This five-week beginner class is your entry point to all things Trick Dog! Students will learn the basics of positive reinforcement training to teach your dog foundational skills and tricks such as shake hands, paws up, spin, touch, jump, and get in a box. Students will learn how to fade food lures, when to mark and reinforce behaviors, and how to raise criteria in a way that keeps your dog successful.

Are you or your dog new to dog training? Does your dog know a few tricks, but you’d like to learn more? Are you aiming to earn a Novice Trick Dog title with your dog? If any of this sounds like you, this class is for you!

Trick Dog 2 is a five-week intermediate class that’s perfect for solidifying foundational behaviors while adding precision and variation! Shake hands, high five, spin, pushups, wave, chin target, and paws up are just a few tricks on our menu! Students will also learn training techniques such as shaping and prompting, as well as begin shaping “mouth on” behaviors for retrieve, holds, or other behaviors.

If you’ve taken Trick Dog 1, or the equivalent elsewhere, are familiar with positive reinforcement training, and/or looking to earn a Novice or Intermediate Trick Dog title, this class is for you!

This five-week advanced class expands upon foundational behaviors and training techniques to introduce more variety and flair into your tricks repertoire! Students will continue learning advanced training techniques such as shaping, prompting, and capturing. This class focuses on breaking down advanced tricks and learning to sequence behaviors.

If you’ve taken Trick Dog 2, or the equivalent elsewhere, are very familiar with positive reinforcement training, and/or are looking to earn an Intermediate or Advanced Trick Dog title, this class is for you!

Take your trick dog skills to the next level in this five-week advanced class! We’ll work on complex and precision tricks, building behaviors over time, and tricks that feature multiple behaviors, like opening a suitcase and putting toys inside or retrieving a tissue when handler “sneezes.” In this class, students will learn about sequencing, chaining, and how to apply appropriate reinforcement schedules. We’ll also work on clean cuing and cue transfers. The tricks menu for this class can be customized to fit students’ wishes.

This class is for graduates of Trick Dog 2 or 3 and is appropriate for those who wish to earn an Advanced or Performer Trick Dog title!

This five-week advanced class will bring out you and your dog’s inner performer! We’ll work on stories and routines while applying appropriate reinforcement schedules to build enthusiasm in your sequences. You’ll explore how to integrate novice and intermediate level tricks to showcase more advanced tricks, as well as learning about transitions, pacing, and flow. We’ll work on prop selection and creative prop use, as well as troubleshooting any difficulties with selected behaviors. Whether you want to perform live, for the internet, earn a title, or develop your dog’s repertoire for fun, this class will help you meet your goals. 

This class is for graduates of Trick Dog 3 or 4, and is appropriate for those who wish to earn a Performer or Performer Elite Trick Dog title! 

Learn how to teach your dog to run to a target/location from a distance! We’ll work on building momentum and speed by adding in “wraps," or teaching your dog to run around an object on cue in different directions. Both of these skills are fun and useful!

You will need a flat target, like a bathmat or placemat, for this class. You will also need an object that your dog can run around, like a cone or small trashcan.

You'll learn how to send your dog to their mat or other location and build duration for this useful behavior. Put this behavior into practice in real life to manage behaviors like door-crowding and counter-surfing. You’ll learn how to add in distractions gradually to help your dog be successful, and how to make the mat a valuable and happy place for your dog to hang out!

Get your dog moving with these two uptempo behaviors! We'll focus on two behaviors: paw targeting and backing up. For paw targeting, dogs will learn to tap a front paw to a target, like a plastic lid or a piece of tape on the floor. For back up, dogs will learn to back up on cue, independently or in sync with you. You will learn luring and shaping training techniques, and how to add distance to both behaviors.

Pivots are a fun, multipurpose behavior! In a pivot, your dog’s front feet stay in the same location, while their back feet move in rotation around that location. Pivots are a move present in many dog sports, and pivoting on a perch is the ultimate “circus dog” trick! Pivots are also handy for turns in leash-walking, and are great exercise for building hind end awareness and fitness in your dog.

