The dog’s lips pull up at the corners, her mouth opens wide, and her tongue lolls out. Most people would see an unmistakable grin when they look at this face. Does a dog really use this expression to express happiness, pleasure, or contentment in the same way that people do?
The 30,000-year history of dog domestication provides the key to the solution. Because of their shared history, humans and dogs have formed a special bond that has made dogs excellent research subjects for the study of communication. According to Alex Benjamin, an associate lecturer in psychology at the University of York in the United Kingdom who studies dog cognition, “Studying dogs is a really unique opportunity to look at social communication between species.” [20 Weird Dog and Cat Behaviors Explained by Science].
The majority of this research also supports the notion that our special relationship with dogs is based on communication. For instance, studies have shown that dogs use eye contact and embrace the human gaze in a way that few other animals do.
How wolves and dogs would react to the impossible task of opening a container to obtain some meat they knew was inside was the subject of a study published in the journal Current Biology. Dogs would turn around and give people a long, curious look, whereas wolves would simply stalk off when they realized they couldn’t open it, the researchers discovered, suggesting that these animals knew a person could assist them in completing the task.
Another study, which was reported in the journal Science, discovered that when people and dogs lock eyes with one another, their bodies’ oxytocin levels rise. Oxytocin is a hormone that contributes to social bonding. What’s more intriguing is that after sniffing oxytocin, dogs would spend more time gazing at people.
If you think about it, “[a shared gaze] is the fundamental mechanism for cooperation if you can’t rely on spoken language,” Benjamin told Live Science. She speculated that during the course of their domestication, humans may have bred this trait into dogs. “Dogs that look at us are much simpler to train and cooperate with.” Therefore, it’s possible that some deliberate or unintentional choices contributed to the behaviors we see today. “.
In any case, it is evident that dogs intentionally use eye contact to communicate and gather information.
Do dogs use their facial expressions to communicate with humans, and if so, how? What about the expressions that cross their faces?
According to Juliane Kaminski, a reader in comparative psychology at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom who specializes in dog cognition, that question is intriguing. She stated that one particularly endearing expression in dogs that is known as “puppy dog eyes” is of particular interest to her. “.
In order to collect data for her study, Kaminski and her colleagues went to a dog shelter and used a tool called a facial action coding system (FACS) to track the subtle facial movements that dogs made when interacting with people. Following that, the researchers monitored how long it took for each dog to be adopted. The quicker the dogs were rehomed, according to the researchers, “the more the dogs produced that movement [puppy dog eyes],” said Kaminski. No other behavior that the researchers looked at had a similar impact. [Is a Dogs Mouth Cleaner Than a Humans?].
Kaminski then sought to determine whether this behavior was purposeful. Has [the dog] either learned or understood that if they make that movement, people will help them? asked Kaminski. She therefore conducted a second experiment in which dogs were exposed to humans who either offered food or did not. If dogs were aware of the effectiveness of their sad eyes, they would use them more frequently to achieve their goals when offered the chance of a snack.
But … they didnt. Dogs were more expressive when they looked at humans, supporting the notion that eye contact is crucial for canine communication, but whether or not there was food present, the animals used their soppy-eyed expression just as much. It’s possible that when humans domesticated dogs, they unintentionally selected for this endearing characteristic because “it resembles a movement that we produce when we are sad.” So it kind of triggers this nurturing response,” Kaminski said. But that doesn’t mean that dogs have necessarily learned to take advantage of that “.
That brings us to the “smile. Is your dog’s gaping expression equivalent to a grinning human face? Kaminski advised caution. “I’ve had a dog my entire life, so I know that if you really get to know your dog, you can read its behaviors,” I have no issue labeling some behaviors, the speaker declared. We have no data indicating what this actually means, so of course as a scientist I ask, “How would we know that? “.
Due to the subjective nature of our research methods and our propensity for anthropomorphizing animals, it is problematic when interpreting dog facial expressions.
In fact, there is not much evidence to support the notion that dogs “smile” Some studies, which were published in the journal Scientific Reports (opens in new tab), demonstrate that this specific expression, known as “relaxed open mouth” in dogs, frequently takes place in favorable situations, such as when dogs are inviting one another to play. However, it is unknown whether the expression is what we would consider a smile or whether dogs are purposefully grinning at us.
We would need more objective research methods, like FACS, like Kaminski used, to ascertain how particular facial expressions correlate with particular situations and what precisely motivates those expressions in order to respond to that question. All dog expressions, which are typically understudied, require that, according to Kaminski. [Why Do Dogs Wag Their Tails?].
For any dog owner who has thought that upturned, open mouth was a smile all these years, this realization is probably unsettling. But in some ways, it is irrelevant because there is so much other evidence of our unique bond with dogs.
