17. When it comes to your pup’s smile, it might be something different than what you think.
We typically think that smiling is an indicator of happiness because it usually is. However, for dogs, an apparent “smile” can have a wide variety of meanings. Sometimes dogs retract the corners of their mouths to show nervousness or submission. When a dog feels nervous, it can sometimes last out, out of fear (via Benton). If your dog seems to be grinning at you, there is a possibility that they respect you enough to obey you, and they want you to be aware of that (via Ranker).
Is your dog baring its teeth, showing you their pearly whites? Is any snarling or growling accompanying their smile? This sign shows aggressiveness and that the dog may be preparing to attack. With that said, dogs can and do sometimes smile to show their happiness. We tend to find their submissive smiles adorable, so we reward the dogs with belly rubs and pats on the head, thus creating an association between smiles and positive attention. Because of this, a smiling dog might actually be happy and have learned that doing so leads to some love from their human.