Trick training is a super fun thing to do with your Portuguese Water Dog. Tricks are trained by breaking them down into small components and then building up to a fun finale. They are easy to train with very little equipment, though some tricks do require props to complete. You can find a local class, or you can buy a book to help you learn the steps. And of course there is always Youtube!

Tricks are the foundation for all Superdog type performances, and also for Canine Freestyle, but they are fun to learn just for their own sake. Who doesn’t love to show off how clever their portie is?

Teaching your portie cool tricks is not just fun, you can actually now get official titles, recognized by the Canadian Kennel Club all you need is a list of tricks for each level and a certified evaluator, either online or in person, to show your completed tricks to. Our own APWDC member and board member Karen Massner is an evaluator and has taught her three porties lots of fun tricks.

Many club members have completed trick titles, especially during Covid when they were stuck at home looking for ways to engage their dogs. If you need an activity that can be done at home, tricks are for porties!

Getting Started

Here is how to get started toward your first trick training title through Do More With Your Dog Any titles will be recognized by both the Canadian Kennel Club and The American Kennel Club