Quarantining with your pet? AKC shows have gone virtual.

TikToks of bored people playing the Harry Potter theme song on their dryer are showing just how creative people can get with too much time on their hands. 2020 has brought a lot of changes, with many of those changes being our entertainment feeling largely unsafe.

It’s no different for your dog. Vet visits are now solo affairs, dog grooming can be tricky to get into, and many training centers, shows, and other doggy venues are completely closed.

The AKC is giving you one option if you want to do something with your furry friend. They’ve opened their Trick Dog and some of their Rally titles to virtual showing.

Train your dog to do cool tricks or brush up on their obedience, and record yourself performing the requested course or tricks on video. You then send the video into the AKC, and a judge will review the video and get back to you on what your score is. Points start at 100, and are subtracted from for each mistake that is made.

Just like in a real Rally course, if you get a passing score you’ll have a leg to a title, and if you make too many mistakes you’ll have to try again. Once you’ve successfully completed 3 courses you can get the Novice Rally-O title, and for the trick dog title, you only need to prove you can do the requested tricks once.

 Your dog does not have to be a purebred to enter. Spayed or neutered mixed breeds, as well as spayed or neutered unregistered purebreds, are welcome to join through their Pals program.

If you’ve always dreamed of having your dog title in a sport, this is a great way to spend time with your pet and keep active when so much of life is shut down. Your dog will appreciate the chance to spend time with you, and keep his own mind active, so it is a win for everyone involved.