Submissive Smile / Grin?

[Joanie]

Hi Everyone :) Haven't been on here in awhile. I wanted to share something new and funny that my Lani girl started doing.  It started on Saturday.  Whenever my husband and I are not home we put Lani in her crate.  When we came home from running errands on Saturday, my husband let Lan out of her crate and he started laughing.  She sat before him, relaxed, with her upper lip curled back just showing her top teeth.  It looked like a very funny smile!  So, we laughed.  Ever since she's been doing this, but only to my husband and only when he lets her out of the crate.  I looked it up online and she's definitely NOT doing it as a sign that she is showing aggression because she's making no noises while doing this, is very calm and relaxed, tail wags, and is only showing her upper teeth.  The only thing I can come up with, which I found online, is something called a submissive smile / grin.  Supposedly only some dogs can do this and it's meant as a friendly gesture that they know that the person they are doing it to, in this case my husband, is in charge.  Has anyone ever heard of this before?  Ever seen this before?  It's actually very funny.

[Wendy and Myla]

I've never seen it before but try to see if you can get a picture and post it!  I'd love to see it!!!!   Sounds so cute!!!!!

[Joanie]

I will :)  It is adorable but at the same time very very funny

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I'd LOVE to see a picture too!

[Sharae & Winston]

Winston does that too, it's sooooo funny! He does it when we get home as well and if I start talking baby talk to him or telling him he's a good boy. It's like he gets excited about the attention and is actually happy we're home. He usually does a couple "excited sneezes" right after. It sure is cute!

[Joanie]

awww!!! Lan has never done it before so my husband I were cracking up when she first did this on Saturday and now she just keeps doing it.  It's sooo funny!  Have you ever gotten a picture of Winston doing it?

[Sharae & Winston]

no! I want to try though.  He usually does it so quick and he has his head down or is on his side trying to get belly rubs. I'll see if I can get one and post it. 

[Sharon & Monty]

Our Monty does this.  He actually appears to smile, raises his upper lip to show his top teeth.  At first it was confusing because when he was doing it, he was very happy, not threatening.   He has greeted other people this way and we have to assure them that "really, he's not being aggressive"    

[Joanie]

maybe it's a doodle thing?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Nope, just a dog thing. It's something submissive dogs do to appease another higher status individual. 

[Sharae & Winston]

A doodle or a poodle thing.. we had a two poodles growing up and only of them did this. It was the funniest thing. We used to say "What you smiling about Baylee?!" LOL

[Sharon & Monty]

best one i can find while i'm at work.  lol

[Joanie]

Will do :)