CTTTrick · T1 Unlocks a Trick franchise

Certified Trick Trainer

Trick T1 — entry-level trick training specialty. 30-day in-person residential. Builds on General L1. Free-shaping mastery, AKC Trick Dog program (Novice TKN → Intermediate TKI → Advanced TKA → Performer TKP → Elite Performer TKE — five levels; see akc.org/sports/trick-dog), 30+ trick foundations, choreography intro, behavior chains, filming/portfolio. Trick training is the most reinforcement-positive specialty — compulsion is rarely the right answer. Graduates earn the right to apply for a trick-discipline franchise (Nicole reviews and provisions). Annual renewal includes performing a 3-minute routine with own dog.

Apply for CTT Cohort dates

30 days · in person at HQ · 80% to pass · valid 12 months

A Buck’s trainer handling multiple dogs at once

Who can sit this program

Specialty entry requires the General foundation first:

Active General L1 (CBDT) certification

The 30 days, in full

This is the actual syllabus for CTT — 82 topics across 30 days, 152h 15m of scheduled instruction. Not a sample, not a summary.

Why trick work is reinforcement-first, how free-shaping differs from luring and capturing, and the click-treat mechanics that make or break every trick that follows.
- Why trick training lives at the reward end of the systemlecture
- Capture vs lure vs free-shape — three engines, three jobslecture
- Mechanical timing — the mark, the 0.3s window, rate of reinforcementlecture
- Lab — clicker mechanics drill + first capturelab

Kennel ceiling: up to 5 dogsT1 · Foundation level

The foundation — it turns you from a trainer into an owner.

Unlocks eligibility to open your own Buck’s location (the matching franchise type)
Run up to 5 dogs in your kennel at a time

Your certification level sets the maximum number of dogs your kennel may hold at once — 5 at L1, 10 at L2, 20 at L3. You tell us how many you actually want to run within that ceiling. The number is a capacity limit set by your level, not a guarantee that a set number of dogs will be provided or booked.

How you're tested

Two stages: an online theory gate (three written finals) that earns your cohort invitation, then the in-person four-modality exam you sit at HQ — you pass all four to certify.

Stage 1 · before your cohort

Online theory gate

Once you're invited, you complete a self-paced online course and pass three written finals. Passing all three is the prerequisite that unlocks your cohort — it proves you're theory-ready. It is not a substitute for the in-person exam.

1Dog Theory final
2Business Operations final
3Advanced Trainer Knowledge final

Pass all three → you earn your cohort invitation.

Stage 2 · at your 30-day cohort

In-person four-modality exam

The certification itself is earned entirely in person. All four modalities — including the written — are sat at HQ. You pass all four to certify, and annual renewal runs the same battery.

1Written
Pass 80%
2Informational Oral
Pass 14 / 20
3Behavioral Observation
Pass 14 / 20
4Physical Practical
Pass 4 of 5 stations

Pass all four → you're certified.