How we got our novice and intermediate trick dog titles

And later, our advanced!

In late 2020, I decided to register Scout with the American Kennel Club and attempt to earn her first trick dog title. Thanks to virtual options the AKC piloted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we were able to get both her novice and intermediate certificates from the comfort of our own apartment.

Here’s how our trick dog adventure played out!

A trick dog? Really?

I’d never thought myself to be very good at teaching tricks. I still don’t think it’s my forte—precision luring, shaping, and reward marking does not come naturally to me—and it also just wasn’t something we ever prioritized with Scout.

Our training has largely been “what do we need to work on to navigate the world more easily?” focused, especially after she was attacked by another dog and started showing fear reactivity. We previously spent most of her daily food rations working on things like loose-leash walking, focus around distractions, and impulse control.

“Lifestyle” behaviors always came first.

A lot of lifestyle obedienc…