By Heidi Clayton
A fun way to break up your dog or puppy’s training routine and keep their brains sharp is by training them to do tricks. The American Kennel Club has created a Trick Dog testing program in which your dog can earn “Trick Dog” titles for performing tricks off a list. Your dog doesn’t have to be a purebred dog; you only need to register for an AKC Canine Partners Number to participate.
Trick Dogs titles start with Intermediate, then Advanced, Performer, and Performer Elite. The tricks required to pass each level increase in difficulty from level to level.
The Novice list of tricks to pick from to teach your dog includes 20 listed tricks, but your dog only needs to successfully complete 10 of them to earn their Novice Trick Dog title. Tricks include following commands to walk on a balance beam, speak (bark on cue), crawl on their belly for at least five feet, fetch, find it (where the dog finds a treat hidden under objects like cups), get into a box, get on top of platform, high-five, jump through a hoop, kennel up (go into a crate and stay there until commanded otherwise), shake, spin in a circle, touch it (touch a hand or target), and giving a kiss (lick cheek or hand). Dogs should also know the hand signals for obedience commands.
After the Novice level, the tricks get progressively harder. However, you still only have to perform 10 of the listed tricks on the checklists to advance. Tricks like balancing a treat on the dog’s nose, catching a treat, opening drawers, walking backward, pushing buttons, weaving through poles, picking a specific toy out of a group of toys, pulling a tissue out of a box, putting their toys away, walking on two legs, and taking a bow are favorites of the those participating. Trick Dog Performer and Performer Elite require that at least three to five props be used during the test. Performer Elite tests involve the handler writing a script or story, incorporating the tricks their dog is going to do into a narrative. People get very creative and use tricks like their dog removing their shoes or picking up a brush. Some owners even train their dogs to “steal” things from their pockets and then hide their faces to avoid getting caught.
Training my dogs for the show ring can become boring to them, so I like to break it up by teaching them silly tricks that keep their brains active. This keeps the training side of things fun.
You don’t even have to go to an AKC event to take Trick Dog tests. There are evaluators online, so you can submit a video of you and your dog doing the tricks. If you aren’t interested in getting the titles, you can still use the lists of tricks offered to add some fun to your dog’s training program. To learn more about the Trick Dog program, visit https://www.akc.org/sports/trick-dog/
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
