Jump to content

Smiling


koalathebear
 Share

Recommended Posts

Smiling from what I have been told is a recessive gene so if the dog hasn't inherited the genes you can't teach that grin. My last dally was a big smiler and would smile on command but my present dally doesn't smile but does woo woo on command :thumbsup:

Google dalmatian smiles - they are the best smilers.

ETA the dallies that I have owned that have smiled have started doing it quite young.

Edited by Janba
Link to comment
Share on other sites

:thumbsup:

Micro-shaping? I saw a video at the APDT conference of micro-shaping dolphins to blow bubble rings. They do it naturally on occassion and someone snapped a bunch of photos of them and then everyone wanted to see bubble rings and the trainers were told to deliver or else. So they first captured the dolphins spitting water above the surface, which they do naturally, then they started cueing spitting underwater. To get the bubble, they had to get the right shape of the mouth. They shaped the dolphins to squeeze the edges of their mouths by marking any little muscle twitch in the right direction. Then voila, bubble rings. Insanely complicated training, but at least the crowd was happy, even if they didn't appreciate how hard it had been to bring them bubbles.

It'd be way easier to capture, though. :eek: Erik does something a little like that when he gets super into a tug game or clicker session, but with mouth open.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think Sam&Saki taught her Akita to show her teeth on cue. I don't know how she did it, but it's pretty cool. :dancingelephant: Kivi almost never shows his teeth. And he's not very good at micro-shaping. It's not easy for a dog with his head in the clouds. :birthday: Maybe I should try to teach him just to give myself a challenge. :dancingelephant:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

dally's do seem to be the best, there was a vet nurse i knew of that smoked and her dog hated it so much she would bear her teeth and then she cued it a few times but i wouldn't be using smoke in a dogs face to cue it. it was cute though.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

True smiling has the appropriate body language as well... wriggly bum , 'soft' eye expression, good eye contact with us , etc .. it is really a happy expression !We have had a couple ,over the years .. no training, they just did it .. there was no tongue out .. it was purely a grin ...and absolutely no mistaking the intention ! (except for folks who had never seen it :) )

I just found

Now THAT's a smiley dog :o :p
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
My old Dobie used to do it, but not on command and only for me. It seemed something she would do when she was really happy to see me. I miss her smiles now!!

My old poodle used to do it too, and I would point my finger at her when she offered a smile and she had it on cue in no time. Have not had as much luck with my pointers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Another dally owner here, I can't get Cleo to smile on command but I know that if I hold certain things up to her, she will smile.

She has 2 different smiles though, one is "i'm happy to see you!" when we get home from work, it's the full works - wiggly bum, huge grin etc. Its a smile that you could never be scared of because you'd be :rofl: at her bum!

Then there is her, "oh no" smile when I try put her sunscreen on (has bitters to stop her licking it off so she doesn't like the taste), or the Epi-Otic in her ears....or when she's in trouble and she knows it! Just caught her trying to steal my shoe that I accidentally left outside....I say "oi!" and she drops it, when I come to pick up the shoe she comes back smiling with her head down like "I didn't mean it mum!" ...it's very funny to see.

I say the word "smile" when she does it, but no active capturing. She does it so much anyway that I don't worry about it...I can always just pick up the epi-otic!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

True smiling has the appropriate body language as well... wriggly bum , 'soft' eye expression, good eye contact with us , etc .. it is really a happy expression !We have had a couple ,over the years .. no training, they just did it .. there was no tongue out .. it was purely a grin ...and absolutely no mistaking the intention ! (except for folks who had never seen it :) )

I just found

Now THAT's a smiley dog :o :p

Thats sooo cool :thumbsup: Thanks for sharing persephone.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not sure if you'll be able to train a non smiler to smile but my grandparents beagle X corgi was a big smiler and when he visited he 'taught' my Labrador to smile! My Lab stopped the behaviour soon after my grandparents dog left.

eta. I see now this is quite an old thread, oops!

Edited by FHRP
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...