Why join the International Trick Dog Competition?
Task 1 of the International Trick Dog Competition is now underway — and there is still time to join us! Entries for Task 1 close at the end of this Sunday.
But if you’ve been looking at ITDC and wondering, “Is this really for us?”, here is perhaps a better question:
What could you and your dog gain from taking part?
Last year, more than 100 dog-and-handler teams from 11 different countries joined the International Trick Dog Competition. Some were experienced competitors. Others were relatively new to tricks. We had different breeds, different training styles, different languages, different ambitions — and dogs with a huge range of abilities.
That mix is exactly what makes ITDC so much fun.
It gives your training somewhere to go
It’s easy to practise the tricks we already know or keep meaning to teach “something new” without quite getting around to it.
ITDC gives you a little bit of structure, a deadline and most importantly a reason to try.
The competition consists of five progressive tasks, with three weeks to work on and submit each one.
The idea isn’t simply to test what your dog can already do. Each task gives you something new to explore, gradually stretching your skills, creativity and teamwork.
Think of it as progressive training with just enough stretch.
You might discover a new way of teaching something, finally try an idea that has been sitting at the back of your mind, or find that your dog is capable of something you had never considered before.
You get feedback you can actually use
Every submitted video receives individual written feedback from our judges.
This has always been one of the most valued parts of ITDC.
Our aim isn’t simply to tell you where you placed. We want the judging to help you understand what is working well, recognise the strengths in your partnership and give you useful ideas to take into your next stage of training.
Over five tasks, that feedback adds up.
Quite often the biggest success isn’t a certificate or a placing. It is looking back at your first video a few months later and realising just how much you and your dog have progressed.
It gets you thinking creatively
There is rarely just one “correct” way to approach an ITDC task.
That is very deliberate.
We want to see your dog, your ideas and your partnership.
This year’s first task, for example, explores hoops, loops, rings and similar objects. You can keep it simple, build on tricks your dog already knows or use the theme as a starting point for something completely different.
Sometimes a limitation or unusual idea produces the most creative solution of all.
And you definitely do not need an enormous collection of professional props!
You become part of an international trick dog community
Yes, it is a competition.
But ITDC has always had a rather unusual atmosphere for one.
People share ideas, encourage each other, celebrate breakthroughs and often stay in touch long after the competition finishes. Friendships have formed across countries, people have gone on to train together, collaborate on projects and continue inspiring one another.
For us, that supportive community is every bit as important as the results.
You can compete seriously and aim for the top, while still cheering for someone else when their dog finally masters something they have been working on for weeks.
You don't need a “perfect” trick dog
ITDC is open to dogs at very different stages of their training journey.
Our classes are designed to give developing teams as well as experienced competitors an appropriate challenge. Your dog does not need to be a particular breed, age or type.
We are also extremely proud of the dogs with disabilities who have taken part over the years.
Blind dogs, deaf dogs and dogs who are both deaf and blind have competed — and excelled.
Physical limitations do not mean a lack of potential. Sometimes they simply require a little more creativity in how a task is approached.
What matters to us is that you and your dog are working positively, safely and as a team.
You can take part from almost anywhere
ITDC is completely online.
There is no travelling, no busy competition venue and no need for your dog to perform in an unfamiliar environment.
You can train and film somewhere your dog feels comfortable and work at a pace that suits you both.
And you do not need to speak English to take part.
Train and cue your dog in whichever language you normally use. Online translation tools can help with the written task guidance, and if something isn't clear, just contact us and we will do our best to help.
Last year, teams from 11 countries took part.
We would love to welcome even more of the world this time.
And you will have something worth keeping
There is one benefit people sometimes only appreciate afterwards: the videos.
At the end of ITDC you don’t just have competition entries. You have a little record of several months of learning, experimenting, laughing, problem-solving and spending focused time together.
Those videos become memories.
And, for many of us, that eventually matters far more than where we finished on a results table.
So… is ITDC for you?
If you enjoy teaching your dog, would like a little motivation to try something new, appreciate thoughtful feedback and like the idea of training alongside dog people from around the world, then yes, probably!
You don’t need to arrive with everything polished and perfect.
That’s rather the point.
Come as the team you are now and see where five challenges can take you.
Task 1 entries close at the end of Sunday, 4 October.
Come and join us — we would love to have you and your dog along for the journey.
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