You probably give your dog multiple kisses a day. Want to teach him to return the favor? Here’s how!

There are several ways to teach your dog to give kisses on command. I will focus on two that I tend to have the best success with:

1. Bribe him with food

Find a food your dog loves that spreads easily – think peanut butter or yogurt. Place a small amount on the place you want your dog to kiss, such as your cheek. Bend down in front of your dog and say the command you want to use (kiss, kisses, give me some sugar, whatever you would like). When your dog licks the food off your cheek, praise him and offer an additional treat. Repeat while gradually decreasing the amount of food on your cheek until there is none. Also, start to switch up the reward you use (i.e. use affection instead of a treat). Eventually you will be able to give your dog the command and he will give you a smooch without being bribed!

2. Repetition

I don’t know about you, but I don’t really like putting food on my face. Luckily, you can teach your pup to give kisses without the use of food – it’ll just take some repetition. Present the part of your face you would like your dog to kiss while stating the command word/phrase you are going to use. It may take a few times before your dog will lick you, or he may do it right away – every dog is different. When he does give you a kiss, give him praise and a reward in return. Keep practicing until he gives you a kiss every time you ask!

Always remember that training is meant to be fun. If you aren’t having fun, then your dog probably isn’t either. Take a break and come back to it another day. And in the meantime, don’t stop kissing your dog!