Dog training can be hard work, but it’s also rewarding. You now have a best friend to play fetch with, one whom you can leave home alone for short periods or take on walks throughout the neighborhood without worrying about how they’ll behave.
Of course, sometimes training your dog can go a little bit beyond “sit” and “stay.” Have you trained your pup to return dog toys to their rightful spot (instead of leaving them at the bottom of the stairs for you to trip over)? What about their dog food — does it stay in their bowl or in their mouths, instead of sometimes scattered about the floor in their zeal to eat? And then there’s this cane Corso, who just might be the politest dog in the world.
Posted to the r/rarepuppers subreddit, this video features a dog who laps up its water in a refined, dignified sort of way and then — at its pet parent’s command — wipes its face on the nearby towel.
Redditors were amazed, to say the least, since most had pets that tend to make a huge mess of things. “My lab drank like a hippo and left a trail in her wake,” Redditor Major-Blackbird said.
User Twitter-isnt-News joked, “My dog wipes his face after drinking water also, except he does it on my pants leg.”
Redditor PamIllise agreed, noting that they don’t know where their border collie “stores so much water” for her “impressive water trail.”
And some pups clearly enjoy messing with their favorite humans. Redditor Sultanpeppers reported, “Need this for my ridgeback; he takes one last mouthful and slowly drops it all over the house.”
In short, pet parents would love to teach their dogs how to perform this genius trick.
How to teach a dog drinking water to wipe its face
Redditor adrianbull posed the question, noting that this training technique is “impressive.” User eatpraymunt theorized that this dog was taught a modified chin rest.
A chin rest is when dogs learn to rest their chin on your hand or a target of your choosing. It’s a valuable tool for a pet parent, particularly when you need your dog to hold still (say, if you’re applying eye drops, ear drops, grooming your pup, or need them to be stationary and calm at the vet’s office).
Once your dog has learned the maneuver, it wouldn’t be so hard to teach them to use a towel placed over their food bowl after taking a drink of water, as the pet parent in this video seemed to do.
When it comes to the commands you should teach your dog, we all know about sit, stay, and roll over. But if you dislike puddles around your dog’s water bowl, consider adding this neat little maneuver to your repertoire. Not only will it make for a cleaner house, but you’ve now taught your dog a trick that will delight guests and Instagram followers alike.
