RDO Day: AKC Trick Dog

AKC Pet Insurance is proud to again be the presenting sponsor of the 15th Annual Flagship AKC Responsible Dog Ownership (RDO) Day! This fun, family-friendly event will take place in at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds on September 9th. From 10am to 3pm, the fairgrounds will be transformed into a dog lover’s paradise featuring a variety of activities, giveaways, vendors and demonstrations for both two and four-legged to enjoy!

As a lead-up to this fun-filled day, we will cover a different event that will be featured at RDO Day. This week, we spotlight AKC Trick Dog!

AKC Trick Dog is the newest addition to the AKC event lineup. Having just launched in May 2017, this exciting event hit the ground running with dog lovers from all over working to earn their titles. Trick Dog is for dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds! Don’t have an AKC registered dog? That’s ok! Get your dog registered with PAL or listed with AKC Canine Partners so you can start working toward your Trick Dog titles!

Four Trick Dog Titles:

1. Novice Trick Dog

Dogs must perform 10 tricks from the Novice list or, if they have a CGC (Canine Good Citizen) certificate or title on record with the AKC, it can be earned with only 5 Novice tricks plus the title.  

The Novice list includes: Balance beams, speak, crawl, fetch, find it, get in, get on, hand signals, high five, hold (3 seconds), jump, kennel up, kiss, paws up, push-ups, shake, spin, touch, and tunnel.

2. Intermediate Trick Dog

Dogs must have the Novice title, plus perform 10 Intermediate tricks.

Intermediate list includes: Balance a treat, carry, catch, crawl, fetch (20 ft), interactive game for treats, go find, go to your bed, hand signals (3 in a row), leg weave, paws up, pull a toy on a rope, push a button, rollover, shell game, sit pretty, wave good-bye, weave poles (lures allowed), and wobble board.

3. Advanced Trick Dog

Dogs must have the Intermediate title, plus perform 5 tricks from the Advanced list.

Advanced list includes: Back up, balance a treat and flip to eat, barrel, bow, circle left and right, cover your eyes, cover-up with a blanket, go hide, head down, hide your head, jump into handler’s arms, jump over handler’s back, turn on light, open mailbox/fridge and retrieve, play dead, scent articles, sit or down (15 ft.), tissue out of box, clean up toys, and weave poles (no lures).

4. Trick Dog Performer (TKP)

For this prestigious title, handlers perform a short routine with at least 10 tricks previously learned. Two tricks must be from the Intermediate list and two from the Advanced list.

The handler must explain the basic idea/story of their routine. A video of the explanation and routine will be submitted to AKC judges for review and to award the title. Treats and clickers are can be used as a reward, however coaxing with food lures is not permissible (unless otherwise stated).

Does this sound like something you and your dog can take on? Start earning your titles by visiting https://www.akc.org/trick-Dog/trick-dog-applications/ and submit your AKC Trick Dog application!