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.

[Heather & Jake]

So cute!  I wonder if it will get more intense as time goes on... how old is she? Jake started doing this around a year old and it has gotten more intense over time.  Now he does it every time we come home and to my family when we go visit them.  He first crawls to the ground to get as low as possible, then as you approach he goes into what we call the "shotgun smiles..." first lifts up his top left lip then opens and closes his mouth over and over while the tail is thumping away, he'll do this as long as it takes for you to get him. He's eve done if for over 3 minutes once this winter when I was taking off my boots and coat after walking in the door.  As you finally get close enough he rolls over and just holds one big lopsided grin with the tail thumping away before he sits up and starts giving kisses.  It's so funny how submissive he is... however, sometimes this comes with a submissive pee which isn't greatly appreciated!!   I've never gotten a picture but I've got videos of it. I love watching them when away for home, always makes me smile :)  He's now started to do it on command, all we do is say "smiles" and he shrinks down and starts thumping and smiling away, luckily without the pee though. :)

[Joanie]

awwww!!  Lani will be two in July.  My husband is trying to get her to do it on command it's actually really funny because he says "Lani.." and smiles at her trying to get her to do the funny smile on command.

[Bonnie and Kona]

Kona will do this on rare occasions. I just love it! He raises a his lip on just one side so it is the cutest, funniest crooked grin! He isn't a "licker' either but if he is smiling and I put my face near his he will give me a quick little lick, too. It's so sweet!

[Joyce (Casey & Cody's mom)]

I have 4 dachshunds and one of them also does this. Primarily when she wants something. She will sit at the baby gate in the sunroom and bark once or twice. When I look at her, she will "smile" at me as if to say - "I'm such a sweetheart -

p-l-e-a-s-e let me out." Her trainer was always amazed at her. She makes people laugh all the time. I've tried to get pictures of her for years, but have never been successful - she does it so quick and won't repeat it on command.

[Christine & Macey]

Macie does the same smile.  She does it mostly when we first get home or when she's very happy to see us.  I think it would be hard to get a picture of it because when she makes the smile she's also moving around, wagging her tail excitedly.  We see that smile A LOT.  Cute!

[Sharae & Winston]

Ok this is the closest I could get and I think I ever will get... he just does it too fast and at weird angles lol. You can just barely see teeth...

[carmel lowry]

HI, Our six month old Joey does the grin in the morning when we get up and let him out.

I thought it was very funny, I had never seen a dog do this before..it is very cute though..

we know he is very glad to see us when we see that smile.

[Joanie]

This is basically the face that she makes at my husband... I forgot I had this picture... she did it onetime my mom was taking a pic of Lani and I and when I saw the pic I was cracking up.  But, now that Lani's hair is shorter for the summer, when she makes this face it is even funnier and now she kinda squishes up her eyes when she does it.

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

LOL! thats so cute she really is SMILING!  love it!

[Wendy and Myla]

So cute - it's like she's saying "Cheese" for the camera!!!

[Bonnie and Kona]

Awww! She has your smile ;o)