Dog Trick Fun: Teach Your Dog to "Pout"
Our trick teaching fun continues with pout. Pout means your dog places his chin on the floor and holds it there! We teach this command without luring.

Our trick teaching fun continues with pout. Pout means your dog places his chin on the floor and holds it there! Normally I give this command when my dog is in a down position or a play bow position. I even give this command when my dogs are balancing on doggie bosu-like exercise discs! When I did agility, sometimes I would ask my dog for this head-bob behavior at the bottom of the teeter-totter to help my dog slow down and not catapult off the see-saw!
We teach this command _without_luring our dog with a treat in front of his nose. Instead, weâll have the dogs _offer_us the behavior or a portion of the behavior and then gradually increase our criteria until the dog does the whole behavior. Grab your treats, your clicker (or you can say âyesâ) and your dog and head to the living room or somewhere ârelaxing.â Also, a semi-tired dog is much more likely to just offer you a âpout.â
Wait for your dog to lie down. Do not say âdown.â You may have to wait several minutes and you may want to quarantine your dog into the living room with you with baby gates so he canât trot off to find more exciting things. When he lies down, click (or say âyesâ) and deliver a treat between his front two paws. Putting the treat between his two front paws while he is still in a down position will encourage your dog to head-bob down.
Your dog is still relaxing in the down position. Now youâll wait for something moreâŚyouâll wait for him to drop his head down just an inch. Click the instant his chin starts to move toward the floor. Click and quickly drop the treat between those front paws. Repeat - but each time wait for your dogâs chin to be closer and closer to the floor before you click. Some dogs may just put their entire head down on the floor because itâs comfortable and relaxing and how they usually nap â thatâs just fine â click and deliver the treat on the ground between the front paws!
Eventually your dog will figure out this new, fun puzzle! The puzzle is, âHow do I make the treats happen? What did I do so I can make it happen again!â After your dog is repeating his âchin on the floor equals a treat between my pawsâ behavior every time after he is done chewing his treat, itâs time to add the verbal command âpout.â Say âpoutâ before your dog lowers his chin. The second the chin hits the floor, click and deliver the treat (you know where!).
Over time, wait one second, then two seconds, and then three seconds before clicking when the chin hits the floor. This will build your dog holding his âpoutâ position. Why do we want the dog to hold the pout position? Itâs cute and it makes for great photo opportunities â especially if all the dogs in your household pout at once for the photo!
I did wait 11 minutes for my dog Cannon to offer me a full pout (chin on the floor) command when I was teaching him â I had the TV on and just waited patiently!

Jasey Day holds the Certified Canine Fitness Trainer (CCFT) credential through the University of Tennessee. She is a member of the Bobbie Lyons K9FITteam - a team of compassionate canine fitness instructors who actively teach others and continually expand their own knowledge. Since 2004, Jasey has taught a variety of workshops and classes on the following: Puppy, Canine Good Citizen/Family Pet, Advanced Family Pet, Canine Fitness, Canine Swimming, Rally, and Agility. In addition, Jasey has earned over 60 titles in Dock Diving, Agility, Rally, CGC and Trick Dog. Jasey has worked full time for the American Kennel Club since 2007 and teaches at Care First Animal Hospital in Raleigh, NC. Jaseyâs Labrador Retrievers spend their free time hiking, training, and snuggling with Jasey.
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