves a growl to me. Duke never growled in his life. We had him for five years before we ever heard him bark. We were all outside one day when he suddenly said "WOOF". Just once. We all looked at each other shocked. We thought he didn`t know how lol. And that was it-never again. Funny too,because he was part German Shepard. They generally never stop barking....


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## HiDesertHal (Aug 11, 2017)

Are you all telling me that I'm full of crap?  That dogs really DO smile?  That I should delete my Thread?

I'll take it under advisement, but I still say that a Dog can do only 2 things with its mouth:  Open it and Close it.

When Open, it looks like it _may_ be smiling.(?)

What you should do is post an article from a Veterinarian that would settle the question, and if a dog really smiles, I will be happy to abide by that knowledge!

Harold


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## Butterfly (Aug 11, 2017)

My old Rusty (RIP) smiled.  I know it was a smile because he only did it when he saw things he liked.  The biggest smile I ever saw him make was once when I brought the Thanksgiving turkey into the dining room on a platter.  Everybody around the table saw his smile, and he brought the house down they were laughing so hard.  He got a nice size piece of turkey for that smile.


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## HiDesertHal (Aug 12, 2017)

RadishRose said:


>



Radish Rose, I would have to say that your dog _REALLY LOOKS l_ike its smiling!

Hal;


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## Shalimar (Aug 12, 2017)

Mrs. Robinson said:


> That was my Duke`s smile-and he was definitely smiling! Wrinkling his nose and showing his teeth as he came towards you with tail wagging. Wouldn`t call it a snarl,as that involves a growl to me. Duke never growled in his life. We had him for five years before we ever heard him bark. We were all outside one day when he suddenly said "WOOF". Just once. We all looked at each other shocked. We thought he didn`t know how lol. And that was it-never again. Funny too,because he was part German Shepard. They generally never stop barking....


Sounds like a sweet dog? I would love to see some pics.


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