Does your doodle smile??

[Sorana, Darwin and Chance]

At 6 months of age, the puppy Chance has figured out how to mimic a human smile!  He does it when he's really excited to see us, usually when we get home from a longer workday, or when we visit family.  Does anyone else have a smiley doodle?  It's different than a regular doggie happy face, because he actually lifts up his upper lip to expose his pearly whites, and it's really striking!  Our older dood, Darwin has not picked this up.  

 

Anyone know why some dogs do this while most don't?  I think he's a little genius ; )  (yup, I'm a sucker for his charms)

[Ann Kendig]

This post brings back some fond memories.  When I was a kid our dog Jiggs would smile and my sister's dog Buffy would smile too.  I think they were the only two dogs I have ever seen do this.  Not sure why they do it but it sure is adorable.

 

 

[Sorana, Darwin and Chance]

I've only ever seen one other dog do it, so it's pretty rare.  And he only started to do it around 4 years of age.  I wonder if either Jiggs or Buffy learned to smile from the other?  Sadly, this is not the case with my two, as Darwin has not picked up the habit (yet! I can hold out hope).

[Ann Kendig]

Sadly our Jiggs had passed away before Buffy was born.  Jiggs would also do a little dance with her front paws and snort too.   Sometimes my LD Duke shows his teeth but it isn't the same smile that Jiggs and Buffy did.  He does it when he gets really excited.  Sometimes people think he's going to bite them when in fact he's happy to see them.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Kona has done this a couple of times but not consistently. Post photos everyone! I want to see those doodle smiles! One of our Golden Retrievers smiled, too.

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

Parker smiling :o)

[Bonnie and Kona]

OMD! One of the cutest smiles ever!!!!

[Sorana, Darwin and Chance]

Wow - that's awesome!  What a lucky shot.  I've tried to capture Chance's flash of teeth, but he's too wiggly when he does it, and it only lasts a second.

[Katie, John & Parker pup]

Yes I got very lucky on this one! He has smiled in other photos too but this is the most prominent! lol

[Jodi and Stella]

awww cutie patootie!

[Ann Kendig]

Love that smile!  So cute!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

OMD! cute cute cute

 

[Sorana, Darwin and Chance]

Well that's what I find curious - most dogs show submissiveness by licking, flopping on their backs, etc, but not by showing their teeth, which is typically done as a warning.  But some dogs realize that for humans, flashing teeth is a happy greeting, so they copy that despite the fact that they are in a submissive state when they do it.

 

Does that indicate that these particular dogs are very observant of their humans? And extremely willing to go against their instinct in order to communicate?

 

I can just imagine how endearing the wiggly snorting smiley Douglas must be!