Teach Your Dog To Smile

When you walk down the street and smile at a stranger, you probably get a smile right back at you. Maybe that's why most dogs eventually learn to smile on their own. Or maybe it's just because we humans amuse them.

In any case, smiling feels good and starts a chain of positive endorphin responses. Smiling is healthy for people. So why should smiling be any different for our canine pals? Samoyed dogs are the lucky ones. They're the dolphins of the dog world -- a smile is always plastered on their faces. But you can teach your pooch to smile, too.

One way to get your dog to smile is to get him excited about something -- anything. When you come home after being gone all day, repeat, "Want to play fetch?" or "Let's have dinner, let's eat!" Sound as enthused as you can. Your dog will at least open his mouth some, even if his lips don't yet pull back into a smile. When he does, just say, "Good smile!" and then take the ball and play fetch or give him the food bowl (or whatever your promised), all while continuing to repeat the world "smile."

Next time you do this, wait until your pooch makes an expression that's even closer to an actual grin before you offer the reward, and praise as you repeat "Good smile!" Eventually, you'll have a dog who will smile on command. Another way to get any dog to smile is to tell a good joke:

Two dogs were yelping at one another. One said, "You're crazy. You should go see a psychiatrist!" The other said, "I'd love to, but I'm not sure that I'm allowed on the couch!"

All right. Forget the joke idea. Here's something totally cool: Take your camera when all the family is visiting. Tell your pooch, "Now, smile for the camera!" And then, he does it! How impressive is that?

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