Consider the fact that they are the only animals we are aware of that can accurately follow and comprehend human gestures, such as pointing. Even chimpanzees, who are the closest living relatives of humans, cannot follow this communication cue as well as dogs. Also, according to Benjamin’s research (opens in new tab), dogs actually favor specific speech patterns. She found that dogs preferred the company of people who spoke to them in higher-pitched, sing-song voices and used dog-related expressions like “Who’s a good boy?”
So, whether or not we can smile at our canine companions, it is evident that they comprehend us in a surprising number of subtle ways. According to Benjamin, this should serve as motivation for us to improve as sensitive communicators.
“Dogs are already so good at understanding us. They can understand very subtle cues,” Benjamin said. Therefore, it is our responsibility as humans to provide them with the cues they need to cooperate with us. “.
Emma Bryce, a freelance journalist based in London, focuses on writing about the environment, conservation, and climate change. She holds a master’s degree from New York University in science, health, and environmental reporting and has written for The Guardian, Wired Magazine, TED Ed, Anthropocene, China Dialogue, and Yale e360, among other publications. The European Journalism Center has given Emma reporting grants, and she was given a fellowship by the International Reporting Project in 2016 so she could attend the COP22 climate conference in Morocco. More about animals.
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Take a picture of your dog grinning right away before it vanishes!
It certainly makes you happy to see your pet with a wide grin, whether it be at snack time or during a belly scratch, but you’re not sure whether you’re imagining it or if your dog is actually happy. Every time you see their little smirk, you may wonder, if dogs can actually smile for real, and if so, why do dogs smile, anyway.
Here’s the lowdown on dog smiling so you can determine for sure if your pet is grinning at you with delight or if their mouth is simply turning upward.
There are numerous explanations for why a dog might smile. Perhaps you just got home from a long day at work, leaving your dogs alone at home. Perhaps your dog hears the bag of food shaking. When they are in a car and are experiencing the feel and smell of the breeze, many people believe their dog is grinning widely.
However, just like humans, the causes of a dog’s smile are arbitrary. Different things will make one person, or dog, smile or happy than they will for another.
Animal behaviorists have long maintained that animals don’t typically smile out of joy but rather as a result of a muscular reflex. Due to this, the majority of people also thought that dogs couldn’t express their emotions through smiling. That belief, however, has been challenged.
While recent research suggests that some animals may be grinning to express emotion in the same way that humans perceive grinning, we must change our perspective when debating whether or not a dog’s smile is genuine.
For instance, if you’re watching a movie and a funny line is said by a character, you might smile or laugh. Dont expect the same from your pet. Your dog isnt smiling because they find something humorous. Instead, they are relaxed and calm, and as a result, they are grinning, which suggests that your pet is content.
Similar to how some canines will seem to smile when they are submitting to their human masters This has to do with the dog’s relaxed muscular state.
We often marvel at how human our dogs can seem. They appear to mirror our behaviour and exhibit then same facial expressions and emotions that we feel, whether it’s happy or sad.
Dogs appear to enjoy themselves and our company as well. So it makes sense that many dog owners inquire about their dogs’ ability to smile or laugh. Read on to find out the answer!.
Animal behaviorists disagree on this issue a great deal, but the majority of them agree that dogs cannot laugh. At least not in the sense that humans can laugh.
Dogs, however, can laugh like a dog, and they usually laugh like a dog when they are playing. It’s caused by a breathy panting that’s forcefully exhaled. Dogs use it to invite people and other dogs to play; it’s thought of as a play-pant rather than a dog laugh. Several animal species have been observed to play-pant, including primates. Dog play-pants are combined with non-threatening body language that begs you to play, like play bows, paws reaching out to you, or teasing jumps in your direction.
Animal behaviourist Patricia Simonet at Sierra Nevada College recorded dogs making this play-pant sound and discovered that it had a broader range of frequencies than typical dog panting. She concluded that this meant it could be considered a type of dog laugh.
Simonet then played the dog laugh recordings to puppies and noticed that when they heard the noises, they got very animated. The recordings also seemed to calm dogs in dog shelters.
Do Dogs Really Smile?
Dogs don’t necessarily smile the same way people do. The secret to deciphering a dog’s “smile” is to observe the body language that goes along with it.
If a dog is genuinely smiling, he or she will relax their posture and facial muscles. A submissive grin looks different than smiling and baring of teeth and tends to resemble the human smile.
But be cautious if your dog is acting aggressively and showing his or her teeth. Although it may appear to smile, it is typically accompanied by growling, a stiff posture, and raised neck or back fur.
FAQ
What does it mean when a dog smiles at you?
But it’s actually a not-so-common behavior called submissive smiling. A dog’s way of saying, “I just met you, but I humbly respect you,” is to smile submissively. They convey their desire for friendship to both humans and other dogs by using the submissive smile instead of engaging in combat.
Do dogs like to be smiled at?
It is undeniable that dogs adore hearing their names called out when they behave well. According to recent studies, dogs’ facial expressions change when people gaze or smile at them.