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Novice Trick Dog Course

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Training tricks with your dog is lots of fun, great exercise for your dog, a fun way to earn titles with your dog, and it is a great way to build your bond and communication with your dog. In this course, you will have a variety of tricks at the novice level to choose from. As you work through the course, you also will be able to learn tricks to earn your dog's trick dog title.

Some of the tricks you will learn include:

  • Paws Up
  • Spin
  • Touch Target Stick
  • Balance Beam
  • Get On
  • Jump Over a Bar
  • Jump Through A Hoop
  • Go Around an Object
  • Get In
  • Around
  • Shake
  • Chin Rest

And more!

Get ready to have some fun with your dog and show off to all your friends just how talented you and your dog are! What are you waiting for? Get registered today!


Prerequisites: Students should have at least completed the Freshman Course. There are some tricks at the novice level that will be discussed, but not taught, that have been learned in the Freshman Course. At a minimum, your dog should know how to hand target, you should feel comfortable using a clicker and understand how to use it properly, and your dog should have "sit" and "down" on cue.


Your Instructor


Melinda Schiller, CPDT-KA
Melinda Schiller, CPDT-KA

Melinda has been training dogs full time and professionally since 2012. She is a certified dog trainer through the Certification Council of Pet Dog Trainers (CPDT-KA) and has been certified since 2015. She is an AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluator, a professional member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and Pet Professional Guild. She also has her bachelor's of science degree in animal science from Iowa State University. Melinda is the owner of Elite Pet University, LLC and the head trainer. She has 3 Australian Shepherds and she currently competes in AKC and UKC with them in rally, obedience, conformation, dock diving, coursing, as well as earning trick dog titles. She also dabbles in a few other activities with them as well. Melinda strives to provide fun and supportive training to owners and dogs using the most up-to-date methods.


Course Curriculum


  Pre-Class Lectures
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Module 1
Available in days
days after you enroll
  Module 2
Available in days
days after you enroll

Frequently Asked Questions


How long do I have access to the course?
You get access to the course for 1 full year from enrollment. With year-long access, you can truly work at a pace that is best for you and your dog!
What if I want more help from the instructor?
If you sign up for the course at Level 2, you will also get year-long access to a private Facebook group where you can ask questions, interact with classmates and see their training videos, and also share video for feedback and coaching! This option is great so you can work through all of the tricks in the course and get help along the way!
What if I want more help from the instructor?
If you sign up for the course at Level 2, you will also get year-long access to a private Facebook group where you can ask questions, interact with classmates and see their training videos, and also share video for feedback and coaching! This option is great so you can work through all of the tricks in the course and get help along the way!
Will this course help me earn trick dog titles?
Absolutely! The instructor is an evaluator for the AKC Trick Dog titles. For the AKC novice trick dog titling program, you need to demonstrate 10 tricks (5 if your dog has their AKC Canine Good Citizen title) and this class will show you how to teach over 15 tricks. This will give you flexibility so that if you don't want to learn a certain trick or your dog is struggling with a specific trick, you can move onto another trick that will help you earn the novice trick dog title. While the class is geared more towards the AKC program, a lot of the tricks are also options for the Do More With Your Dog program, so it can help with earning that title as well. If you want the best possible chances of learning the tricks and being ready to earn that title, we recommend taking the course at Level 2 and using the private Facebook group so you can get feedback and coaching while you work with your dog on the tricks.
Do I need to use a clicker?
A clicker is strongly recommended. Clicker training is one of the best forms of training tricks because it allows you to be clear with your dog in marking correct behaviors and using a marker word, while it can be effective, for most pet owners it isn't as clear to the dog what you are marking. If you don't use a clicker, then you will still need to watch the lecture on "clicker training" so you can use another marker sound. This will be extremely important if you want to go on to teach any more advanced tricks down the road.
Is trick training appropriate for puppies?
Absolutely! Trick training has many benefits for puppies including teaching body awareness, confidence-building, problem-solving, and communication-building skills. When working on tricks with puppies, because they are still growing, we want to be cautious when working on any tricks that may be hard on their joints. Those types of tricks would include jumping tricks such as "jump over a bar" and "jump through a hoop". There will be over 15 tricks in this course to choose from, so if you want to learn those tricks later, you certainly can and pick other tricks to focus on for the title or we can talk about modifying the trick so it is safer for the puppy.
I have multiple dogs; do I need to buy the course multiple times?
If you purchase the course at Level 1, you get access to the course for a year and only get access to the course materials, so you can use it for as many dogs as you would like within that year as long as they are in your household. If you want instructor feedback and purchase the course at Level 2, that can only be used with one dog. If you want feedback with more than one dog in that Facebook group, you will need to purchase the course at Level 2 again for as many dogs as you would like feedback on.

Get started now!