when ever i walk into a room my lab always seems to smile? i dont get why he does it. it can look threatening coz he showing his teeth but hes soo friendly i dont undastand wot it means?
2006-11-04 10:16:01 · 37 answers · asked by chlo j 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
He loves to see you! That is why he smiles.
2006-11-04 10:17:58 · answer #1 · answered by Gone fishin' 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are two reasons why dogs smile.
Firstly, it is a normal facial expression made by submissive or junior dogs to higher ranking dogs in a pack. It is sometimes referred to as a 'submissive grin' and is often lopsided with the head also turned slightly to one side.
Your dog might just be showing you some respect and acknowledging you as pack leader.
Secondly, some dogs have the ability to mimic a human smile. I think this ability is inherited as I have known several generations of dogs who all smiled by drawing their lips back equally on both sides of their mouth. It cannot be mistaken for a snarl by anyone who knows about dogs because the dogs whole body posture and attitude is so friendly.
I first noticed this years ago when a friend owned a 'smiler'. The woman always greeted her pup with a broad smile while putting her face quite close to the dog's face. Within a very short time the dog was 'smiling' back! That dog's father and grand-mother were smilers and so were two of her sons.
So your dog could be just smiling at you in greeting at the same way you smile at him!
2006-11-04 22:51:22 · answer #2 · answered by DogDoc 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it's actually a sign of submission. I have 2 dogs which smile. One is my large lurcher and the other the new tiny yorkie. It tends to unnerve people who have never seen it before. The lurcher is the gentlest dog I've ever known. When he first started to do it I would say "smile". Now he will do it on command. Incidentally I have another dog who sneezes on command. Odd things I teach my dogs eh? :0)
2006-11-04 22:08:47 · answer #3 · answered by fenlandfowl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Aww, how sweet! One of the dogs we're boaring at the vet clinic smile whenever you walk in the room. Scared the poop out of me at first because it does look threatening, but once I realized he was just smiling, I thought it was cute:) Some people actually teach their dogs to smile. others learn it from us. We bare our teeth at them when we're happy, and they don't find it threatening. In this case the dog's trying to use our language instead of make us use his. Of course, beware, because not all dogs are smiling when they do it...I think you'll notice when it's not because they're happy;)
2006-11-04 18:21:37 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Cause he is happy to see you and labs are a very happy breed of dog! You are a very blessed person indeed!
2006-11-04 12:23:54 · answer #5 · answered by tigerlily_catmom 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
thats excactly what i think about my lab i think she's "laughing" at me sometimes too....i was reading this thing on national geographics website about the sound u hear that sounds like their laughing.... they haven't exactly come to a conclusion about it but they said it could be so....i think they just understand you...remember dogs are good judges of characters...so they probably know how your feeling ....one time my lab ran right into me and she made me fall on the cement... my arm hurt after that but i think she could tell i was in pain because she started licking me.....
2006-11-04 10:43:20 · answer #6 · answered by pianoplayer4life 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, he is simply pleased to see you .... I mean, he can't offer you a high five or shout your name out, can he? Perhaps you would like him to write it down? On second thoughts, that would be a lab report!
2006-11-04 10:20:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Could be a sign of guilt, as he knows that while you've been out the room he's been up to no good, the false grin is to throw you off the scent.
2006-11-04 10:23:43 · answer #8 · answered by XhappytalkX 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Because he's happy to see you.
Our Boxer / Dalmation cross used to grin from ear to ear if we left him alone for a few hours.
2006-11-04 11:12:03 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yea he's a happy chappie. My poodle used to smile too.
2006-11-04 10:20:27 · answer #10 · answered by nettyone2003 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