Here’s how to get your pup her first trick title
The tl;dr
Register your dog as an AKC dog (mixed rescues welcome!)
Pick out 10 tricks from this list
Teach those tricks to your pupper
Film those tricks anyway you’d like
Find a trainer who is AKC certified to review the video - you’ll need your AKC title, the trick checklist, and the video verification form (which is now apart of the checklist).
Send all the signed documents to trickdog@akc.org
The detailed version
Register your dog as an AKC dog (mixed rescues welcome!)
The cost is around $35, though you do get a free vet visit with an AKC vet, which would offset the cost. Keep the pup’s ID handy for next steps.Pick out 10 tricks from this list
Beyond basic skills, I found agility the best way in to a lot of tricks on this list. The ask is extremely clear, compared with getting into a box or other abstract ideas for young dogs.Teach those tricks to your pupper
Having a very scared, energetic dog, I had no choice but to teach her some tricks to calm her mind and give her confidence. The Puppr app remains a great source of inspiration, as well as the Tesla The Mini Aussie Instagram account. I would never expect to spend more than 10 minutes a day on these tricks. I’ve learned any longer than that, Birdie is extremely frustrated (almost as much as me)
Film those tricks anyway you’d like
Here’s the video I made. There are no requirements, but I think the key element is to show Dog and owner together, and not just the dog putting on a show. It’s about the working relationship, in the end.Find a trainer who is AKC certified to review the video - you’ll need your AKC title, the trick checklist, and the video verification form (which is now apart of the checklist).
I reached out to this woman Sheyla, and she was super fast and kind. Her information on this process is also very informatative.Send all the signed documents to trickdog@akc.org
You can do everything online, thankfully, and input your credit card instead of mailing in a check (which…. does seem to be what they’d prefer. Classic).
Many people view dog tricks as secondary to training a well-behaved pooch, but after a year of (more-or-less) dedicated trick training, I see how fundamental it is to developing a dog. We force these animals to puzzle their way into our sedentary lifestyle. Their sharp nose, their boundless energy, their wolf-like prints in the sand go wasted in apartments all over the cities of the world.
I used to hate it—wishing Birdie would just become a breathing build-a-bear. Yes, her drive to move, seek, and learn frustrates me on a Friday night. But, with trick training, allowing our bond to grow, allowing me to seek a deeper purpose in the day (the way she does), has been… an unexpected joy to dog ownership.
When a dog comes to you when she’s called… I’m not sure there’s anything more satisfying than that.