Leg weaves are a behavior where your dog walks or runs through and around your legs on cue! Leg weaves are a move in dog sports, such as freestyle, and are fun and flashy! They are also a great exercise for building body awareness and fitness in your dog. In this class, we'll learn two types of leg weaves: (1) Figure 8 Weaves with handler stationary; and (2) Walking Weaves where handler walks. We'll also experiment with some fun variations.

Take your leg weaves to the next level! In this class, we’ll work on adding speed and flow to our weaves as well as learning two new types: (1) Backward Walking Weaves where handler walks backwards; and (2) Lateral Weaves where handler moves sideways. We’ll also experiment with some more fun variations! Students should take Leg Weaves 1 before taking this class.

A "leave it" behavior is when your dog notices a tempting distraction, and then directs their attention to you on cue. In this class, students will learn the difference between "leave it" and "drop it." Students will learn how to teach their dogs to "leave it" for food and other tempting distractions. In this class, we will keep this behavior fun, so that you can take your "leave it" from lackluster to LEGENDARY!

Have you ever wanted to teach your dog to fetch or retrieve an object on cue? This three-session class is an introduction to a free-shaped retrieve! We’ll use a training technique called shaping, with a focus on your own mechanics and timing. You’ll learn how to teach your dog to put their mouth on a retrieve object of your choice. Next steps of lifting the object, duration, and carry will also be covered. Each team works at their own pace and gets individualized coaching, support, and enthusiastic cheerleading! Familiarity with marker or clicker training is helpful, but not necessary.

“Bow” gets its time to shine in this class! You’ll learn how to teach your dog to bow on a hand signal and verbal cue. Build duration in this position, generalize to heel position, and add some distance. This is an excellent training exercise for trainers to improve marking technique. This skill is great for sports and improving your dog’s fitness.

Learn how to teach your dog to stand on a hand signal and verbal cue. You’ll learn the difference between a kick-back stand and a pop-up stand. And, we’ll begin to teach a stand-stay. Teach your dog this skill for veterinary exams, for sports/conformation, to improve your dog’s fitness, or just for fun!

Learn how to teach your dog to position between handler's legs on a hand signal and verbal cue. You’ll also learn how to move with your dog in this position. And, you'll learn how to teach your dog to "penguin" or put their front paws on your feet and move together. Teach your dog these skills for husbandry, sports, or for sheer adorableness!

Walking in the same direction with your dog in step with you, or heeling, is a beautiful and useful skill! Heeling involves a whole set of behaviors from both handler and dog. In this class, you'll learn the first steps of teaching your dog to heel. We'll focus on how to move your dog into "setup" positions and crossing sides. You'll learn how to start moving together through a selection of fun exercises and games.

Walking in the same direction with your dog in step with you, or heeling, is a beautiful and useful skill! Heeling involves a whole set of behaviors from both handler and dog. We'll focus on how to start moving forward with your dog. We'll also start on some basic turns and direction changes. You'll learn how to start moving together through a selection of fun exercises and games. For graduates of Happy Heeling 1, or comparable approved experience.

This brain game is just what you and your dog need! You will learn how to teach your dog the names of 2-3 toys or objects. Your dog will learn to indicate which object is correct with their paw or nose. For this class, you will need 2-3 toys or other dog-proof objects.

This trick is sure to impress your friends and family! Using cue transfers, you will learn how to teach your dog to "read" a sign and perform the behavior written on the sign.

For this class, you will need access to a printer and paper to print your dog's signs, or just markers and good handwriting!

Prerequisite: Your dog should be fluent in at least two easy behaviors, such as sit, down, and/or spin.

Teach your dog to hold a front paw up for three seconds on cue! This adorable trick is a foundational skill for teaching your dog to high-step or prance with you. You’ll learn how to teach your dog to raise each front paw individually. You’ll also learn how to add a cue transfer so that you and your dog can march, prance, or chorus-line kick in unison! These behaviors are not only fun and enriching, but they are an excellent fitness exercise for your dog. A shake hands/give a paw behavior is helpful, but not necessary.