How Do I Differentiate Between Smiles
Basically, we have discussed that Golden Retrievers have three distinct smiles; the relaxed or panting smile, the tensed or aggressive smile, and the submissive smile.
Moreover, your dog’s smile is different from that of humans because they don’t always mean happiness as they can also mean other emotions like fear, stress, or pain.
Basically, there are 3 different types of dog smiles, but each of them can convey a different meaning depending on your dog’s body language and the situation itself.
So how can we differentiate between the three distinct dog smiles?
You should take note of the following meanings to each of the listed types in the previous category:
How Do Goldens Show Affection
Some Golden retrievers wag their tails, some lick your skin off and some just give you the ‘buddy’ look to show their affection. Some even prefer to surprise you by dropping unexpected things to your lap, starting from flowers to a dead mouse. Don’t forget, they think of you as fellow friends and therefore try to surprise with gifts that a fellow golden would appreciate in the first place.
The Whistle For A Walk
Such short lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home everyday. –John Grohan
The Goldens get happy on seeing their hooman with the prospect of a walk down the street. It brings smile on their face and gives them a chance to spend their pent up energy which otherwise would make them restless and cause behavioral issues.
have shown that walking dogs not just gives them a healthy life but decreases the risk of our heart problems and stress levels as well. A win-win situation for both, isn’t it?
How To Teach Your Golden Retriever To Smile
Golden Retrievers are very intelligent breeds because they could understand what their owners want. So, it is easy for the owners to train their Goldens.
But, it will take some time for them to understand and express the smile when you command them to do it. You may think that your Golden Retriever is too old to learn this, but it is the opposite.
Many say that it is essential to train a dog because your companion needs to be alert and active when it gets old. It is easy to train adult dogs because they are very energetic and less distracted.
Health Problems Your Golden Retriever May Have
Golden Retrievers have a life expectancy of around 10 to 12 years, but the oldest Golden to date is , who’s 20 years old. But it’s best to be prepared for the illnesses that your pet is susceptible to.
One of the best things about pedigrees is that you know what kind of health issues they might get. It’s an extensive list, but this doesn’t mean your Golden will inherit all these diseases.
What you can do to acquire a healthy pup is to find a reputable breeder, but we’ll get to that later.
Goldens have a reputation for developing cancer. Vets believe that it is inherited since they have a relatively high rate of getting the disease. The only way to avoid this is to look at your pup’s bloodline.
The other common problem that Goldens are prone to are hip and elbow dysplasia. This can cause lameness due to improper joint formation.
It’s usually exacerbated by fast growth, obesity, or high-impact activities.
While it can be painful, dogs who suffer from dysplasia may not always show any symptoms. It’s best to have your fido screened once he reaches two years of age.
Another joint-related problem is Osteochondritis Dissecans , which causes elbow stiffness.
Prevent health concerns like this with proper feeding. If your Goldie eats too quickly, he can also get Gastric Dilation-Volvulus or “stomach twist.”
Goldens who have cloudy eyes or abnormal discharge may be signs of Progressive Retinal Atrophy or juvenile cataracts that can cause blindness.
Should I Get A Female Or Male Golden
Males are bigger, and their boxy heads are more pronounced, which gives them a more huggable appearance. Marking and aggression could become a problem in intact males.
Females are leaner in comparison and can become quite clingy when they’re in heat. Aside from those slight differences, either gender will give you a calm and even-tempered Golden.
What Happens If You Cut Off A Dogs Whiskers
Cutting off a dog’s whiskers can seriously negatively impact your dog’s spatial awareness and ability to detect objects and movements nearby. Cutting off the hair with scissors will not hurt as the hair itself doesn’t have any pain receptors, but plucking the whiskers can be very painful as the base of the whiskers have many nerve endings.
Do Dog Groomers Cut Dog Whiskers
Unfortunately, many dog groomers trim the whiskers on long-haired breeds. Trimming the whiskers of long-haired breeds has become a common practice with many dog groomers, but it is a bad idea as discussed before.
The whiskers of long-haired breeds are as important as the whiskers on any other dogs, and just because they are a bit longer is not an excuse to trim them. Whiskers are more than hair and they serve important functions for the dog.
If you are going to take your dog to a groomer, make sure to ask them whether they’re planning on trimming the dog’s whiskers or not, and if they are, ask them to not trim your dog’s whiskers and to just leave them alone.
I’m not going to lie, I am not a big fan of groomers. I grew up with a few anxious dogs that didn’t like strangers touching them with sharp tools, so I had to learn to groom my dogs myself, and even though it does take quite a bit of practice, especially when you own large double-coated dogs like goldens, it is absolutely worth it.
