Foundation skills

I’m always amazed by people who skip the foundation work and then wonder why everything falls apart later. Actually, the “foundation” needs constant work...as it’s the “basic” things that make or break a good run.

What things do I consider “foundation” exercises:

1. Voluntary attention (HUGE!!)
2. Hold
3. Marking
4. Hand touch & hand push
5. Nose target 
6. Motivational pop
7. Pop up release (to food for puppy, later a hand touch)
8. Rear end awareness exercises
9. Find heel position
10. Move with me & stay with me (even when released)
11. Bounce, spin, twist, backup
12. Position changes
13. Find front
14. Come
15. Spin back after picking something up
16. Getting on a platform & send away to a platform
17. Dumbbell games
18. How to use their nose (beginning scent work)
19. Send to a mat or crate
20. How to come out of a crate
21. How to play with me WITHOUT a toy or a cookie
22. Chasing a cookie or toy
23. Marker words
24. Muscle memory for head position
25. Responding to their name
26. Responding to cue words that I can take into the ring, i.e. “Ready”
27. and (most important) learning that training with me is the funnest thing in the world!!

Spend the time training these things to your puppy or young competition dog and it will pay off in the end!

Train hard. Play harder.

Shannon