My wife used to say that our Bichon Frise “smiled.” I never bought into the dog smiling thing. That is nothing but humans anthropomorphizing animals.
You are correct.
But look up smiling pitbulls.
They don’t apply.
I’d have one guarding my back. Hell...maybe I have 3. Named Eeny, Meeny, and Moe.
Yes, I read somewhere that’s it’s just the structure of the dog’s face that makes it appear they are smiling, regardless of breed. People just like to think they are being smiled at.