This is an article I wrote, after Prinz’s passing in 2023, for the “Versatility in Poodles” Newsletter.
Prinz’s Smile
By Treycie White
Prinz had a lovely dog smile that I had the privilege to see most every day that he was with me. He showed it to me first thing in the mornings when he would stretch out and then get playful, when we were working in the obedience ring or in the field or out hunting or after a rowdy round of playing with his canine friends, or in the evenings when we were just chilling out together and he would cuddle up to me, and on so many other occasions. I tried to give him a good life, and he was truly a happy boy.
At the beach
But Prinz had another smile, a “submissive grin” as it is sometimes called, that was more unique among dogs. He did not feel the need to show it to me. I was his pack leader, you see, and he was not concerned about intimidating me. He would show it to people who he felt were uneasy about him when he did not want them to be. It was his way of letting them know that they did not need to worry about him….the thing is, it sometimes had quite the opposite effect.
He must have been about three years old when I first noticed it with my ageing parents. They were not “dog people” and I had not owned dogs for long. I think he scared my Mom a bit, and that was when we first saw him flash that smile. His teeth being huge for a dog and bright pearly white due to the knuckle bones and turkey necks I gave him, it looked more like a sneer or grimace, and at first it put us all on edge. The more uneasy we became, the more pronounced his toothy smile became. As we watched his body language though……….tail wagging, making himself small we realized it was nothing to be concerned about and we all laughed, and Prinz relaxed. He was quite pleased with himself as we all petted and loved on him. After a quick round of googling, we realized what it was, and that he was trying to put my parents at ease by showing his submissive smile.
Prinz smiling his special smile for my Mom
Not everyone realized what it was, even among dog folks. Although I was not the recipient, I could see it reflected in the faces of people he showed it to. Some of them looked genuinely scared. I was warned by my obedience instructor that it could intimidate an unknowing judge, yet in his dozens of times in the ring and in hunting tests he never showed it to a judge. I suspect he had an innate sense of who was comfortable with him.
Not that he was submissive in other ways. He could be quite the alpha boy when out playing with his buddies or in new situations. He always trusted that I would have his back and that gave him confidence. On one particular occasion, he showed me his true soul. It was a rainy evening and we were just turning in for the evening. I had put some equipment near the front door and it was blown over by the wind, making an awful sound…………although I knew what it was, Prinz did not, and it really sounded like someone coming into the house. His body language changed, ears perked, eyes aflame as he mentally prepared himself to go defend his house and pack! I could see fear in his eyes, but also resolve. I walked with him to show him everything was OK………his heart was racing for a while……after that I never doubted that he would defend me to the death if he ever needed to, and I would do the same for him.
Once when we were out duck hunting, we wandered around in the flooded corn fields unable to find the duck blind. I was getting frustrated. Prinz jumped up and placed his paws gently on my equipment-laden shoulders and calmed me. This became his signal, his way of letting me know he needed to communicate something important. Locking our eyes together, we both just knew that everything would be OK. I grew to love that display, and to respect it, when he had something to tell me.
What a great sport he was when I brought Q into the household! He became the “middle dog” for a few months and then became “top tog,” a role that he enjoyed tremendously, though not without a few battles as they jockeyed for position. He taught Q how to play, how and when to back off, and so many other dog things, many of which he learned from his big Sis, Mary. He remained like a pup in terms of energy and personality until the very end. He was never to grow old.
Last beach trip, shortly before his death
A few weeks before his passing, he was running to fetch his ball on the beach, over and over and smiling as he returned it to me as if to say, “More, please.” At that point, he seemed to be going strong. One day shortly afterwards, he was running blind retrieves in training. I thought I noticed something with his eyes but a quick test indicated that he seemed to be seeing fine. When we woke up the next morning, he was completely blind! The journey to diagnosis finally revealed a nasal tumor that had invaded into his brain and was pressing on the optic nerve. Life expectancy from the time of diagnosis would have been just a few weeks. I kept him comfortable for a few days on predisone to relieve the swelling in the brain before it was time to say goodbye, while he was still reasonably comfortable. I was not going to let him suffer. He left this world with his head in my lap………..at our home………the vets who do this are truly angels. We were taking one last turn around our grounds when she drove up and, although blind, he greeted her with his big toothy smile as he wagged his tail and ran up to her led by sound and smell. Even in the end, he wanted to put our new vet friend at ease.
Prinz’s accomplishments in the dog world were many, but in the end, he was just my dog that I loved. I was blessed to have him for 10 years and have his offspring. I often see Prinz in his son’s eyes (more often the older he gets) but that smile was his alone. Rest in peace, my boy.
Cuddling up with my boys
