As I write this article, it is now the peak heat part of summer in Arizona. Every year, at this time, I encourage all my students to learn and practice my Lifetime Fundamentals Series (back to basics). These are the crucial skills and habits for both the dogs and owners that are taught and practiced in a slow, methodical system.
Every top professional has a set of fundamental skills that are the basis for whatever else they do. I meet a lot of people, so I recently had the opportunity to speak with a soldier who does top level fighting for the US military. I asked him, “how often do you practice your fundamentals?” His answer? “Every day.” Think about that, this man does the most advanced types of operations, but he still practices his fundamentals every day. Yet… do we know what the fundamental skills are for our dogs and for ourselves? Most people don’t have any idea, no purpose, no motivation, no plan.
For my students, I lay out a lifetime plan for their dogs. Regardless of the breed, behavioral issues, or age of dog, these fundamentals are the same. I call them fundamentals, because they apply to every situation for every dog. They also apply for every dog owner.
Think of the fundamentals like putting money in the bank that you will be able to use to make withdrawals for the rest of your dog’s life. Generally, people don’t like doing the basics, perceiving them as a boring step backwards and a grind. They want the end results now, and don’t realize that those advanced skills and behaviors require mastery of the Fundamentals. All this bad thinking is a roadblock to having a super nice dog that listens and taken places.
Let’s start with the dog owners. What do they get out of the fundamentals? First, they will create an ongoing relationship with their dog that is necessary to get what they want out of their dog. I was just marveling (yes, I still love dog training) yesterday at the affectionate relationship one of my students had for her dog, and the affectionate relationship the dog had towards her. The dog practically worships her. It didn’t start out that way. He was a nice dog starting out, but not very personal, not all that affectionate. Our fundamentals work has changed all of that. He is now super attentive, obedient, curious, happy, and stress free. He’s now what I call the Perfect Dog. We can continue to teach him more skills, no problem. But he’s now completely receptive and eager to participate in whatever we want to teach.
In addition, my Lifetime Fundamentals Series teaches owners what is important; persistence; patience; and emotional self-control especially in emergencies. We also game out potential scenarios and talk about how to respond to a wide variety of emergencies and practical problems. If an owner learns and practices the right mindset, that makes real world situations a lot easier to manage.
Then, there are the Lifetime Fundamentals that every dog should learn. These parts range from Manners to solid and precise obedience, quiet focused working, discovering how to feel good, how to work in distracting environments, learning to work and listen, and how to play fairly and politely.
Within my Lifetime Fundamentals Series, there are specific exercises that both the dog and owner must master and maintain. The reason I put time into these exercises in the summer, is because we can do most of this teaching indoors while it is burning hot outdoors. Plus, this work is slow, methodical, and needs to be started in a quiet confined area, while at the same time not letting the dog lose motivation. This type of work isn’t best started in a busy and chaotic location, since there is a lot of focus, small detail work to be accomplished. As those skills solidify, I then have the owners take their dogs into public venues to practice. And I also am laying the foundation for them to be able to keep these fundamentals in tip top shape for the rest of the life of the dog. All skills are perishable, so if the owners let these deteriorate, then everything else will deteriorate over the years. Students just need to know what to do and why to make this happen.
Does your dog have mastery over the fundamentals? Do you? Probably not. So, if you are having issues with your dog, or you just want a dog that truly listens and is still a happy and affectionate dog, I recommend this series for you and your dog.