Trick dog tests

Understanding the activity

Select behaviours appropriate to the dog’s body and confidence. A useful starting point is a simple, repeatable behaviour taught without forcing the dog into position.

Before attending or entering

Read the host’s schedule alongside the governing rulebook. Confirm the venue, entry deadline, registration requirements and whether spectators or non-competing dogs are permitted. Ask the trial secretary about anything the schedule leaves unclear.

Reading the record

Record the official level and pass evidence. A social-media trick video is not a substitute for a recognised assessment.

Choose the behaviour carefully

A behaviour does not need to be acrobatic to show learning. Ask an instructor about a simple task the dog can repeat comfortably and how it maps to the current assessment list. Video for a formal assessment must meet that authority’s requirements; a montage may not show a complete performance.

A choice of assessed behaviours

Dogs Australia describes Starter, Novice, Intermediate and Advanced classes with prescribed behaviour lists and requirements. That choice allows a team to select suitable behaviours within the current rules rather than inventing a freestyle act for assessment. Ask the instructor which rewards and communication are permitted at the intended level. Keep a training checklist of the selected behaviours and the conditions under which each is reliable. For titles, preserve the exact awarded designation; completing a few familiar tricks at home is not itself a recognised assessment.

Sources & further reading

References for this guide. Rules and services can change; check the responsible organisation for current details.

• Dogs Australia — Trick dog tests (opens in a new tab)
• Dogs Australia — rules and regulations (opens in a new tab)

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