Foundation, Foundation, Foundation

Just like the real estate world has the mantra "location, location, location," I think the dog training world should have the mantra "foundation, foundation, foundation." It's all the work that goes into making a great dog a great dog, not necessarily a great sport dog. I think I'm one of the odd balls that loves foundation work. Most people skip over this to go on to the more exciting things like jump grids and contact work. I am most pleased when someone (a non-agility person) tells me what nice dogs I have. That's the foundation work shining through.

I signed up for another on-line, Susan Garrett course. This time the topic is...have you guessed yet? Foundation! It starts in a week. I'm eager to get started. I love her approach to training through games. I want to teach more balance work and incorporate more trick training into our routine.

Thanks to Susan Garrett

Cosi and I just completed our on-line course for Brilliant Recalls with Susan Garrett. What a great learning experience! Not only did I learn practical things like games to play, but my understanding of dog training as a whole increased.

I saw a difference in Cosi this past weekend. He had more focus and didn't get "sky high" when looking at other dogs on course, which is a huge distraction for him. In fact, if you look at our video (see previous post), you'll actually see us get in the ring while the previous dog is finishing! That never happened before because he would be a loon. He walks with me onto the course, not dragging me at the end of the lease. He sits and watches the other dogs, but he didn't bark madly and lunge.

We had 9 runs this weekend, with Cosi staying "in the zone" for all but one run. Yea, Cosi! Growing and learning together. It's all about the journey, right?