AKC Trick Dog
AKC CGC TITLE AND MORE
Do you and your dog love to be the life of the party by showing off his arsenal of tricks? Then he might be perfectly primed to earn AKC Trick Dog titles!
AKC Trick Dog is a fun way to interact and had have fun with your dog no matter what breed, age, shape or size.
There are five AKC Trick Titles you and your dog can earn and couple of different ways. Your dog not the social butterfly and the CGC Titles are not the route for you? Don't be discouraged, Trick Dog is here. Although it helps to have a CGC title on file, it is not required.
Trick training is becoming increasingly popular and a fun activity to do for you and your dog.
No dog is too old to learn new tricks.
Trick dog training has quite some history all the way back to the 1920’s with the movie dog, Rin Tin Tin. In 1943, came the character of Lassie. Rudd Weatherwax, wrote a trick dog training manual in the 1940’s. The manual was based on positive reinforcement and food rewards for correct behaviors, a training method that was uncommon at the time.
Why do tricks? Trick training is FUN and it's a great way to keep a busy mind challenged. Dogs enjoy learning tricks and earning reinforcers during training. These reinforcers may be a food reward, a toy or a very happy, excited owner who is praising the dog. It also strengthens the relationship between dog and owner.
Tricks are simply behaviors, and learning these behaviors puts the dog in a learning-to-learn mode. Tricks are behaviors that can be done for entertainment such as “say your prayers,” physical activity (such as weave poles or spin), or as useful practical skills (e.g., “paws up” so the dog stands with front paws on a stool to raise his head for petting by a patient in a hospital bed).
We will cover how to use the behavioral principle of shaping, chaining small steps together and reinforcement to reach the final result successfully. Understanding to allow the dog time to process and think for its own, makes it so much fun to see it finally "click".
Trick training is a great start to understand the principle of behavior shaping and getting to understand the dog better.
Trick dog training is mental exercise for your dog. Although physical exercise is crucial for a dog's overall health and well-being, mental exercises are also important and often help to alleviate some bad behavior that arises from boredom.
#1 AKC Novice Trick Dog (TKN)
Your dog will have to perform 10 skills from the Novice list listed below. If a dog has a Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certificate or title on record at AKC, it can do 5 Novice tricks (CGC + 5) to earn the Novice title.
- Balance beam (walk on board a few inches off floor)
- Bark on cue (“Speak”)
- Crawl (dog on belly, crawls at least 5 feet)
- Fetch it (ball, etc., 10 ft. away, bring to handler within 2 ft)
- Find it (find treat or scent item hidden under 1 cup or object)
- Get your _______. (Leash, brush, name of toy)
- Get in (gets in box)
- Sits in box (on cue)
- Get on (gets on low platform or step - 4 paws)
- Hand signals (Choose one: down, sit, or come)
- High five
- Hold (3 seconds)
- Jump (thru a low hoop or over a low bar)
- Kennel up (go in crate, stay in until released)
- Kiss (point to cheek or back of hand)
- Paws up (2 front paws on low stool or step)
- Push-ups (sit, down, sit, down, sit, down)
- Shake hands
- Spin in circle
- Touch it (hand or target stick)
- Tunnel (agility tunnel or child’s tunnel)
- Other: Handler’s choice (explain)
#2 AKC Intermediate Trick Dog (TKI)
Your dog must have the Novice title, plus perform 10 Intermediate tricks.
- Balance treat on nose or head (e.g., dog biscuit)
- Carry (a basket)
- Catch (soft toy, soft ball)
- Crawl (dog on belly, crawls at least 5 feet-may use food or toy lure)
- Fetch it (20 ft.)
- Game (dog manipulates interactive canine game to get treat)
- Go find (handler hides, dog goes and finds)
- Go to your place (to bed/mat, crate from 10 ft.)
- Hand signals (sit, down, come, stand, etc. 3 in a row)
- Jump through handler’s circle arms
- Leg weave (weave around handler’s legs)
- Paws up (on handler’s arm)
- Pull a toy on a string or rope
- Push button on sound toy, toy piano, to turn on audiotape, etc.
- Rollover
- Shell game (find treat under 1 of 3 cups)
- Sit pretty (sit up or sit w/ head tilted)
- Wave good-bye
- Weave poles (6 weave poles) (may use food or toy lure for this trick)
- Wobble board
- Other: Handler’s choice
#3 AKC Advanced Trick Dog (TKA)
Your dog must have the Intermediate title, plus perform 10 tricks from the Advanced list.
