Do More With Your Dog: The Kyra Sundance Trick Dog Program

Last updated: May 23, 2026

What Do More With Your Dog Is

Do More With Your Dog (DMWYD) is the original trick-dog titling framework created by Kyra Sundance, a trainer, performer, and author best known for her bestselling book “101 Dog Tricks” (first published in 2007) and the broader “10-Minute Dog Training Games” series that followed. DMWYD predates the AKC Trick Dog program and remains the deepest, most structured trick-dog pathway available globally.

Sundance’s framework was the first widely adopted system to formalize trick-dog titling for the pet-owner community. Before DMWYD, trick training was largely informal — dogs learned tricks at home, performed at parties, and never received any documentation. Sundance built a titling structure with defined criteria at each level, an evaluator system, and a global community that could compare progress across countries.

In 2017, the AKC licensed and adapted the DMWYD framework into the AKC Trick Dog program (Novice through Performer), bringing the structure into the larger AKC ecosystem. DMWYD retained its independent identity and continues to offer a fifth level — Elite Performer — that goes beyond the AKC ceiling.

The Five DMWYD Levels

The DMWYD program structure is: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert, and Champion (with Elite Performer sometimes used as the highest informal recognition). The AKC adaptation maps approximately to: AKC Novice corresponds to DMWYD Novice, AKC Intermediate to DMWYD Intermediate, AKC Advanced to DMWYD Advanced, and AKC Performer to DMWYD Expert / Champion. Owners often title in both programs in parallel.

Novice level requires 15 tricks from a basic list — slightly more than the AKC equivalent. Tricks include sit, down, shake, spin, target touch, kennel up, retrieve, and others. The intent at Novice is breadth: the dog demonstrates a foundation of cooperative behaviors across multiple categories (positions, targeting, retrieves, basic movement).

Intermediate level (15 additional tricks) introduces multi-step tricks and longer durations. Advanced level (15 more) adds distance and prop work. Expert level (10 more, totaling 55 unique tricks) requires combined routines. Champion / Elite Performer is the apex — a full demonstration routine with handler choreography, smooth transitions, and trick combinations that show genuine performance polish.

Sundance’s Training Philosophy

Sundance’s published method is firmly within the positive-reinforcement / force-free / LIMA-aligned tradition. Her books emphasize luring, shaping, and capturing as the three primary trick-teaching techniques. She uses food rewards, marker words (“yes” or a clicker), and short repeated sessions rather than long drilling. The handler-dog relationship she describes is collaborative and play-based.

Sundance does not endorse aversive correction in trick training, and her materials are widely used in credentialed-force-free training schools (KPA, Karen Pryor Academy; CCPDT-credentialed trainers) as foundation reading. The clicker training overview describes the marker-based approach Sundance’s books rely on; the marker training protocol applies cleanly to DMWYD level work.

The pedagogical core of Sundance’s writing is breaking each trick into small approximations and reinforcing each one heavily before moving to the next. This is the classical shaping pathway from Skinner and Karen Pryor, formalized into accessible owner-facing language. The errorless learning and shaping protocol describes the underlying behavior-analytic mechanism.

The 101 Dog Tricks Curriculum

“101 Dog Tricks” is the foundational text of the DMWYD program. The book organizes tricks into categories: beginner tricks, around-the-house tricks, exercise tricks, brain games, sports tricks, and showy tricks. Each trick is presented with photos of approximations, a step-by-step breakdown, a difficulty rating, and prerequisites that link to earlier tricks in the book.

Tricks include classics (sit, down, shake), service-dog-style behaviors (close the door, retrieve named items, get help), agility-style behaviors (jump through hoop, balance on a stool), and audience-pleasing performance tricks (play dead, sneeze on cue, bow). The diversity is intentional — different dogs find different categories more natural, and Sundance encourages playing to the individual dog’s strengths.

The book is paired with subsequent volumes: “51 Puppy Tricks,” “101 Ways to Do More With Your Dog,” and the “10-Minute Dog Training Games” series. Each builds on the same shaping-and-capturing foundation. For senior dogs, low-impact tricks like targeting and named-object retrieval pair well with the training senior dogs new tricks protocol.

How Owners Submit and Get Titled

DMWYD allows two submission methods: in-person evaluation by a certified DMWYD evaluator, or video submission. Video submission is the more common route, especially for owners outside major US metropolitan areas. The owner films the dog performing the required tricks, identifies the level being tested, and submits through the DMWYD website.

An approved evaluator reviews the submission and confirms whether each trick meets the criteria for that level. Pass / fail is per trick; the dog must demonstrate the full required count of tricks at the appropriate level to earn the title. There is no time pressure between submissions, so owners can submit gradually as the dog masters new tricks.

