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My dog smiles and shows his teeth. Is it a threat?

3 min read Updated on October 8, 2026

In shortNot necessarily. Many dogs “smile” when greeting their people: lips pulled back, front teeth showing, squinted eyes, a wiggling body and a low, sweeping tail. Often called a submissive or appeasement grin, it is a friendly greeting, not a threat. A threat looks different: the upper lip lifts up, the nose wrinkles, the body goes stiff and still, the stare turns hard, often with a growl. When in doubt, the whole body decides, not the teeth.

What it often means

  • A greeting: when you come home, he is saying “I am happy, I am not a threat”, often while wiggling, sometimes with a sneeze.
  • Appeasement when the mood is tense: a loud voice, a scolding, a hand coming from above. He grins with his head low and ears back.
  • A gesture we probably encourage: we laugh, speak softly and pet him when he grins, and some dogs then do it more and more.
  • A real threat, when the upper lip lifts up with a stiff body, often to guard an object or push a hand away.
  • Defensive fear: cornered, he pulls his lips back and up while backing away. That is not a smile, it is a “leave me alone”.

Signals to read at the same time

  • The direction of the lips: pulled back on a soft face is the grin; lifted up with a wrinkled nose is the threat.
  • The eyes: squinted, soft, blinking; or fixed and hard, or the whites showing as he turns his head away.
  • The body: he wiggles and approaches with his head low; or he is stiff and still, his weight forward or shifted back.
  • The sound: nothing, or sneezes and snorts; or a low growl, even a very quiet one.
  • The context: a greeting at the door, or his bowl, a bone, a corner where he is stuck, a hand on his body.

What you can do

  • Answer the greeting grin with a calm, brief hello, at his level and from the side: he settles faster than with a big fuss.
  • Never scold him for this grin: you would be punishing an appeasement signal, and he might learn to hide his signals.
  • Warn visitors and kids: you do not walk up to a dog showing his teeth, even if he is “smiling”; you let him come to you.
  • Film his greetings: in slow motion, the direction of the lips and the looseness of the body are easy to see, and you will have a reference if doubt creeps in.
  • If teeth show near his bowl, a bone or when he is touched, step back and leave him be: it is a warning, as in food guarding.

When to see a vet

See a vet if the teeth show when he is touched in one spot, lifted or handled around the head, or if a dog who never showed his teeth starts doing it: pain (teeth, ears, back, joints) often hides behind a new threat. Also see a vet if one lip stays lifted or droops on one side, or if he drools or chews on one side only: his teeth or a facial nerve may be involved. If the threats keep happening, a vet first, then a veterinary behaviorist or certified behavior consultant.

Frequently asked questions

My dog grins when he has done something wrong. Does he feel guilty?

It is not guilt. He reads your voice and posture, senses the tension and answers with an appeasement gesture. He does not necessarily link your mood to what he did. The grin is a request for calm: lower your tone rather than pushing on.

Can a dog show his teeth without growling and still mean it?

Yes. A silently lifted lip, with a frozen body and a fixed stare, is a full warning, sometimes the last one before an air snap. A 2018 review of dog communication sums it up: his visual, vocal and scent signals combine and have to be read together, in context. Step back without staring at him.

Do dogs really smile like we do?

Not exactly. The greeting grin is a dog signal, and nobody knows whether it copies our smile. A dog’s truly relaxed face is more of an open, soft mouth, with the tongue showing and the corners of the lips loose.

Sources

The studies this page relies on, with a link to the original publication.

  1. Siniscalchi et al. (2018). Communication in dogs. Animals.Review: dogs communicate through combined visual, vocal and scent signals, which have to be read together and in context.

Read next

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