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!

There are five AKC Trick Titles you and your dog can earn:

AKC Novice Trick Dog (TKN)- Your dog performs 10 skills from the Novice list.  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. Choose from the list below:

  • Balance beam (walk on board a few inches off floor)
  • Bark on cue (“Speak”)
  • Crawl (dog on belly, crawls at least 3 body lengths)
  • 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)

AKC Intermediate Trick Dog (TKI) – Your dog must have the Novice title, plus perform 10 Intermediate tricks from the list below:

  • Balance on ball or foam exercise peanut
  • Balance treat on nose or head (e.g., dog biscuit)
  • Carry (such as basket or another object)
  • Catch (soft toy, soft ball, treat, etc.)
  • Close door
  • Close drawer
  • Crawl (at least 5 body lengths-may use food/toy lure)
  • Fetch it (20 ft. away and deliver to hand)
  • Flyball (run to, push, get ball)
  • Game (manipulates interactive canine game)
  • 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. Total of 3.)
  • Head down
  • Heeling with automatic sit
  • Jump through handler’s circled arms
  • Leg weave (weave around handler’s legs)
  • Open door
  • Open drawer (cloth pull handler)
  • Paws up (on handler’s arm)
  • Pull a toy on a string or rope
  • Push button/key to make sound
  • Remove object from box/ toy mailbox
  • Ring bell, doorbell mounted on wood
  • Rollover
  • Shell game (“Find it” – treat or scent item under 1 of 3 cups)
  • Sit pretty (sit up or sit w/ head tilted)
  • Teeter totter (may use agility equip. in Intermediate)
  • Touch lamp
  • Wave good-bye/hello
  • Weave poles (may use food or toy lure – 6 weave poles)
  • Wobble board

AKC Advanced Trick Dog (TKA) – Your dog must have the Intermediate title, plus perform 10 tricks from the Advanced list below:

  • Back up (walk backwards)
  • Balance treat on nose, flip to eat (when told “OK”)
  • Barrel (roll with 2 paws, or stand on with 4)
  • Basketball
  • Bow (as in “Take a bow”, curtsy)
  • Circle right, circle left
  • Cover your eyes (paw over eyes)
  • Cover-up with blanket
  • Dance/moonwalk
  • Embarrassed
  • Go hide (get under table, etc.)
  • Head down
  • Hide your head (under blanket, pillow, etc.)
  • Identify toy by name (out of 3)
  • Jump into handler’s arms
  • Jump over handler’s back
  • Lassie pose (sit pretty, bent paw)
  • Leg weave, handler walks
  • Light (turn on battery operated light)
  • Make your bed
  • Open door (mailbox toy refrigerator) get object
  • Pay for it (fetch and bring money)
  • Pick pocket (as handler moves)
  • Pivot (paws on disk)
  • Play dead (faint, sleep, etc.)
  • Pulls a bag with objects
  • Remove handler’s slipper, shoe
  • Retreat -crawl backwards 3 body lengths
  • Retrieve – flat item, flat surface (e.g., credit card from floor)
  • Reverse circles around handler
  • Say your prayers
  • Scent articles (choose from 5)
  • Shake (as in to shake off water)
  • Sing, talk
  • Sit or down at distance (15 ft.)
  • Sit pretty, add Lassie pose
  • Smile
  • Smoosh (press face on plexiglass)
  • Sneeze
  • Tissue out of box (and bring to handler)
  • Toys (take to and drop in box)
  • Under handler (handler on hands and knees)
  • Walk on hind legs (paws may be on handler’s arm)
  • Weave poles (no lures).

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.

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.