My Dog Never Smiles.

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This is a thing that I've had in the back of my mind for some time now, and I was wondering if people have any thoughts on it. It seemed a bit of a silly worry at first, but I can't stop thinking about it. I've had Grover for about 5 1/2 months now, and by all measures he's pretty settled into life with me in my apartment. But I've never seen him smile. By smile, I mean the happy doggy relaxed, open-mouthed, tongue hanging out kind of smile. Like this. This is a photo of him from pretty early on in his time in the county shelter.

I have never seen that smile in all the time that I have had him. He always holds his mouth closed and the only time it is open is when he is hot - even then it is definitely more of a panting-type open mouth. I know that he was in the shelter for about 4 months, during which he developed his reactivity toward other dogs, and his stress level was getting pretty bad by the end of his time there, which was why they transferred him to foster care via a local rescue (which is where I got him). It seems to me like he may have just become a more worried, less relaxed dog than before. I was just wondering if anyone has ever seen a dog stop smiling, or a dog start to smile after a time of not doing so. It just makes me a little sad whenever I look at that photo from the shelter, because I feel like he's lost a part of himself that used to be relaxed and happy. I want to know what I can do to bring back his smile. This is how he typically looks now:

He is happiest when there is a ball about. This is the happiest photo I have of him:

Status Not open for further replies. #1 · Dec 22, 2014 This is a thing that I've had in the back of my mind for some time now, and I was wondering if people have any thoughts on it. It seemed a bit of a silly worry at first, but I can't stop thinking about it. I've had Grover for about 5 1/2 months now, and by all measures he's pretty settled into life with me in my apartment. But I've never seen him smile. By smile, I mean the happy doggy relaxed, open-mouthed, tongue hanging out kind of smile. Like this. This is a photo of him from pretty early on in his time in the county shelter.

He is happiest when there is a ball about. This is the happiest photo I have of him:

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3 Sort by Oldest first Oldest first Newest first Most reactions #2 · Dec 22, 2014 A lot of the difference between a happy smile and a stressed 'smile' lies in face shape. For the more foxy-faced dogs, the two can look very similar. Dogs will also smile as an appeasing gesture. Some (assuredly happy and relaxed) dogs that I know and walk never really seem to smile. They just go about their adventures looking perpetually... mystified by everything.

#3 · Dec 22, 2014 I'm not so super sure about the body language of the dog (for me it sometimes seems like every dog speaks its own dialect), but the "smiling" picture looks a bit stressed to me. perhaps he also doesn't like photos. my boxer looked always frustrated and kind of sulky when I took out the camera or my cellphone. As long as you give your dog everything he needs (physical and mental excercise,food, water,a safe place in a loving family, affection), he's probably much happier than a lot of other dogs in this world. so don't feel like you're doing something wrong just because he doesn't show a "storybook"-smile. #4 · Dec 22, 2014 Grover is definitely a 'looks mystified by everything' dog. He has a slightly crooked lip that adds to that effect because it makes him look like this :/ I think he is generally happy and has a good life, which is why I thought it was a little silly to be concerned about this…but I still was. My concern was that it seemed like he used to smile but no longer does. @mathilda: What in the first photo suggests stress to you? I'm curious because I'm trying to learn how to pick up on the subtleties of dog body language. I've become pretty good at reading him from the back on walks because he is a reactive dog, but I don't get that much practice with his facial expressions. #5 · Dec 22, 2014 I've had Zody for 9 months now and I've never seen him "smile" like you describe. I know he's happy, he LOVES playing, will get excited, but the only time he'll pant like they do when happy and relaxed is when he's hot and I've only seen him pant because of that a handful of times. It used to make me sad because both of my previous dogs used to "smile", my terrier nearly all the time, but Zody is Zody and I had to except that. Zody will go down in a play bow, wearing what looks like the same expression he does when he's just laying around chilling. Then I figure it out, what Zody does is laugh, he'll open his mouth and make the exhaling sounds when he's happy and playing, he loves when I do it back to him. Maybe your dog does that rather then smile. Do Dogs Laugh? | Psychology Today Sound of Dog's 'Laugh' Calms Other Pooches - ABC News #6 · Dec 22, 2014 Not all dogs "smile". It's individual to dogs. However, 5 1/2 months may just not be long enough for your dog to feel comfortable enough to smile, if he does. My dog didn't start wagging his tail until 6 months. #7 · Dec 22, 2014 We've had Jax for eight months now and it's only in the last week or so we've seen him wag his tail and smile, pretty much exactly when I gave up all hope funnily enough! So my advice would be to take the pressure off, have fun and everything else will fall into place! X #8 · Dec 23, 2014 I know exactly what you mean. my dog Cookie does not like to have her mouth gapping open. She holds it closed as much as she can, even when it's hot, it takes a lot for her to pant. and I take her to run and play at the park and she runs around the house with the new puppy. But I guess she just doesn't like having her mouth open. #9 · Dec 23, 2014 <====You mean like this? This is Yogi waiting for me to throw the ball--"throw the ball, throw the ball, throw the dang ball now!". I've got it in my hand. I noticed that there was a ball in the first photo from the shelter, so probably a similar reaction. What does he do when you tease him with the ball? #10 · Dec 23, 2014 He gives me the most intense STARE + forward lean, like he's trying to will the ball out of my hand with his eye powers

No open mouth there - the seriousness and intensity of his ball face are pretty comical though. 0 Reply #11 · Dec 23, 2014 I thought Garp was broken until he was like 6 months old because he never, nor once, panted. Not broken, it turns out. #12 · Dec 25, 2014 Bennie doesn't smile like that, with her tongue hanging out or anything. She DOES lift her lips and bare her teeth like she's snarling with one side of her mouth when she's super excited to see us come home. So... "smiling" or signs of happiness are not going to be the same from dog to dog! Status Not open for further replies. You have insufficient privileges to reply here.

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