Behold a famous feature of this breed! The Lancashire Heeler smile is a unique characteristic of the breed. When they are happy or content, these dogs are known to draw back their lips that look like a human smile. Sadly, breed owners had little to smile about in 2003 when the breed was placed on the Endangered Breeds list of The Kennel Club in the U.K.  In 2018, only 112 dogs were registered in the country of origin,  and when breeds have 300 or fewer registrations each year in the UK, that puts them in the vulnerable breeds category.  All the more tragic when one learns that the Lancashire Heeler is known to have existed in the 1600s, and all the more baffling in the face of this being a happy, fun loving breed that gets along well with people, other dogs, and smaller pets. Lancashires easily adapt to different situations with boundless enthusiasm, but that said, these are dogs that need to have a job, even if it’s only to hunt vermin. On that score, they rank among the best.

LH owners, if you have pictures of your dogs smiling, share!!

Photo by Johanna Frid