KissDog gently licks your hand or face on cue
A gentle trick built on the nose target. Most dogs lick naturally. The skill is putting it on cue so it happens when asked and stops when not. Smear a dab of something tasty on the target spot to start.
Also known as: Smooch, Give Kisses
At a glance
- Tier
- 1 · Basic
- Time to fluency
- 1–2 weeks
- Practice
- 3× per week, 3 min each
- Equipment
- Small soft treats, Dog-safe peanut butter or cream cheese (no xylitol)
Prerequisites
Your dog should know these words first:
How to teach kiss
Lure
Dab a tiny smear of peanut butter on your hand or cheek
- A thin smear, not a glob. You want a lick, not a cleaning session
- Mark the first lick and reward with a treat from the other hand
- Reduce the smear over sessions until the dog licks a clean surface
- Keep it to one or two licks, not a face wash
Hand Signal
Point to your cheek or offer the back of your hand
- Present the target area and wait for the lick
- Mark and reward a gentle lick, ignore rough ones
- Offer the back of the hand if you do not want face licks
Verbal Cue
Say the word before presenting the target
- Say the cue, present the cheek or hand, mark the lick
- Fade the presentation so the word alone produces a gentle lick
- Only reward gentle contact, not frantic licking
Success criteria
- Unlearned
- Does not lick on cue (may lick randomly)
- In progress
- Gives a gentle lick on the word alone
- Mastered
- One gentle kiss on cue, stops after, even when excited
Common mistakes
- Rewarding frantic licking instead of a single gentle contact
- Using too much peanut butter so the dog expects food on the target
- Not teaching an off switch, so the dog licks constantly hoping for a reward