It took this Dalmatian three years to learn to smile so please appreciate it
Pet owners love to teach their dogs new tricks. Run, jump, roll over. All the classics. Teaching a dog to smile isn't one of the classics, but maybe it should be.
This week, Rachel Ebel posted a picture of her Dalmatian, Griffin, on Reddit showing off his smile. Ebel, a photographer from South Dakota, had the idea to train her dog to smile after learning it was a unique trait to the breed.
"I spent absolutely ridiculous amounts of time cruising the #dalmatiansmile hashtag on Instagram, immediately deciding it was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen," Ebel said in an email.
"He loves learning new tricks though, and is always very eager to show them off," she said. "And as a photographer, I thought it'd be especially fitting to have a dog that could 'smile' for the camera."
It was a long hit-or-miss process to train the dog.
"Ever since he was a puppy, I'd make a point to praise him anytime I noticed it," she said.
It was only just a few days ago that Griffin unexpectedly flashed his smile during playtime, and now Ebel says he's a complete pro. And although it's nice to see a happy, smiling dog, it's admittedly a little bit creepy. And Ebel already knows that.
"It's definitely a face that causes some strong reactions," Ebel said. "Most find it hilarious, but I suspect a few are low-key terrified."
Back on Reddit, the reactions to this smiling Dalmatian were just as funny as the photos themselves.
Smiling snarl aside, Griffin definitely is a good boy. And a photogenic one.
Whether it's cute or creepy, what makes Griffin smile the most?
"When I come home after a stretch of travel or an especially long day," Ebel said. "The longer I've been away, the bigger the smile."
Topics Animals
