The Shadows Of Their Smiles

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, Kansas City

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, anxious, sick, or out of breath from exercise or excitement.

There’s no harm in your imagining that Holly smiles. Your dog is over-the-moon to welcome you. She’s small and there’s only so much room in that body to contain her exuberance. She breathes hard to let out all that steam.

After Dog Lady’s dog runs around in the park like a madman chasing squirrels, he looks like the grinning Cheshire cat in Disney’s “Alice In Wonderland.” The facial expression may be just his way of saying he’s hot and tired, but Dog Lady sees a brilliant smile.

Posted by Dog Lady at April 1, 2004 04:19 PM