According to research published in Scientific Reports dogs use facial expressions, but only in the presence of humans and only when the human is paying attention to them! The most common expression is “puppy dog eyes”, where the dog raises its eyebrows and makes its eyes look bigger. It is not known whether dogs do this on purpose or if it is a subconscious response. (see this article for more information)
Another study done by DogFACS showed that shelter dogs who gave humans “puppy dog eyes” were adopted more quickly. What about that guilty look that your dog gives you after doing something naughty? Researchers say that the dog is simply reacting to your emotions and is not really displaying guilt.
An article on dog expressions breaks down dog expressions as either being negative or positive. Let’s start with the negative expressions:
- direct eye contact with a dog you do not know
- “whale eye” where the whites of the eyes are showing
- a tightly closed mouth
- licking lips (when there is no food present)
- severe drooling may signal fear
Here are some positive dog expressions:
- squinting eyes
- mouth closed or slightly open
- look relaxed
- sleepy looking
It is important to be able to recognize these expressions often displayed by aggressive dogs:
- ears forward or back
- ears close to the head
- eyes narrow or staring
- snarling lips
owner-training a service dog 
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