For deaf dogs, hand signals fully substitute for verbal cues. For blind dogs, tactile and verbal cues replace visual cues. The DMWYD program is inclusive across sensory and physical differences. The training deaf dogs with hand signals protocol works seamlessly with DMWYD trick acquisition.

DMWYD vs AKC Trick Dog — The Practical Choice

For owners deciding between programs, the practical differences are small but meaningful. DMWYD requires more tricks at each level and offers a higher ceiling (Elite Performer / Champion above the AKC Performer level). AKC Trick Dog is integrated into the AKC’s broader title ecosystem — earning AKC titles contributes toward your dog’s overall AKC record, which matters for owners pursuing other AKC programs (Rally, Obedience, CGC, FastCAT, Scent Work).

Most owners eventually title in both. The trick repertoire built for DMWYD Novice covers the AKC Trick Dog Novice list with room to spare. The submission processes are independent — submitting a video for DMWYD does not automatically register the dog for AKC, or vice versa — but the underlying training is the same.

If your broader goal is AKC sport titles (CGC, Rally, Trick Dog), start with AKC. If your goal is the deepest possible trick repertoire and a longer-term relationship-building project with your dog, start with DMWYD. The AKC Trick Dog level guide covers the AKC-side details in depth.

Trick Training as Relationship Building

Sundance’s writing repeatedly frames trick training as fundamentally about relationship — the dog learns to communicate with the handler, the handler learns to read the dog, and the back-and-forth refines both. This is not soft marketing; it reflects the operant-conditioning research showing that high-rate reinforcement environments strengthen the handler-dog bond and reduce stress responses.

For newly adopted dogs, trick training is a particularly useful relationship project. The dog learns the handler’s voice, the click or marker, the treat-delivery rhythm, and the predictable structure of training sessions. The shared focus produces visible attachment behaviors (handler-checking, soft eye contact, soft body language) within days to weeks for most dogs.

For rescue dogs with fearful or anxious histories, trick work in a calm environment provides cognitive enrichment and predictable success. The dog earns reinforcement, the world becomes more predictable, and the underlying anxiety often dampens as a side effect of the structured success. This is one of the reasons many force-free behavior consultants recommend trick training alongside formal behavior modification protocols.

DMWYD and the Global Community

DMWYD has built a substantial international community. Trick-dog enthusiasts in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Latin America title their dogs through DMWYD video submission when AKC programs (which are US-centric) are not accessible. Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney, and major European cities all have active DMWYD-trained handlers.

The community also runs informal events: trick-dog meetups, performance showcases at dog-friendly festivals, and online challenge series. For owners looking for a sport-adjacent activity that does not require travel to formal trial venues, DMWYD is often the most accessible entry point. The video-submission model fits modern owner schedules and accommodates dogs who cannot test in crowded public environments.

The original DMWYD framework continues to be updated by Sundance’s team. Newer tricks, refined evaluation criteria, and digital community features (private groups, video archives) keep the program current. The underlying philosophy — positive-reinforcement-based, dog-focused, relationship-first — has remained consistent since the 2007 release of “101 Dog Tricks.”

Force-Free Method Note

Sundance’s published curriculum aligns with the AVSAB Position Statement on Humane Dog Training and the broader LIMA framework. The credentialed force-free community (CCPDT, IAABC, KPA, PPG, APDT) widely uses her books as foundational reading. The stimulus-control and cue-transfer framework that underpins advanced trick work is itself drawn from the same behavior-analytic tradition Sundance writes within.

Owners ultimately choose their methods; we recommend the credentialed-positive-first path. DMWYD’s reinforcement-based curriculum is one of the strongest practical examples of why positive reinforcement scales — the program produces dogs performing 50+ tricks with high reliability, in front of cameras and audiences, using only food, marker, and play as reinforcers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Kyra Sundance?

Kyra Sundance is a professional trainer, performer, and author who created the Do More With Your Dog program and wrote “101 Dog Tricks” (2007) and the “10-Minute Dog Training Games” series. She has performed with her dogs on stages and television and remains active in the trick-dog community.

How many tricks does my dog need to know for Champion / Elite Performer?

DMWYD’s apex level requires approximately 55 unique tricks plus a polished demonstration routine. Most owners reach Expert level (around 55 tricks) before working toward Champion-level routine choreography.

Can mixed-breed and rescue dogs title in DMWYD?

Yes. DMWYD is fully open to all dogs regardless of breed, registration status, or background. No AKC or kennel club registration is required.

How long does it take to reach Novice?

Most dogs can reach DMWYD Novice within 2 to 4 months of consistent short-session training, assuming the owner is using positive reinforcement and a marker. Some highly trainable individuals reach Novice in weeks.

Do I need a clicker to do DMWYD?

No, but a marker of some kind (clicker, verbal “yes,” tongue-click) dramatically accelerates trick acquisition. Sundance’s books recommend clicker training and provide marker-conditioning instructions for beginners.