Have you ever wanted to show your dog, but can’t take them to a competition? Maybe you have kids and no one to watch them while you compete. Maybe your dog doesn’t like other dogs, or maybe it’s not a purebred.
With “Do More With Your Dog” (DMWYD for short) you can earn titles for your dogs just like in a real show. You pick a title to earn, record your dog performing the actions required for the title, and then submit the video for a judge to review. If the judge approves your videos, you can submit the form to receive your title.
Our Experience
The All Things Chihuahua dogs have already been around the block when it comes to titles. We’ve already gotten their trick dog titles, as well as the CGC, through the AKC. We decided to give this a try using a chicken instead, a Sebright hen named Sylvia.
DMWYD is very gracious about letting anyone compete. This includes other species. We trained Sylvia to do 15 different tricks, and submitted them through the Trick Fairy Facebook group.
It was fun looking through the tricktionary for tricks we could adapt to a chicken. It took over a year to train Sylvia, but we did eventually get 15 tricks done, recorded and submitted.
She was approved the same day, and I submitted the form immediately. It took just over a week for DMWYD to finish the approval, and they were very responsive when I (perhaps a bit over-eagerly) asked for how long it would take.
I highly recommend DMWYD for anyone who, well, wants to do more with their dog.
How To Get Started
If you haven’t already, I recommend clicker training your dog. it is much easier and faster to communicate when they have gotten something right with a clicker. Eventually, we will have an article with a how-to on a variety of tricks, but for now you can get started with our how-to on the extremely useful trick, Two Paws Up.
[Benefits of DMWYD
If competing has never been a dream of yours, you may be wondering why do it. The simplest answer is because it’s fun! But there’s also good reason to participate in programs like DMWYD.
Teaching your dog new tricks helps keep their mind sharp, and may delay the onset of age-related diseases like Canine Cognitive Disorder. Many tricks also have several practical applications.
Two Paws Up for example, is also a base trick that allows your dog to use a scratch board with its rear legs. If your dog can jump on a platform, weighing them at the vet is easier. If your dog can do a nose touch, teaching them not to pull on the leash or a proper heel is easier.
Finally, there’s the enrichment side of things. It can be boring sitting at home, seeing the same sights and smelling the same smells. Teaching them fun new tricks can help enrich their lives and break up the monotony of day to day living.
Similar Posts:
- How to Teach Your Dog To Scratch with the Rear Legs
- Teaching the “Break” Command
- Questions from a Dog Author
- The History of the Chihuahua
- How to Teach Your Dog to Use a Scratch Board
