As of June, 2021, there are 197 breeds recognized by the AKC, and only two have the word, “melting” appear in their breed standard. Can you guess which two?
They are the English Cocker Spaniel (Expression: Soft, melting, yet dignified, alert, and intelligent) and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel (The sweet, gentle, melting expression is an important breed characteristic).
We don’t know what advantage “melting expression” offers these two breeds, but a study published in Scientific Reports last year reported that a dog’s facial expression is based on the level of attention s/he is getting from a human being. The study involving twenty four dogs of various breeds and ages found that dogs were more than twice as likely to make facial expressions while someone was paying attention to them, and “puppy dog eyes” (or melting expression?) was one of the most common displays. The study is important, if not groundbreaking, because it showed evidence for the first time that facial expressions can be used actively to communicate in a non-primate species (Affenpinscher owners have long been treated to their breed’s “monkey-like facial expression). Scientists had previously believed that a dog’s facial expression was involuntary, but this study lead by Juliane Kaminski at the Dog Cognition Centre in the UK was the first to find that dogs move their faces while responding to human attention.
Expression is an important aspect of breed type in many breeds; from the “almost human expression” of the Brussels Griffon, and the “soft, wise expression” of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, to the “frank, questioning and confident expression” of the Briard. Almost every breed standard refers to expression, and we say “almost” because some breed standards don’t mention expression at all. Not surprisingly, two of them are the Puli and the Komondor, both corded breeds, and neither of which uses “eye” to do their job. In the case of the Puli, expression isn’t critical in a show ring not because a Puli’s eyes can’t be seen through its head coat, but because a Puli simply isn’t interested in anyone other than his or her owner or handler – thus, its folly for a judge to elicit any kind of expression from a Puli with interesting mouth noises.
Breed type aside, the aforementioned study suggested that expression is a mechanism of communication, and eyes aren’t the only aspect that come into play to project an expression. While eye color, the wrinkling of a Boxer’s forehead, and the positioning of ears are all elements that contribute to expression, it’s quite startling to realize how much can be conveyed just through a pair of eyeballs. Squinting, the “stink eye,” a whale eye, a hard stare, and purposefully enlarging the eyes when being looked at, as the researchers discovered, all convey a multitude of meanings and emotions, and engaged owners rarely fail to recognize the message.
Image of an English Cocker Spaniel puppy