Thank you for your great replies but...I should have been more clear. My fault. Sorry people : I'll rephrase the question:

Do you think our dogs recognize facial expressions, such as a smile, when it is NOT accompanied by anything else whatsoever...no sound from us, no other body language, no gestures of any kind??

What Anne mentioned about eye movement is something the dog was taught. What some others mentioned were smiles accompanied by other movements, gestures, pats or treats.

Here's an example and I want to preface it by saying my household is one that we all laugh and smile - a lot!! So the smile is something the dog sees several times a day maybe making it possible for him (through repetition and therefore recognition) to put 2 + 2 together. I just don't know so here's an example:

I'm reading the newspaper and the dog is lying on the floor in the same room minding his own business when he suddenly decides to get up and do something bordering on fresh but funny (walks over to shoes laying on the floor and picks it up in his mouth and stares at me, taunting me to play with him). If I smile and make no other sound or movement, do you think he'd recognize this moment as "Gee, she's OK with my taking the shoe to play"? Or, he picks up his own toy and stares at me and is looking outrageously adorable and I smile, does he recognize this gesture of mine as something positive? Does he recognize it at all or is he looking for something else? Does he even recognize that my face has changed?

I think dogs do pick up on that; however, I think we never just smile, we present other subtle clues we may not even be aware of, but a dog can pick up on.

I wouldn't know about submissive dogs. I do know high drive dogs will easily go over the top if our reward is too stimulating, such as high pitched, loud over animated praise.

How to give our dogs "non-verbal praise" in a way that is trial acceptable, has been really fun here. Dave has many tools in his bag of tricks that he has learned from Bernard.

Positive facial expressions is one of them!! Everyone is encouraged to put a positive facial expression on their face for good performance. That is one of many subtle ways to *praise* your dog, without losing points (for SchH sport).

Judy, I don't think your question was stupid at all. I assume everyone on this forum is here to learn and share information.
Therefore, there are no stupid questions as long as they are asked in good faith.
I read somewhere that dogs learn to smile by imitating people. Wild dogs do not express themselves with what has been interpreted as a smile. My dog diffently smiles when she gets her belly rubbed. Therefore, I can only conclude that she is expressing, what she considers, a positive expression. So yes, I think my dog knows what emotion a smile represents.

I read somewhere that dogs have the unique ability to read the body language and facial expression that humans make, whereas wolves and other wild canids don't have this ability.

Pretty interesting stuff...

I have a papillion that winks back when I wink at him.I didn't teach him how to do it .I just winked at him one day and he winked back .He's been doing it ever since. Take that for what ever it's worth.

Ahhh, so they do recognize facial expressions! I'm glad I posted my question. Thanks guys. Very cool about the dogs vs. wolves thing. Also, very cool about the points not taken off for using positive facial movements during trials. Thanks everyone.

I read somewhere - I can't remember where, now - that dogs are the only animals genetically able to read our expressions and gestures.

For example, when you point, a dog will look (or go) in the direction you pointed. A cat will sniff your finger.

There have been scientific studies done to prove this is not the case with wild dogs (wolves/coyotes) and only with domestic dogs.

I have also read that dogs recognize a smile (probably because it mimics a calm open expression that dogs themselves use). I personally use it when I am training/practising the down/stay. My dog watches my face like a hawk, when I am smiling, he seems to know he is "doing the right thing". If I do not smile, or am distracted, and he is in the "learning phase", he will pop up or try to do his own thing.

Good info Angela. So, if you're correct, my dog doesn't recognize a smile from repetition, he recognizes it because he's wired that way?! I think that's pretty amazing!

When my male yaggo hears me laugh he gets excited , and like your dog Susan, on the field sometimes I have to just hold my self and smile only or Yaggo will go nuts.

Angela, I don't think a dog will look when you point unless you taught him that.I'll test that on my sons' dog and see if he'll look but I doubt it.They know in training that when you point something good is coming but look for just pointing alone, ?