Many owners believe dogs naturally smile, but in fact, this is not the case. Although dogs can feel joy and happiness, they do not necessarily show it through subtle expressions. If you want your dog to learn to smile showing its teeth, the owner needs to patiently train and guide it. So, how to train dogs to smile showing their teeth? Regarding this question, we will share training methods below. Let’s take a look together.

1. Treat the Dog with Kindness

How to train dogs to smile showing their teeth? To make the dog smile, first, the owner should always treat the dog kindly during daily interactions. Only this way can the dog feel valued by the owner, and at the same time, its mood will become very good, which builds trust in the owner. If the owner treats the dog too strictly every day, the dog’s mood will be poor, making it difficult to smile.

2. Maintain a Smile Without Showing Teeth

Besides treating the dog kindly, you also need to train or play with the dog frequently. No matter what you are doing, the owner should always maintain a smile. Here it is important not to show teeth because dogs may interpret baring teeth as a sign of aggression. This will trigger resistance, and naturally, the dog won’t learn to smile. Maintaining a smile without showing teeth can also attract the dog to imitate the owner.

3. Help the Dog Smile Showing Teeth

Many dogs cannot immediately make the smile showing teeth gesture at the beginning. At this time, the owner can use their thumb and forefinger to help the dog make a subtle movement, hold this movement for a while, then encourage the dog to make the smile showing teeth gesture. If it succeeds, the owner should promptly reward it. This way, the dog will understand that smiling brings rewards and will be very motivated to do this action.

4. Repeat the Training Process

Training a smile showing teeth cannot be mastered in just a day or two; it requires repeating the above process continuously. This training can be done several times a day. How long it takes to master this skill mainly depends on the dog's learning ability. No matter the speed of learning, maintain good patience and prepare extra treats as rewards every day. Naturally, the dog will master the smile showing teeth gesture.

Above are the methods on how to train dogs to smile showing their teeth. Have you learned them? Actually, training a dog to smile is not difficult; just be persistent in repeating the practice. Keeping a good mood and smiling at your dog every day is the key to success.