Ask Dog Lady: Can dogs smile?
Dear Dog Lady, Can dogs smile? Whenever I come home from school, my dog Holly (a Pomeranian mix) always has her tongue out of her mouth and wags her tail a lot. She’s a very social dog. Can dogs really smile or do they just pant to maintain homeostasis? Kimberly Dear Kimberly, You get an “A” for spelling “homeostasis” correctly and for using it in a sentence. Now, let’s try to get another high mark in understanding Holly’s smile. When you come home from school, Holly is happy. She wags, which is a dog’s best way to express joy. When Holly pants and her tongue hangs out of her mouth, she appears to have a smile on her face — as do all dogs. Technically, she is experiencing a bodily adjustment — homeostasis — and not an emotional response. Dogs pant when they are hot, thirsty, excited, exuberant, anxious, sick or out of breath from exercise. A dog’s facial expression may be just his way of saying he’s hot and tired, but we see a brilliant smile. There’s no harm in imagining Holly smil
