Trick Dog
‘Trick Dog’ was approved as a new dog sport, effective from 1 January 2020. Rule 1.2 of the Rules for the Conduct of Trick Dog Tests states –
“The objective in Trick Dog training and competition is for the dog and handler to perform a selection of tricks, presented with obvious cooperation between a dog that is willing and working well and a supportive handler. Tricks allow us to improve communication and thereby increase our bond with our dogs.”
The word “trick” in its common usage has several meanings but the most common implies something that is fun and entertaining and, in our classes, we certainly aim to promote that philosophy and using Trick training to build the relationship between dog and handler.
There are 4 levels of competition, each with a number of tricks listed and described in detail:
Level |
Number of tricks required |
Number of tricks from which you can select |
Starter |
6 |
17 |
Novice |
8 |
24 |
Intermediate |
8 |
24 |
Advanced |
10 |
29 |
This therefore provides you with plenty of options to choose tricks that best suit the team that is you and your dog. There are some tricks that are more suited to medium to larger dogs; some that are more suited to smaller dogs; but each class contains a significant level of choice which enables you to take account of your dog’s size, stature, age, physical limitations and natural capabilities, as well as his fluency in and enjoyment of different tricks.
Trick Dog Starter course
For details of available Trick Dog courses, please see Events