Owner Marueen Ravelos says that her dog, Riley, is more like a person than a dog. That can certainly be said of his expression, as this bichon frise/poodle mix’s contented grin at a birthday party is eerily similar to the grin of a person. Granted, it’s a person after a visit to Marijuana University, but a person nonetheless!
Maureen says of Riley, “Riley always makes faces like this, and that’s the best part about him. He gives you a new facial expression every time that you forget he’s a dog.” People tend to anthropomorphize their pets, but I can see she makes a great point with Riley’s expression in that photograph.
Here’s the question: is it cute or creepy? For me, it’s creepy. This is the kind of expression someone might make while hiding out in the bushes in front of a sorority, or the leer of a dirty old man at the bus stop. There’s not much cute about this; this is the kind of birthday smile that is frequently accompanied by someone shouting, “Bring out the stripper!”
Tags: Riley, Smiley Riley, dog with a human smile, dog with human expressions, unusual animals, pets, Maureen Ravelo, San Jose, California, Bichon Frise, Poodle