National Pet Tricks Day

From clever puppies who can play soccer to kittens who can shake hands, the animal kingdom is full of all sorts of delightful and entertaining tricksters. And as long as the owner has some patience and plenty of treats, it can be fun and rewarding trying to teach a pet some tricks. That’s what National Pet Tricks Day is all about!

History of National Pet Tricks Day

National Pet Tricks Day is a fairly recent event that was established by a professional dog trainer in 2020. Joe Nutkins of Ardleigh, Essex, in the UK, is a dog trainer who simply loves to connect with dogs and encourage them by teaching them to do tricks – and she founded the day with this in mind.

In fact, Nutkins doesn’t limit her training to dogs. She has also seen trick titles obtained by cats, hamsters and even parrots. And Nutkins’ own personal pets, including Norwich terriers as well as ducks and chickens, love learning tricks with the rewards of praise as well as garden peas!

Joe’s pets have even appeared on the TV show Britain’s Got Talent twice. In 2019 she performed tricks with Merlin, a Norwich Terrier, and Piper, an Old English Sheepdog, and then in 2023 with her duck, Echo.

National Pet Tricks Day is here to encourage pet owners to engage with their dogs, cats and all kinds of other animals by spending time with them and teaching them some unique and interesting tricks.

How to Celebrate National Pet Tricks Day

Consider getting involved with National Pet Tricks Day by implementing some of these delightfully silly plans and ideas:

Teach a Pet Some Tricks

Training a pet brings mental and physical stimulation as well as developing a pet relationally. Some important reminders about training a pet to do tricks might be just the thing on National Pet Tricks Day, such as these:

• Use positive rewards not punishment
• Be consistent
• Train little and often to build stamina
• Make it fun!

Share Some Pet Tricks with the World

One superb way to enjoy celebrating National Pet Tricks Day might be to make a video recording of a pet doing tricks and then share it on social media, through email, or in other circles where bragging is appreciated. Whether it’s a dog jumping through a hoop or opening and closing a door, or a parrot that can say some things to the in-laws that otherwise wouldn’t be allowed, teaching pets a trick is a fun and fruitful way to spend time – and sharing it with the world through video just makes it that much better!

Watch ‘Stupid Pet Tricks’

Late night talk show host, David Letterman, gave life to his show on NBC and then CBS for more than 30 years, and one of the most famous and memorable segments from his show was Stupid Pet Tricks. This was a time when guests would bring their pets onto the show and reveal the stupid things that they could do.

From dogs who can bowl, catch a frisbee or double Dutch jump rope, it’s a hilarious segment to offer a ridiculous laugh. It’s amazing what a pet will do for a treat! Check out some of these segments from Stupid Pet Tricks through YouTube or another online platform.