Treat Yourself (and Your Dog) to Trick Dog Testing at CCS Fall Trial 2025!

ccs newsusdaa trial
Written By Betsie Bolger

USDAA agility won’t be the only fun competitive opportunity at Center for Canine Sports’ CCS Fall Trial 2025, coming up November 1-2. AKC Trick Dog evaluators Sydney Burton and Jeanene Lorenzen will be offering AKC Trick Dog testing from 10am-1pm for Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. Test fee is just $10 via Venmo or cash (correct change appreciated).

If your dog happens to have their AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) certification, they only need five tricks to earn their Novice Trick Dog title — and suggested tricks include Kennel Up; jumping up on a platform (such as a pause table); going through a tunnel; going over a jump; and walking on a raised plank. Easy-peasy for any agility dog, right? So come add a new title to your dog’s name while having some fun along the way!

And what better time for a trick dog test than the day after Halloween? Here's everything you need to know:

Participants must have their tricks selected in advance. The AKC Trick Testing rules and checklists can be found at https://www.akc.org/sports/trick-dog/resources/trick-dog-applications/. Do not click through to the new Title Application Portal, because Trick Testing on that page doesn’t yet connect to content; instead, scroll down to find links to the relevant documents — i.e., the Trick Dog application plus the Tricks Checklist for each level.

Sydney and Jeanene will have blank checklists available at the trial, but they recommend printing out the checklist(s) for the level(s) you plan to try and then marking the tricks your dogs will (hopefully) perform on Saturday.

You also may want to select one or two back-up tricks in case your dog balks at doing one of your first choices. You’ll get three attempts to accomplish each trick.

The following props will be available:

  • Baskets

  • Blanket

  • Boxes

  • Crates

  • Cups

  • Interactive game

  • Jump

  • Klimb platform

  • Plank

  • Sheet

  • Sound-making button

  • Tissue box

  • Child’s play tunnel

If the tricks you select require other props, such as toys or retrieval items, please bring them with you. Weave poles and teeter will not be included in this trick test.

Treat yourself and your dog to AKC Trick Testing at CCS Fall Trial 2025!🐾👣

Betsie Bolger

Betsie Bolger and Coco took their first agility lessons at Center for Canine Sports in 2016, “just for fun”. When head trainer Lisa Jarvis invited the fledgling duo to enter a trial at CCS, Betsie discovered just how much fun competing in agility can be! She currently runs 4 dogs — all small rescues — and is starting to train a 5th. In 2024, Betsie was inducted into USDAA’s Hall of Fame as Volunteer of the Year. When not running agility, she is a writer and editor and also co-owns an eBay store with her husband, Jon.

Previous

#ThrowbackThursday: USDAA@Home Fall Festival 2020
Next

Cynosport or Bust: CCS Members are Heading to USDAA’s World Games of Dog Agility!