her. This ultimately led my partner and me to sell our inner Brooklyn apartment and purchase a house for her, first in outer Brooklyn, where she could have a yard, and then later relocating across the country to Portland, Oregon, in large part to be in a part of the country with fewer environmental triggers, as her anxiety/panic conditions were resistant to medication management. Charlotte is the most sensitive dog I have ever shared my life with, and she’s also probably the smartest dog I have ever worked with. Despite all her behavioral challenges, tricks became something that Charlotte would look forward to working on daily. Through trick training, she was certainly not cured—lifelong management and ongoing work around her issues is a daily reality for us—but the training became something we could incorporate into stressful situations to defuse them for her. The more tricks I taught Charlotte, the more I began to understand what a profound difference tricks were making in her life, and our life together. I started to explore more about tricks and discovered competitive tricks, a sport where you are able to compete remotely from anywhere by submitting tricks for titles via video.
This was perfect for a dog like Charlotte, who would be way over threshold and uncomfortable in a traditional dog show/trial environment. The structure of trick titles gave me a training goal to work toward and a strategy for structuring our daily training schedule. Swiftly, Charlotte began accumulating titles, and I was hooked. Over the years, I wanted to take my commitment to tricks to a new level and became officially part of the organization Do More With Your Dog, the first trick dog titling organization. I also became a Certified Trick Dog Instructor (CTDI), meaning I have been certified to approve trick dogs for titles since 2013, and I support others getting involved in the sport. Since that time, I have earned bronze, silver, and gold trainer level distinctions in recognition of the number of titles that I have observed for dogs all over the world, and in 2018 I earned the Trainer of the Year special distinction. Along the way, I kept up with trick training my own dogs. I was so proud the day that Charlotte earned her Champion Trick Dog Title (the highest title that a trick dog can receive)! It was nothing short of remarkable to think that, just a few short years before, she had been a discarded dog that no one cared about, living on the streets, and she now had a loving family and a fulfilled life, and was even a champion! I’m continually in awe of her resilience and her ability to play and find joy. I consider myself so lucky that I get to share my life with her, and the world of trick sports she has opened up for me.
I now have three dogs, and trick training is a huge part of our life together. My youngest, Sirius, began learning tricks the day she came home, flying through trick titles, earning her Champion Trick Dog Title right after her second birthday, and becoming only the second Newfoundland dog in the world to earn the highest trick dog title. I’m passionate about tricks, not only because they are a lot of fun, but even more so because of the capacity for trick training to really bring people and their dogs together in new ways.
Regardless of whether you have any interest in competing, trick training is something that every dog and guardian can get involved with. As we will discuss, trick training can and will strengthen the relationship you have with your dog.
Happy Trick Training!
Sassafras
February 2019
Art by Nicole J. Georges of Sassafras and her trick dogs.
Trick training is a great way to have fun with your dogs.
Photo credit: Kathleen Tepperies
Welcome to Tricks in the City! If you’re here, you probably have the best dog in the world and you’re looking for ways to have more fun with your pup, and maybe even teach them an impressive trick or two. Trick training is something that all dogs (and people) can have fun with together, and the best thing is, you don’t need any kind of expensive equipment, and you don’t have to travel anywhere to do it. Trick training can happen in your living room or on your daily walks. All you need is a little bit of time, and some treats!
I used to think that this training was just something fun to do with dogs, and it absolutely is, but I’ve also seen firsthand the way that trick training can literally transform a dog’s life. It also has the capacity to foster a stronger relationship between people and their dogs. Trick training can take you and your dogs in many directions—not only is it fun, it is also the foundation for the work that animal actors are doing when we see them in our favorite movies and on TV. Trick training is a tremendous amount of fun, and it’s something that everyone (even kids) can do with any dog, from the youngest puppy to the oldest senior pooch. Dogs are hardwired to want to work with us and please us, and I’m no biologist, but I believe that we’re pretty hardwired to want to work with dogs; we just don’t always know how to communicate with one another. If you are looking to find ways to spend more time with your dog, or if you and your dog already spend a lot of time training but you’re looking for something low-pressure to enjoy together, trick training is perfect for you!
Training should always be fun for you and, most importantly, for your dog. Dogs learn best when they are getting “paid,” so as we start to teach tricks, we are going to be using lots of treats and/or toys. Basically, whatever is most motivating to your dogs is what we are going to be using. As trick trainers, our goal is to make instructions to our dogs as clear as possible, and make training as fun as possible. Any kind of training that resorts to pain, intimidation, or fear (such as “alpha dynamics”) is not only cruel and inhumane, but has been scientifically proven to be ineffective and damaging to the relationship between dog and guardian. The same is true for prong collars and shock collars (or e-collars, as they are becoming commonly referred to).
Training your dog and spending time with your dog should be fun. We don’t want to do anything that will in any way hurt your relationship with one another, which is what pain-based or punitive training does.
Why Tricks?
Ann Cress’ Boerboel Tsavo loves learning and showing off!
Who doesn’t love seeing a dog do a cute trick? It brings a smile to our faces, it’s fun and stimulating for dogs, so it’s no wonder that trick training is one of the fastest-growing canine sports. Not only have tricks become a competitive dog sport, they have always been and remain an excellent way to bond with the dog you share your home and life with. Dogs love learning and they love spending quality time with us, where we put down our phones, stop watching movies, and turn all of our attention to them. Tricks are perfect for this. In just a few minutes of practice together every day, not only will you be positively investing in your relationship with your best friend, but your dog will also be on her way to learning an array of tricks.
Unlike a lot of other dog sports that require complicated, big, and usually expensive equipment, trick training is something you can do in the comfort of your own home. You don’t need to go out and find a professional trainer or sign up for classes; you can teach your dog tricks in your living room, in your backyard, and on your daily walks. But tricks go beyond just something fun to do with your dog (though they are certainly that too)—trick training can literally change your dog’s life. Learning tricks is confidence-boosting, especially for nervous, shy, or anxious dogs. Trick training can be extremely helpful for dogs who are reactive or struggling with anxiety, to help them to learn more about learning, and to gain confidence in new situations. That said, none of the trick