If you have the time and energy, I highly recommend you learn to groom your dog yourself. It’s not easy, but it’s not brain-surgery-difficult either, and almost anyone can learn to do it.
To help you start, here is my guide on trimming golden retriever tail and feathers, and I have another guide here on trimming your goldns’ paws.
Why Isnt My Golden Retriever Fluffy
Most people expect when golden retrievers get their full coat they will be fluffy. If your golden retriever is still a puppy then they would not have their full coat as yet. However if you have a full grown golden retriever that’s not fluffy there can be a few reasons for this.
Grooming: Are Golden Retrievers High Maintenance
It depends on how well you maintain his coat. If you brush him once or twice a week, you can keep grooming down to 30 minutes per session.
Leaving your Golden’s coat untended for extended periods will lead to mats and tangles. This can be a nightmare to remove, and you’ll spend hours trying to get his coat gleaming again.
Properly groom your Golden Retriever by bathing him first to help loosen dead hair. When he’s completely dry, break out the slicker brush and run it thoroughly through his fur.
Overbathing can ruin his undercoat and encourage more shedding, so schedule showers once a month.
Don’t shave your Golden Retriever, as well. Their double coat has a purpose, and doing so wouldn’t minimize shedding.
Keep his nails trimmed. If it clicks on the floor, it’s too long. And don’t forget about the dewclaw. His ears also need to be checked regularly for discharge or mites.
Brush his teeth or give him a dental bone twice a week to prevent plaque buildup, which can cause bad breath and oral problems.
Belly Rubs And Scratches
Bellyrubs are great for Goldens in a lot of ways. It makes them comfortable, and make them socialize with your guests with ease. According to various research and dog behaviorists, Belly rubs and gentle stroking activate a neuron called MRGPRB4+ present in their hair follicles of dogs and even help in lowering their heart rate.
Some Goldens may not like it at all. Rather, they may prefer a gentle scratch behind the ears or any part of their body which they find hard to scratch by their paws. But once they get in the mood for it, Belly rubs and scratches would be your ideal bet to bring a smile on your retriever’s face.
Socialized Behavior: Do Golden Retrievers Learn To Smile
Not everything is genetics. There are some behaviors that dogs pick up or enhance due to growing up in a human household. If your dog can affect an extra happy expression and is rewarded, it will want to repeat that behavior. Golden Retrievers may smile submissively more or open their mouths wider when panting if it gets positive reactions out of their humans.
Yellow Retriever Or Russian Tracker
Russian Trackers look very much like a Golden. They share the same glamorous coat and build. This extinct pooch was much larger, though, weighing in at 100 lbs or more and standing at 30 inches .
Legend has it that these sheepdogs were so capable that they kept wolves at bay. They also didn’t need human intervention and were able to take care of their flock independently.
Paws Omega 369 Soft Chewable
These easy to server soft chews gives your golden retriever gives your dog not only all the omega fatty acid. Not only for a healthy coat, but skin joints and much more. My dog loves them and its easy to dispense, less word than pouring a liquid into the food. Also not is wasted if the dog doesn’t decide to eat all his food.
Do Golden Retrievers Get Attached To One Person
Yes, Goldens get easily attached to any person who has treats and Bellyrubs for them. Making them almost ineligible candidates as watchdogs. But yes, they form strong bonds with the person who feeds them and believe in spreading love equally irrespective of creed and caste.
All things said and remembered, Goldens are one of the most intelligent and social breeds making them valuable as therapy dogs, guide dogs, police dogs and family dogs.They tail waggingly shoulder the responsibility of the world on their furry backs and by bringing a smile on their goofy and sometimes smelly faces, we help them help us in making the world a safer, happier and golden place.
Reading Your Golden Retrievers Emotions From Their Body Language
After looking at how different body parts are used to express different thoughts and feelings, we now need to look at the dog as a whole.
We need to see how they hold their body in general, what postures they use as well as their facial expressions and tail to show how they truly feel.
The same facial expressions could have a very different meaning when read in conjunction with the general posture of their whole body.
As a general rule a dog can only really do three things with their bodies:
Depending on which of the three postures they assume, as well as adding on the facial expressions and the way they hold their tail, tells us quite accurately how they’re thinking and feeling.
So let’s list some of the more common emotions and how your dog uses body language to show these feelings:
Why Do Golden Retrievers Shed
Golden Retrievers have attractive and beautiful coats. But these coats are not just for show, they help the dog survive in different weather conditions. The undercoat adapting to changing weather is the main reason why Golden Retrievers shed so much.
Golden Retrievers shed the most in the spring and fall. In springtime, they are shedding off the heavy coats that protected them during the cold winter months.
