Sports Dog Foundations

Service Description

This specialized foundation course is designed for dogs and handlers interested in the exciting world of competitive canine sports, including but not limited to Agility, Competitive Obedience, Rally, Barn Hunt, Tracking, Scent Work, Dock Diving, FastCAT, and various Hunting disciplines (Retriever/Upland Flushing). We focus on installing the core psychological and physical skills required for sustained success in performance environments. The Athlete's Mindset: Drive Meets Control Competitive success relies on a delicate balance: providing the dog with an added dash of “jet fuel” (drive and intensity) without sacrificing self-control and reliability. This program will help you build this balance by teaching: • Avid Engagement and Focus: Strategies to build a committed focus to the handler that withstands high-level distractions in new environments. Focus is the foundation of all great training and communication. • Drive Building and Reward Rituals: Techniques to increase innate play or prey drive and establish meaningful reward rituals that keep your dog motivated and enthusiastic during extended tasks. • Confidence in Performance: Confidence is cultivated through carefully designed exercises that prepare your dog to work comfortably on novel surfaces and with objects (around, through, over, and under). We aim to build composure and reliability in various challenges. Advanced Foundational Skills: We lay the groundwork for specific competition skills, ensuring your dog is set up for a lifetime of success in learning and competition: • Mastering Off-Leash Elements: Foundations for reliable recall to front and off-leash heel, as well as learning to work effectively at a distance from the handler. • Body and Fitness Awareness: Exercises that teach hind-end awareness and the beginning stages of utility skills like the formal retrieve. • Mental Management: Training techniques that include teaching your dog to relax on cue, which is critical for maintaining endurance and managing excitement in busy competitive settings. This course welcomes students who have never stepped foot in a trial before. It provides the essential, deeply rooted foundation behaviors necessary for your canine partner to transition from a well-adjusted companion to a top-tier athlete.