Has anyone taught their dog to smile?

[ramanth]

My great and uncle taught their poodle Pepper to smile. It was always a treat to see him do this whenever we'd visit.

What you would do is hold your index, middle finger and thumb together and point the three fingers at him and say 'Smile!'. Pepper would curl up his lips and show his teeth.

My uncle is deceased and my aunt had a stroke shortly after. She can't remember how they taught Pepper to do that. Neither do my parents.

I'd love to teach Kia this trick, either by saying smile or with fingers, or otherwise. Just not sure how to start...

Has anyone here taught their dog to smile?

For reference, I am NOT going for this kind of smile: (she does this all the time)


I'm trying to achieve THIS smile on command:




Teeth open or closed is fine. Pepper would close his teeth.

[Jadapit]

My hubby taught Diamond how to smile. He kept telling her "smile Diamond" all the time. One day she did it. She will only do it for him. It is so cute. I will have to get a picture of her smiling. I doubt this helped you at all.

[Flatcoatluver]

i know my freinds thaught there poodle how to smile, if anyone else doesn't know how on pt, i will call her and ask.

[ramanth]

LOL! Well at least I know it can be done! Pepper was the only dog I knew growing up that could do this.... then again, didn't have the internet either.

I was thinking of holding her lips up and saying smile when I do this. And if she held them up on her own when I said smile, I'd give her a treat. Think this would work?

[Jadapit]

I think that might work. Give it a try. Let us know when she smiles her first smile.

[finn's mom]

how fun! i wish i had some advice for you, but, i've been wanting to teach finn to smile on command too. but, not with teeth, he just curls up the corners of his mouth, it's so cute. but, i don't know how to really teach him to do it, either. good luck, i hope you're able to do it!

[vinjashira]

I remember Paula (lexi_lover) taught Lexi to smile

Here's the thread:
http://www.petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=83766

[lv4dogs]

I'd say that would work.

My great Aunt & Uncle had 2 yorkies who were taught how to smile. I don't know how they did it.

Kaige does it on his own, so do a lot of his relatives. He doesn't do it on command, I haven't taught it yet. Someday I will, we are mainly focusing on obedience commands at this time.

[ramanth]

Thanks vinjashira.

Here's my attempt at my sister's party last Saturday. *laughs*



Kia kept curling her lips at Seamus (behind her) and Andy would be too slow with the camera, so I re-created the scene.

[.sarah]

LOL That picture is hilarious!! (The one right above)

I think just lifting her lips up would work, although I would give her a treat even if she doesn't do it on her own. She'll associate "lift my lips - praise - treat" and then she'll do it on her own faster, most likely.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

Tango and Winston can both smile on command, it took a while to teach Tango though only because it wasn't a natural thing for her. Winston always smiles on his own just as most Dobes do so it was really easy to teach him to do it on command. I don't have any tips though.

[k9krazee]

I taught Shadow to smile on command, it took her a long long time...I just would get her to curl her lips, say smile, treat over and over and over again. Good luck!

[king2005]

I tought my old dog to smile, kinda. I called it, show me your teeth & kept saying teeth & poked his lip just under the nose.

Whenever we went to the vet he would clamp his jaws shut, if the vet touched his mouth. I don't know why he did that, he LOVED going to the vets office.

So I taught him teeth & used the command for fun aswell.. but he had to be sitting, otherwise he was tought NOT to show his teeth ever, unless angry.

Here are the only pics I have of him showing his teeth, he looked so evil.

I'm only posting small images, so I don't take over ur thread.

[ramanth]

Thanks for all the ideas and tips guys!

It's been a slow go. I picked up some soft treats and gave it a try this weekend.

Lets just say she's not getting it.

I said, 'smile', lifted her lips, and gave her a treat. Repeated this a few times. Then started to say smile without lifting her lips for her.

In response she gave me one paw, then two, then proceeded to bark at me and even did some growly talking.

I think this is going to take awhile....

[Toby's my baby]

Lol, that is so cute! Good luck! Sorry, I dont have any advice for you, but my neighbors have a bishon/ poodle, and it smiles when you come over, like when you walk in the door. He is SO cute when he does it! They didnt teach him though, he just does it when I go over there, and he only does it to people he knows that come over, its like he is welcoming them into his house!