In fall, they are shedding their lighter coats that helped them get through the summer heat and growing a denser coat to brave the cooler months ahead.
If you live in an area with a hotter climate your Golden Retriever will shed more. This is because they don’t really need a lot of hair to keep warm.
Related:Do Golden Retrievers Smile?
Is My Golden Retriever Smiling Because He Is Happy
We would like to believe that our fluffy, adorable Golden Retriever is smiling at us every chance they get because they are happy. But there is no real evidence to support if a dog is really smiling out of emotion.
Science is inconclusive on whether dogs really smile due to happiness. Since dogs cannot talk, they are exceptional at using non-verbal communication with their owners. They especially use eye contact to communicate.
I know as a Golden Retriever owner; I can tell when he is happy. This usually comes through many non-verbal cues. The wagging of his tail, the licking of my face, and jumping in my lap are all signs that he is happy. It is possible that some smiles could be due to happiness, but unfortunately, we just don’t have the data yet to say for sure.
Do Golden Retrievers Understand Our Smile
Many oftentimes dog owners have asked me this question “Does my dog really understand my smile?” And my answer is always the same for most dog breeds; yes, they do.
Not only that, the Golden Retriever is exceptional at understanding our body language in general and not just our smiles. All dogs are affected by our moods and in turn, our mood can affect the way they feel and behave.
As someone who has raised a fair share of dogs over the years, I always advise dog owners to develop a kind of connection with their dogs that is not just dependent on commands but is also very affectionate and kind.
Now that you know that your Golden Retriever can feel sad when you’re sad and can be happy when you’re happy, I feel you should act happy when you’re with your dog.
This would create a sense of peace and comfort in your dogs’ minds and would result mostly in a more relaxed and happy smile rather than an aggressive one.
How Your Golden Can Tell If Youre Happy
Researchers believe that dogs are able to understand human smiles. Because dogs were domesticated 20,000-40,000 years ago, being able to interpret human facial expressions has long been useful for them. Knowing whether the humans who feed and shelter you are happy or angry is a key survival skill.
Dogs are born with an ability to notice different facial expressions in other dogs. Through experience with their human owners, dogs can learn to recognize human facial expressions, as well.
When you smile at your Golden Retriever, they experience the same kind of happiness that you do when someone smiles at you. One study found that dogs are so good at recognizing the human smile; they can even look at photographs of humans and judge which ones are smiling.
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Did you ever look your golden and could swear that he is smiling at you? Like after a long day at the park, or when you two are simply chilling on the couch? In case you know what I am talking about, here’s the answer as to if they are really smiling.
First of all, the face expression of golden retriever’s looks so much like a smile. Also it is natural for us to assume our pet is happy, and of course mostly he is. But different smiles can display different emotions.
In order to understand your dog better have in mind that there are at least three different types of smiles a dog can have.
The panting smile means your Golden Retriever is hot or is in need of some water.
You can recognize this smile by your dog’s tongue is hanging, and he is panting. Panting and hanging out his tongue helps him to cool down.
Golden retrievers are not aggressive at all, and this kind of smile is incredibly rare to see on them.
He will pin back his ears and he will face the threat head-on, using a strong, confrontational stance.
You will see this smile when your dog is feeling threatened in some way or in confronted with an unfamiliar and unfriendly animal.
Your dog uses the submissive smile when he meets a more dominant dog or a person he does not wish to challenge.
The submissive smile looks a lot like the aggressive smile but with lack of eye contact. Your dog will look away and keep his head down.
Do Dogs Really Understand Smiles
There has been some debate whether dogs really understand smiles or not. Many believe that a dog will smile at you to appease you, or from learned behavior of how you have reacted when they have previously smiled. They have also seen you smile and might be copying what you do.
Dogs are always studying our actions on a daily basis to help better understand how we are feeling and our moods, along with understanding what is going to happen next in the day. Many believe that they learn from the cues we display how we are feeling.
Smiling would be one of the cues that dogs learn. When we are smiling, we are happy and dogs can quickly learn that. There was a study done in regard to understanding smiles by Live Science that discusses dogs being able to recognize smiling faces.
Being a dog lover and having owned 3 Golden Retrievers over the years, makes me a believer that Golden Retrievers understand smiles and understand how to give smiles back.
Golden Retriever Vs German Shepherd
The German Shepherd is bigger than a Golden Retriever. GSDs can grow up to 26 inches tall and can weigh up to 90 pounds .
Their wolfish look, coupled with their erect ears and low back, give them an intimidating appearance. But they also have thick coats which require as much grooming as Goldens.
German Shepherds are sharp creatures that rank as the 3rd most intelligent breed. This fido is a true working dog, and they’re more motivated by physical activity than treats.
