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Does your dog leave a trail of drool after every big drink of water? Teaching your pup to wipe their own mouth can help with those post-drink messes.
In fact, some dogs even figure out a version of this on their own. For example, a couple of clever setters would wipe their faces on the carpet after meals or drinks.
Continue reading this guide to learn how to teach your dog to wipe their mouth after drinking water.
Just like all other dog tricks training step by step, you need patience, consistency, and lots of positive reinforcement to train dog to wipe mouth. Let’s get into it!
How To Teach Your Dog to Wipe Their Mouth
Step 1: Preparation
You need to choose the right equipment and environment before you begin training these cool easy dog tricks to increase your chances of success.
A highly textured towel, such as a microfiber cloth or a shag bath mat, is one of the key items you will need. This texture helps stimulate your dog to rub against it.
To make it one of the best tricks to teach your dog, we recommend avoiding smooth cotton sheets that do not offer enough friction.
You also need a supply of high-value treats that are small and smelly, like tiny pieces of cheese, boiled chicken, or freeze-dried liver.
Do not use their regular kibble for this, because you need your furry friend to be very motivated.
Pick a quiet room with no distractions for your first few sessions. The kitchen or living room floor should work well for most people.
Lay your textured mat flat on the floor or, if you have a larger dog, place it on a low, stable surface so they can reach it comfortably without straining their neck.
Step 2: Make the Towel Interesting
All fun tricks to teach your dog should have a fun component. For this, you can make the towel one. Fold your mat or cloth over a few times and tuck some of those treats inside the layers.
You want your dog to push their nose into the fabric to find the food. That rooting motion is the foundation of the wipe behavior we want to build.
Let them eat whatever they find. This teaches them that interacting with this towel leads to a reward.
Repeat this little treasure hunt five to ten times until your dog is excited to investigate the folds the moment you put the towel down.
Step 3: Mark the Moment
Now you need a way to tell your dog exactly when they got it right. This is where a ‘marker’ comes in. It can be a mechanical clicker or simply a short, clear word, such as ‘yes.’
The instant your dog’s nose touches the towel to find that treat, say ‘yes.’ You have to be precise here. You want to mark the exact second contact happens, not five seconds later when they are chewing.
This tells your dog that the specific action of touching the towel is what earns the reward. Keep playing the hiding game, but focus on keeping your timing sharp.
Step 4: Shape the Movement
Now you need to refine the action. Instead of rewarding a simple nose poke, start looking for that side-to-side motion on this cool dog tricks to teach your dog.
Similar to other easy dog tricks to teach, you need to wait just a split second before marking when your pup pushes their nose in.
Often, if they can’t reach the treat immediately, they will naturally nuzzle or rub their snout back and forth to work the folds open.
That rubbing motion is exactly what you are after. The moment you see their head move across the fabric, say ‘yes’ and drop a treat.
If they just sniff without touching, we recommend you wait. If they try to paw at it, you can ignore them for a moment. Focus on rewarding only the muzzle contact that moves along the towel.
Step 5: Name the Behavior
Once your furry friend is consistently rubbing their face on the towel, you can give the action a name.
One of the most useful dog hacks is to introduce the verbal cue only when you are confident that they are ready to perform the move.
As they lower their head to rub, you can say the chosen word, ‘wipe,’ ‘clean,’ or ‘napkin,’ all work well.
Say the word, let them do the action, then mark and reward. With repetition, they will learn that the cue ‘wipe’ is the signal to perform that specific rubbing movement.
Avoid repeating the command over and over if they hesitate. Say it once, wait for them to act, and then reward them generously when they succeed.
Step 6: Move to the Water Bowl
Once your dog has mastered wiping on the floor of your quiet room, take the towel and place it next to their water bowl.
Changing the location can sometimes reset their progress, so be patient. You might need to hide a treat in the folds again just to remind them how the game works in this new spot.
This is an important step because it links the wiping behavior to the area where dog drinking water usually creates a mess.
Step 7: Perfect the Timing
This is often the most difficult step because it requires you to be there for every water break for a few days. You need to teach them when to use the skill. Watch your dog closely.
The exact moment they finish drinking and lift their wet head, give your ‘wipe’ command and point to the towel.
If they respond and rub their face, give them a jackpot reward, which can be three or four treats at once.
You want to make it very clear that the sequence of drinking, then wiping pays off significantly, and it makes you happy.
On the downside, if your furry friend ignores you and walks away dripping, you should avoid scolding them.
Just clean it up and try again next time. You are trying to build a habit where finishing a drink automatically triggers them to look for the towel.
Step 8: Fade the Lure
Up to this point, the towel has been serving as a food wrapper. Now, you need to change things up. Present the towel empty. Give your verbal cue and ‘wipe.’
If they go for it and rub their face against the fabric without a hidden snack to guide them, mark it immediately and deliver a treat from your hand.
This shift is crucial. It teaches them that the towel itself is the interesting thing, and it’s not just a treat wrapper. If they hesitate or stare at you, you might have rushed the process.
You need to go back to baiting the folds for a few repetitions to rebuild their confidence, then try the empty towel again.
Step 9: Maintain the Habit
Once your dog learns the habit by automatically rubbing their head for the towel after drinking water, you now need to cut back on the rewards.
Remember, this should be one of the easy tricks to teach your dog, so it should be done as a game and not a chore.
You can start giving a treat only every third or fourth time, or save the rewards for the most enthusiastic wipes.
However, be mindful of their attitude. If they start avoiding the water bowl or seem hesitant, you might be applying too much pressure.
Watch for subtle stress signals like yawning or lip licking. Knowing when to pause is one of the most ignored puppy hacks, so we recommend you take a break if you see these signs.
Conclusion
Training your dog to wipe their mouth is one of those skills that seems impossible until suddenly it clicks.
Your dog might figure it out in a couple of sessions, or they might take a month of consistent reinforcement before the habit sticks.
The secret on how to teach your dog to wipe their mouth is keeping the training sessions brief and as rewarding as possible for your furry friend.
Further Reading:
Laura is the founder of Furs'n'Paws. She is a also a pet writer and expert with more than 20 years of experience of working with dogs and cats. She developed a very strong love for animals at a young age. Her passion led her to establish a thriving pet sitting and dog walking business in Dubai. As an expert in pet training, behavior, and nutrition, Laura is committed to helping pet owners and pet lovers by offering high-quality information on a wide range of topics.
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