Elizabeth Berthold-Davis And “Cricket” Win 2025 AKC National Trick Dog Competition

The American Kennel Club (AKC^®), a not-for-profit organization that is the world’s largest registry of purebred and mixed-breed dogs, and a leading voice for canine welfare and responsible ownership, is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 AKC Trick Dog Competition. The 7th Annual competition was a virtual event, open to Elite Performers, AKC’s highest level of trick dogs. More than 200 competitors from all over the United States submitted videos of outstanding performances that were evaluated by judges.

The overall winners were Elizabeth Berthold-Davis from East Patchogue, NY, and her Russell Terrier, “Cricket”. Their humorous routine, “Fix It, Cricket!” showed how Cricket can get your home in tip-top shape.

“This fun performance was outstanding,” said Mary Burch, AKC Family Dog Director. “Judges commented on Elizabeth’s handling style and how she moved her dog from one trick to the next with fluidity. Each year, the AKC Elite Performer routines in the competition get more sophisticated. We are so proud of all the AKC Elite Performer Trick Dogs in this year’s competition and their talented handlers.”

The two semi-finalists in the competition were Heidi Armstrong and her All American Dog, “Cheza,” from Austin, TX, and Melissa Quintana-Mitchell and her Brussels Griffon, “Hashbrown,” from Stanton, CA. Cheza and Armstrong are a search and rescue team that was deployed after the catastrophic flooding in Texas on July 4, 2025. Their routine was an emotional and moving tribute to the heroism of search and rescue dogs. Hashbrown and Quintana-Mitchell performed a swashbuckling pirate routine with outstanding props that included a pirate ship.

To learn more about teaching your dog to do tricks, visit https://www.akc.org/sports/trick-dog/.

Overall Winner

“Cricket”  handled by Elizabeth Berthold-Davis from East Patchogue, NY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hxz-0J3Be4

Semi-finalists

“Cheza” handled by Heidi Armstrong from Austin, TX

https://youtu.be/oiLmkAUlXVs?si=pbBl0gyZJkE41PLa

“Hashbrown” handled by Melissa Quintana-Mitchell from Stanton, CA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ6rfLpVWgw

All teams that entered will receive a qualifying rosette. The three winning teams will receive a personalized trophy.

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Posted by Liz on Nov 8 2025. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.