Though they’re highly energetic, they’re one of the large dogs suitable for novice owners. So if you’re looking for a guard dog that doubles as a family pet, the GSD fits the job.
Proper training is crucial, though, as they may become overprotective.
How To Read Your Golden Retrievers Body Language
I think we can read this as ‘happy!’
Although your Golden Retriever sometimes ‘speaks’ in barks and growls, most of their communication is done with body language.
You just need to be able to decipher this language to understand the message.
And when you can read and understand Golden Retriever body language, it gifts you the ability to tend to their needs and change your behavior to suit their mood.
This will make you a far more attentive and caring owner, and make the relationship between you stronger as you can communicate so much more effectively.
Your dog will be able to see and feel that you understand them and they will love you all the more for it.
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Smiling Golden Retrievers That Will Melt Your Heart
Golden Retrievers are one of the most honest dog breeds you’ll ever encounter. They’re very friendly, loving, intelligent, and are a fabulous pet. And we discovered one more facf…they love to smile.
Do Golden Retrievers really smile at their dog-parents? Or is it a myth? Can dogs have emotions? Here are 20 pictures for you: look at them and will decide…
The Relaxed Smile Or Happy Smile:
The first on my list is the “Relaxed Smile” commonly called the Panting Smile. This smile represents a happy and relaxed Golden Retriever. This is definitely the type of smile all owners want to see in their Golden Retriever.
A relaxed and happy Retriever would display this happiness throughout their entire body. This results in a warming and soothing smile on the face of your Golden.
To identify this type of smile, your dogs’ mouth would be wide open and tongue sticking out. You’d also notice a more relaxed body language.
Panting could occur from the stuck-out tongue and that is why it is often called the panting smile as a result of this occurrence.
Golden Retrievers are a very happy and friendly dog breed so this is the most common type of smile they exhibit.
Do Golden Retrievers Have A Favorite Person
They do. And it necessarily doesn’t have to be the person who feeds them. Unlike some hound breeds and Rottweiler’s who bond strongly with one person, Goldens have a wider area of bonding. But when they find someone who makes them comfortable and has a calming effect on them, that person becomes one of their favorites.
Golden Retriever Vs Labrador Retriever
These two dogs are very similar, and people often have a hard time choosing between them. So, which is the better breed?
It’s hard to say because they share the same wholesome nature. are a tad bit stubborn and hard-headed.
If you’ve seen “Marley & Me,” it shows Labrador puppies having boundless energy and requires more attention. Because of that, they’re prone to separation anxiety and have strong destructive tendencies.
However, this hasn’t stopped the Labrador from being America’s top breed for 29 consecutive years.
One distinct feature that separates the two is their coats. Labrador Retrievers also have a double coat, but they require much less grooming.
Their fur is short and neat, with no feathering. They also come in three colors – yellow, chocolate, and black.
Labs also have slightly longer lifespans, capping on an average of 14 years.
Why Do Golden Retrievers Smile Their 3 Smiles And What They Mean
The worst moment in my day is when I have to leave home for work, because I have to say goodbye to my dog and then wait 8 hours before coming back to them, but this moment they welcome me back with a huge smile on their face is without a doubt the best moment in my entire day, and this is true for most days.
But wait, smile? Do they smile, really?
If so, why do golden retrievers smile? Golden Retrievers smile when they’re excited and they have three distinct smiles; the panting, aggressive, and submissive smiles. Dog smiles are different from human ones because they don’t always mean happiness as they can also mean other emotions like fear.
To fully understand your golden retriever’s smile, you will need to also take their whole body language into account.
To learn what are the three different smiles of golden retrievers and what they mean, keep reading…
Table of Contents
- Relaxed body language
- Panting
This smile is called the panting smile because it often is accompanied with panting. You can notice it after you’re done with a good exercise or during playtime.
The Meaning:
This smile often means your dog is happy and content. The panting is to help them cool down. The more you see of this gorgeous smile, the more your dog is enjoying their life with you.
You should aim to see this smile as much as possible by making their life as good as you can. You can check out these 20 tips to help your golden live a better and longer life here.
How Common?
Show Dog Vs Field Dog Variant
Aside from the Golden Retriever types, there are also between Goldies who are bred for the field to those who are bred to be show dogs.
Field dogs have a sleeker appearance. They’re more aloof with family members but are considered more intelligent.
They’re also smaller with less lavish coats because they’re more active since they’re meant to work. They sometimes come in a mahogany color, like the Red Golden Retriever.
Show dog Goldens are basically the prettier version since they are bred for the ring or conformation events. They look more like teddy bears when compared to field-bred Goldies.
They have the signature blocky heads and are generally more heavy set.