Intermediate Trick Dog (AKC & DMWYD) Virtual Course
Welcome to our Intermediate Trick Dog course! This fun and flexible online course is designed to guide you and your dog step-by-step through everything you need to earn your Intermediate Trick Dog title from either the AKC and/or Do More With Your Dog!
Whether your dog is a rising star or just loves showing off at home, this course helps you:
Teach 15+ tricks with clear, positive methods
Stay motivated and enriched with creative training challenges
Get free virtual Trick Dog assessments for both AKC and DMWYD for all your household dogs
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about learning together, building confidence, and having FUN with your dog!
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Introduction
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Welcome!
Welcome to the Intermediate Trick Dog course!
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Overview of AKC vs. DMWYD Trick Title Rules
A brief overview of the differences between the Do More With Your Dog! and AKC Intermediate Trick Dog titles.
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Tips for Video Submissions and Virtual Assessments
Some tips for filming your trick dog title assessments quickly and easily.
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How to Choose the Right Tricks for Your Dog
Some tips on how to select the right tricks for your dog.
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Trick Foundations Refresher
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Building Duration, Distance, and Fluency
Many Intermediate tricks ask for a little more duration, distance, or fluency. This section will show you how to get there.
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Marker Timing & Reinforcement Tips
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use marker cues and positive reinforcement effectively to clearly communicate with your dog.
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Proofing Against Distractions
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to use proof your tricks against real-world distractions.
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Week #1: Head Games (Head Related Tricks)
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Head Down
In this lesson, you’ll teach your dog to rest their chin gently on a target like your hand or a pillow using luring or shaping.
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Nose Touch (4 seconds)
In this lesson, you’ll shape your dog’s ability to hold a nose touch to your hand or a target for a full 4 seconds.
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Tell Me a Secret
In this sweet and silly trick, your dog “whispers a secret” by targeting their nose near your ear.
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Heart Nose Boop
In this lesson, you’ll teach your dog to boop their nose through a heart shape made with your hands using shaping or gentle luring.
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Sit with Head Tilted (aka Head Cock)
You’ll teach your dog to tilt their head on cue by capturing a natural, curious behavior using fun sounds and positive reinforcement.
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Shake Your Head "No"
You’ll teach your dog to turn their head side-to-side by capturing natural movements between your treat-filled hands, then shaping the behavior into a cue-able trick that looks like they’re saying “no.”
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Week #2: Partner Tricks (Body Prop Tricks) - Releases 7/20
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Week #3: Mouth/Hold Tricks - Releases 7/27
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Week #4: Target Tricks - Releases 8/3
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Week #5: Prop Tricks - Releases 8/10
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Week #6: Fun and Games - Releases 8/17
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Title-Ready! Practice & Prep
Meet your instructor
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Meet your instructor ✳
Lauren Tsao, MS, CDBC, CPDT-KA, CTDI, CARE-TC KD
Lauren Tsao is the founder of Faithfully Yours Dog Training and one of Mississippi’s most respected dog trainers and behavior consultants. She’s known for her compassionate, evidence-based approach to helping dogs thrive, especially those with complex behavioral needs. But she’s also a big believer in something else: training should be fun. That’s where trick training comes in.
As a Certified Trick Dog Instructor and AKC CGC Evaluator, Lauren brings a blend of playfulness and precision to every trick she teaches. Her own dogs have performed public trick routines as trick dogs and modeled for brands like Barkworthies, Good Reasons, Only Natural Pet, and more. They have more than a few trick dog titles under their belts too!
With a Master’s degree in Applied Animal Behavior & Welfare and a deep love of helping dogs succeed, Lauren designs her trick dog courses to support real-life skills, creativity, and connection between dog and handler. She’s been featured by Honest Kitchen, The Dodo, SuperTalk MS, FOX40, Buzzfeed, Wag More Worry Less, and more. She was named one of SniffSpot’s Top Positive Trainers in Mississippi in both 2022 and 2023.
Whether your dog is shy, energetic, or somewhere in between, Lauren’s virtual Intermediate Trick Dog course offers a supportive, step-by-step path to unlocking your dog’s potential.
Course FAQ
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This course is a 100% virtual, self-study course. There is no live instruction and you can complete it at your own pace.
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There is no deadline on video assessment submissions. Please take your time.
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We have assess Trick Dog titles for American Kennel Club (AKC) and Do More With Your Dog! (DMWYD)
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You don’t have to take or earn your Novice Trick Dog level with us.
However, we do recommend your dog and yourself already know some positive training basics, like how to use marker and have behaviors like sit, down, etc. before starting Intermediate level. -
The cost of the course covers virtual Trick Dog assessments from both AKC and Do More With Your Dog! for all your household dogs. Yes, even if you have like, 18 dogs.
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Because this is a virtual course, we don’t offer any refunds or exchanges.