- Back up (walk backwards)
- Balance treat on nose, flip to eat when told “OK”
- Barrel (roll with 2 paws, or stand on with 4)
- Bow (as in “Take a bow”, curtsy)
- Circle right, circle left
- Cover your eyes (paw over eyes)
- Cover-up with blanket
- Go hide (get under table)
- Head down
- Hide your head (under blanket, pillow, etc.)
- Jump into handler’s arms
- Jump over handler’s back
- Light (turn on pressure sensitive battery operated light)
- Open door of mailbox, toy refrigerator, get object
- Play dead (faint, sleep, etc.)
- Scent articles (choose from 5 - dog can ‘read’)
- Sit or down at distance (15 ft.)
- Tissue out of box (and bring to handler)
- Toys (take to and drop in box)
- Weave poles (no food or toy lures). [No agility equipment may be used in Performer & Elite Performer].
- Other: Handler’s choice
#4 AKC Trick Dog Performer (TKP)
In this title, handlers perform a short routine with at least 10 tricks with at least 3 tricks using props
• At the Performer level, there can be no agility or obedience equipment, although handlers may design their own equipment.
• At least 3 Tricks must be at Performer level. You may substitute tricks not on the list as long as they are Performer level tricks.
• At least 3 tricks must use props. Props are objects used by performers to tell the story.
PERFORMER TRICKS
- Buried under toys, poke head out on cue
- Carry stuffed animal on back
- Dig - pretend to dig
- Get in suitcase and close lid
- Jump through tissue hoop
- Jump up and down/wiggle with excitement
- In bed, turns so belly is up
- Lift leg -pretend - fire hydrant
- Limping
- Nod or shake head (yes/no)
- Pulls (drags) bag of objects
- Runs circles around human or post
- Sit pretty while holding something with paw (flag)
TRICKS WITH PROPS (examples):
Barrel, cart or baby buggy, computer, school desk,
paints, phone, piano, rides in car/wagon/handler
designed bus or rocket, skateboard, handler created
props or re-purposed items.
#5 AKC Trick Dog Elite Performer (TKE)
In the highest level of Trick Dog, the Elite Performers perform a routine that has a story/script. At least 5 props are used.
A TOTAL OF 10 TRICKS from the Advanced or Performer levels ARE REQUIRED TO EARN THE TRICK DOG ELITE PERFORMER TITLE. (Must have all 4 previous titles on record).
• The dog/handler must perform 10 Tricks that include at least 5 tricks from Performer.
• At least 5 tricks must have props.
• No agility or obedience equipment may be used. May include handler-designed props including jumps, etc.
* A STORY/SCRIPT IS REQUIRED for the ELITE PERFORMER for providing entertainment at shows, events, and in therapy settings.
* WRITE YOUR SCRIPT/Story on the back of this page or attach a page.
* For your video, if your routine has a story, you can tell the story yourself or you can have a narrator read the story to give you cues about the next trick.
* No lures in Elite Performer. Food, praise, and/or clickers may be used as reinforcers.
Elite Performer is judged by AKC. Send a video link (please type) to AKC with your application and checklist.
All other levels (including Performer) are judged by AKC CGC Evaluators.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Your dog must have an AKC number via one of the following:
- AKC Registration Number
– This number is provided to a dog owner via a registration certificate received from the previous owner, or via a puppy registration paper given to the new owner by the breeder.
- Purebred Alternative Listing (PAL)
– If a dog is purebred but an AKC Registration Number is not possible, owners can apply for PAL number.
- AKC Canine Partners Number
– This number is given to either mixed breed dogs or a purebred.
Let's get started!
AKC CGC, CGCA & CGCU (Public Access Test) $45
Not every client wants to participate in the CGC classes but has the skills to train their dog on their own.
We will be happy to schedule any CGC test for you. The CGC is the foundation and has to be passed prior to attempting the CGC Community Canine and/or the CGC Urban Public Access.
The tests are $45 each and does not guarantee passing of the test if not all 10 test points were checked off.
Additional AKC fees apply for certificate and/or title.
Ribbon is incl. upon passing the test, however any medals or rosettes can be requested in addition.
Passing the Urban CGC test or Canine Good Citizen test does not make a dog a service dog or emotional support dog. A key distinction of service or emotional support dogs is that the owner/handler has a disability. It is unethical to misrepresent a pet dog as a service or emotional support animal.