The CGCA exam is the sequel to the CGC (canine good citizen) exam. Dogs must pass the CGC before they test for the CGCA title. Each exam has 10 test items. Dogs must pass all 10 items to earn the respective title. Personally, being able to earn a CGC is the bare minimum for all dogs that go through training with me. However, not all owners wish to test for the CGC, and as such, it is more of a baseline for them to read and understand the specific test items and see what they need to work on.

More info on the CGC and CGCA exams.

Newt has earned both his CGC and CGCA titles, as well as his CGCU title (see next block). Our next goal is for me to become a certified CGC evaluator by 2025.

The CGCU exam is another sequel to the CGC (canine good citizen) exam. Dogs must pass the CGC before they test for the CGCU title. Each exam has 10 test items. Dogs must pass all 10 items to earn the respective title. The CGCU exam is geared to test a dog's ability to behave in a public setting, aka a public access test. Just because your pet dog can pass this test does NOT mean you can take it everywhere like service dogs can. Service dogs are medical equipment and are covered by federal laws. ESAs and pets are not covered and should never be taken into non-dog-friendly settings.

More info on the CGCU exam here.

Newt earned his CGCU title at the 2024 SHCA National Specialty in Estes Park, CO!

A fun set of titles to earn with your dog are trick dog titles! There are five titles that dogs can earn, TKN (novice), TKI (intermediate), TKA (advanced), TKP (performer), and TKE (elite performer).

The nice part about earning these titles is that dogs can be tested either in person or virtually with a certified CGC evaluator. 

More info on AKC Trick Dog here.

Newt has currently earned up to his TKP. We are aiming to earn his TKE by the summer of 2025.

Link to our TKP video here.

Does your dog love to run and chase things? If so, this sport is for you! FastCAT is a growing sport that is an offshoot of lure coursing, which is a sport where only sighthounds can participate in. In FastCAT, dogs run in a timed, straight, 100-yard dash where they chase a plastic bag (known as the "bunny"). 

There are varying titles dogs can earn depending on how many points they acquire per run. The number of points earned per run are calculated from the dog's speed (in MPH) as well as their height at the withers. Dogs under a certain height are given a handicap when calculating the points that they earn. To earn the most basic title, a BCAT, dogs must earn 150 points. The next title that dogs can earn is a DCAT for a cumulative total of 500 points, and subsequently an FCAT for a cumulative total of 1000 points. Dogs that go on to run at more FastCAT trials can earn additional FCAT titles for every 500 additional points (FCAT2, FCAT3, etc).

More on FastCAT here.

Newt currently has his DCAT title and we are looking to earn his FCAT title by the spring/summer of 2025.

How does your dog react when presented with unexpected stimuli? If you have ever asked yourself that question, look no further. The ATT is a quick test that gauges how your dog will respond to various stimuli. There are six categories of stimuli that are judged which include social, auditory, visual, tactile, proprioception, and unexpected. Dogs are scored based on how they react to stimuli in each of these six categories. Dogs must pass two ATT legs under two different evaluators to earn the ATT title. Dogs that exhibit extreme fear, shyness, the inability to recover from sudden situations, etc. will not be qualified to earn the ATT title.

More info on the ATT here.

Newt earned his ATT with flying colors!

How well-behaved is your dog at home? Want to try earning a title in the comfort of your own home before venturing out into different sports? This title is a great foundational title before you and your dog work towards the CGC. It was developed shortly after Covid and has two iterations, VHMP (puppy) and VHMA (adult). Each iteration has ten test items that your dog must pass to earn the title.

More info on the Virtual Home Manners title here.

Newt and I filmed (and passed!) his VHMA title earlier this February. We chose to film for this title as we felt it would be a good video to showcase to clients what they should expect in their dogs' behavior at home. 

Link to our video here.

Your dog's sense of smell is 10,000-100,000 times more acute than yours. Why not try a fun activity with your dog at home and also teach it to use its nose? Not only is this a great way for you to bond with your dog at home, but it also provides mental stimulation for your dog! There are three different titles your dog can earn, beginner (VSWB), intermediate (VSWI), and experienced (VSWE). Each title requires your dog to pass two legs under a certified scent work judge via video.

More info on the Virtual Scent Work Test here.

Newt and I have successfully earned all test levels of the Virtual Scentwork Progam as of March 2025!

There's human parkour, and then there's dog parkour! 

Founded by human parkour and professional dog trainers, the International Dog Parkour Association (IDPKA) offers a series of fun titles for you and your dog to participate in dog parkour. Parkour teaches both dog and handler to develop an eye for obstacles that could be used for parkour behaviors, as well as trains teams to approach obstacles safely and with proper form and technique. Dogs learn to problem solve, overcome fear, and build confidence as they navigate obstacles under the guidance of their handler.

More on dog parkour here.

So far, Newt and I have earned our PKD-N and PKD-BK1.

We plan to earn our PKD-I and PKD-TT by the fall of 2025.

Link to our PKD-BK1 video here! 

Does your dog have a prey drive? How would you like to channel your dog's prey drive into earning titles and finding live rats in buried tubes (don't worry the rats are trained and unharmed)? Then Barn Hunt is the sport for you! 

This is a timed sport where dogs can earn titles depending on their speed at finding buried rats tubes in hay bales as well as correctly indicating on which tubes contain rats. The more advanced the title, the more rats are hidden and in more difficult locations. Dogs are run without completely naked (without leash or collar), and dogs must pass 3 legs per title earned. Dogs are also required to run through hay bale tunnels (the number of tunnels required depends on the level). 

If you are unsure if your dog will enjoy the sport, you can sign up for an instinct test first where the rat tubes are placed in the open, and your dog must indicate on the correct tube in under 2 minutes to earn the instinct title (RATI). 

More info on Barn Hunt here and on the official Barn Hunt Association website.

Newt has not earned any Barn Hunt titles yet. We dabbled in the sport a while ago, and while he placed high in class and earned first place with the fastest time, he was disqualified for marking on hay bales for his other two runs. Being a novice handler myself, I also failed to notice his indications on tubes several times. If we proceed with the sport, I will enroll him in several classes before we trial again. No dog or handler is perfect, and I will be the first to admit where our weaknesses lie.

1. This spring, I would like to enroll Newt in a few private lessons to see if he would take to dock diving. I have always loved watching dogs jump off the dock to retrieve their bumpers, and if Newt has fun, then it would be an awesome, stress-free way to earn more titles and try out a new sport for both of us!

2. I would also like to participate in AKC Fetch with Newt. Newt loves playing ball with me, and I think it would be great if we earned some titles showcasing his ability to fetch. We would like to earn at least an intermediate title in this sport.

3. In addition, I would also like to compete in AKC Rally at some point. Whether it be this year or the next, I think it is about time we put our bond to the test and compete in a more formal setting. To be completely honest, I will need to work on my own nerves before competing, as Newt is very in tune with my emotions, and I would not want him to feed off my energy before trials. Part of growing as a trainer is to be your own harshest critic and know your own limitations, and until I can work on myself, I will not be entering any rally trials yet.

4. Newt loves to use his nose, and I would love to compete in AKC Scentwork or NASDA with him. Both of us would be completely green to nosework, but I think it would be super fun and he would have a blast.

5. Newt and I enjoy hiking, and he has always carried his own supplies. A cool title I'd like to earn with Newt this summer would be his working pack dog (WPD) title, offered by the Siberian Husky Club of America.