h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ah but... and there is always one! As the owner of 7 dogs and someone who judges and competes in dog agility ... a dog showing it's teeth at you is not necessarily one to be avoided. Quite a few dogs are able to mimic a smile and border collies are particularly good at it. Not all border collies can smile however and other breads have been known to be able to smile at you (terriers are a good example)

Another example of a type of dog that smiles at you is the Keeshond... well, at least mine does. This dog (and possibly the breed) is against most of the classification in this article, it smiles when happy, rarely barks, and does not keep its tongue out side of its mouth. It also has a hard time wagging its tail.

You can add Boxers and Ladbradors to the smiling list.

I meant Labradors.

Must be the keyboard.

My Longhaired Dachshund smiles, along with her doxie "happy dance", and a tail that wags so much I wonder why it did not fall off years ago.

Hi Mallard

My Yorkie smiles, often to distract me from telling her off when she's been up to mischeief, and it usually works.

Emmily

I have a cross (oh yes he is..) bred Lab/Belgian Shepherd who only smiles in his sleep.. This could be the effecy of gravity, but I choose to interpret it as him catching the pensioner he seems to be chasing....

Add English Pointer to the list of dogs that smile. Mine always has an inane teethy grin when I come home and he greets me. It certainly puts visitors off when they think he is baring his teeth, but it is definitely a submissive happy gesture in our dog.

Of course dogs smile - usually with their mouth open, their tongues hanging out, an a soppy expression on their faces! Mine has lost a couple of front top teeth so she looks even soppier than usual now