What is your first thought when you see this picture?
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Now, stop and look at it for a minute. Notice how his ears are drooped and relaxed, eyes are round, and his posture is relaxed into his owners arms. This dog isn't being aggressive, he's showing the submissive smile!
It's easy to tell when a dog is happy: ears up, tail wagging, relaxed pose, and possibly lots of wet, slobbery kisses. You wouldn't think you could confuse a happy dog with an aggressive dog, right? However, one signal that most probably aren't familiar with is called the 'submissive smile'. The display could easily be mistaken for aggression, if you're not familiar with the signs. I myself had never heard of this until just a few days ago!
The submissive smile is one way a dog will display that it means no harm, and that it is showing deference to a person, or more dominant dog. You could relate it to the E.T. movie line of "I come in peace."
Some tell-tale signs you can look for include:
- raised paw
- laid back ears
- lips pulled back loosely above the teeth
- eyes glancing off to the side
- relaxed posture
(The smile can also be done in an overly-exaggerated, excited motion.)
Watch this video of Denver, the guilty dog, and watch out at 1:18 to see his submissive smile!
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