Hey, want to know the secret to dog agility?
Learn to love foundation training.
Yep, that’s it. Good news is, it’s not hard to love when it’s all about games and learning through success, not errors. And if teaching all the handling skills you’ll need without using any equipment seems daunting or impossible, don’t fret. It’s all laid out in the most comprehensive online course I’ve offered to date. I’m calling it Foundation FUN, and it’s comprised of three interest areas; flatwork, toy/reinforcer skills, and tricks-n-games.
Flatwork
Flatwork is really something you’ll want to know and love if you are looking to have success in the sport of dog agility. The sport isn’t really made up of equipment; it’s made of what happens between the obstacles, and what happens there is “flatwork.” Front crosses, rear crosses, blind crosses, acceleration and deceleration cues, and more.
Toy/Reinforcer Skills
A favorite skill set of mine, and one I think most people neglect. Teach your dog to drive to your chosen reinforcer as well as leave it alone when asked. Make toys (or food) more usable for your current and future training by increasing your communication about them with your dog.
Tricks-n-Games
Of course, no foundation program would be complete without the addition of fun body awareness tricks and troubleshooting games. Prevent injuries, increase comfort with potentially scary stuff, and just plain have a blast teaching your dog some cool things.
Each week, for eight weeks, one assignment in each category will be released. If you’re doing the math here, that’s 24 total assignments. Students can follow one track or all three, depending on their time commitment or current level of training. There is no limit to video and questions that students post, so work at whatever pace you’d like.
If you’d like to join, or have any questions, just shoot me an email! training@thecognitivecanine.com
