Skip to content The snoot challenge has taken social media by storm, and for good reason. It’s one of the cutest tricks your dog can learn, and the best part is that it’s surprisingly simple to teach. If you’ve been scrolling through Instagram or TikTok and wondering how those dogs gently rest their snout into their owner’s hands, this guide will walk you through every step.
Whether your pup is a seasoned trick learner or a total beginner, you can have them doing the snoot challenge in just a few short sessions.
The snoot challenge is a viral dog trick where you form a circle or opening with your hands, and your dog places their nose (or “snoot”) right through it. The result? An adorable close-up of your dog’s face framed by your hands perfect for photos and videos.
While it started as a fun internet trend, this trick also builds trust between you and your dog. On top of that, it reinforces basic training skills like focus, patience, and responding to hand cues.
Before jumping into training, gather a few things so your sessions go smoothly:
Start by holding a treat between your fingers. Let your dog sniff and investigate. As soon as their nose touches your hand, say “yes” and give them the treat right away.
Repeat this several times so your dog connects “nose touches hand” with a reward. This is the foundation of the entire trick, so don’t rush through it.
Once your dog reliably touches your hand for a treat, begin shaping your hands into a loose circle or oval. Hold the treat just behind the opening so your dog has to push their nose through the gap to reach it.
The moment their snoot goes through the opening, mark the behavior with “yes” and reward. At this stage, even a partial effort counts you want to build their confidence gradually.
After a few successful reps, start adding a verbal cue. You can say “snoot,” “boop,” or whatever word feels natural. Say the cue just before you present your hands, so your dog starts to associate the word with the action.
Timing matters here. If you say the word too early or too late, the connection won’t stick. As a result, be consistent with when you deliver the cue in relation to the hand gesture.
Now it’s time to remove the treat from inside the hand circle. Instead, present your hands empty and reward from the other hand or from a treat pouch after your dog performs the trick.
This teaches your dog to respond to the hand shape and cue word rather than just following food. In the beginning, you might need to reward every single rep. However, over time, you can shift to rewarding every second or third rep.
At first, your dog will poke their nose through and pull back quickly. That’s normal. To build up a longer hold, delay the “yes” marker by just half a second, then a full second, and so on.
Be careful not to push too fast, though. If your dog gets frustrated and stops trying, you’ve jumped ahead too quickly. Go back a step and rebuild from there.
Even though the snoot challenge is a beginner-friendly trick, there are a few pitfalls that can slow your progress:
Here are a few things that can speed up the learning process:
Use a clicker. If your dog is already clicker-trained, a click is more precise than a verbal “yes.” Because of that, the dog understands exactly which behavior earned the reward.
Train before meals. A slightly hungry dog is a motivated dog. Schedule your sessions about 30 minutes before feeding time for the best focus.
Keep your hands still. Moving your hands toward your dog can startle them or cause them to back away. Instead, hold your position and let the dog come to you.
End on a win. Always finish a session after a successful rep, even if it was a small one. This leaves your dog feeling good about the trick and eager to try again next time.
Once your dog can hit the snoot challenge on cue, it’s time to have some fun with it. Here are a few ideas:
Every dog is different, so there’s no single timeline. That said, most dogs begin to understand the basic concept within 3–5 short sessions. From there, it usually takes another week or two to get a reliable, on-cue response.
Puppies and younger dogs tend to pick it up faster because they’re naturally curious and eager to interact with your hands. Older dogs can learn it too, but they may need a few extra repetitions.
If your dog seems totally uninterested, try switching to a higher-value treat. Sometimes the reward just isn’t motivating enough, and a simple upgrade like swapping kibble for real chicken makes all the difference.
Beyond the cute factor, the snoot challenge teaches your dog several useful skills at once. For one thing, it strengthens their ability to follow hand signals, which is helpful for more advanced obedience work later. In the same way, it builds impulse control since your dog has to hold still instead of lunging for the treat.
It also deepens the bond between you and your dog. Positive, reward-based training creates trust, and that trust carries over into every other area of your relationship from walks to vet visits to cleaning up after them in the yard.
Teaching your dog the snoot challenge is one of the easiest and most rewarding tricks you can try at home. It doesn’t require any special equipment, it works for dogs of all ages and breeds, and it gives you a fun activity to share together.
Start with short sessions, use high-value treats, be patient, and most importantly have fun with it. Before you know it, your dog will be sticking their snoot through your hands on command, and you’ll have the cutest content on your camera roll.
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