There's a big debate on that one.
Some say they're showing submission, or they just happen to lift up the corners of their mouths when panting, and we're just interpreting it as a human-like expression of joy.
Others say that yes, absolutely, goldens truly do smile. Certain breeds have closely co-evolved their behaviors in tandem with those of humans.. We feel the same emotions and mirror each other as we express those feelings.
What do you think? Please leave your thoughts in the comments.
I think most dogs and some cats do smile at a human they like. Dogs are easy though, compared to cats whose 'smile' with eachother is a slow blink. I have learned to smile with a closed mouth at my cats (showing teeth is a threat with them) and now dogs look at me funny, like a closed mouth smile is unnatural to them.
ReplyDeleteAll dogs can smile. Their facial structure is just different from human, which makes it hard for humans to recognize as a smile automatically. One can learn to detect dogs' facial expressions with some practice, though. (Same with cats, rats and basically any other mammal with enough facial motility - all mammals share the same set of facial muscles and instinctive reactions involving them, apparently it developed early in their evolutionary history.)
ReplyDelete