Why foundation training is SO important in Canine Conditioning

Ptarmigan owned by Lori Schlosser

If your new to canine conditioning, chances are, you may not have realized yet just how much training is involved! I was recently talking with a friend who had joined my Do More From Home circuit class. When I asked her how she liked the program she took a long pause and said, “Carolyn, I didn’t realize how much dog training is involved in conditioning!" My friend Jess went into the course with the focus on conditioning and she soon learnt that this was not possible without first addressing some of the foundation skills of learning proper foot positioning and how to hold/maintain position.   
 
Now, Jess is a very skilled dog trainer so it didn't take long for her to layer back the exercises, focus on the 'training' side of things and  re-visit exercise criteria with the goal of improved form and positioning. This was her ticket to success in finishing up the circuit course with her original goal of conditioning and overload.     
 
This is actually a more common occurrence than you may think! In this week’s blog I take a look at some of the common mistakes students make in their conditioning sessions and how a return to foundation training is the answer to fixing these problems!  

Common Conditioning Mistakes

•  Lack of preparation: Before training you want to make sure you have everything you need for a successful and rewarding session. This means that as a handler, you should have some low/high level food and toy rewards on hand for your dog. You also want to have a clear idea of what you’re doing in the session. This means you’ve thought ahead on the exercises you want to do, the equipment you need, and what you want to accomplish.   
• Pick your environment! If I asked you to take a test in the middle of a busy highway chances are you’re not going to perform well! The same is true of your dog! Our dogs are very good at taking in and processing information and if you stick them in a busy environment their focus is going to be divided between what you’re trying to teach them and every other stimulus in their immediate vicinity! Pick your training environment carefully and eliminate as many distractions as you can.    
• Poor equipment choice – Often, in my training classes, I have to remind students to think carefully on the equipment they’re using. Just because an exercise is being demonstrated on an unstable piece of equipment like a fitbone, a peanut, or a donut doesn’t mean YOU need to pick the same equipment! Often a video demonstration is a demonstration to show the desired END behavior. Your dog may not be able or ready to handle the challenge a particular piece of equipment presents. A general rule is when in doubt start with something easy and slowly build the challenge up.   
• Be PRESENT! Leave your preoccupations, worries, and frustrations at the door and focus on your dog. If you’re distracted, you’re not giving your attention to the task at hand. Conditioning asks a lot of precision work from your dog and, as their training partner, you need to be giving them your full attention to ensure they’re doing the work safely!   
• If you don’t like the preview – skip the movie! Long term students of mine have heard me say this MANY times! What I mean is if you don’t like what you’re seeing rather than continue on with the exercise STOP and reset your dog. Practicing bad position and form is only going to cause problems down the road. The longer our dogs have had time to rehearse the incorrect form and positioning, the longer it can take to untrain it! I often seen handlers ignore bad form in favor of getting the exercise complete. Remember, this is not a race!   

You don't know, what you don't know!

There is SO MUCH information out there when it comes to conditioning training and you can’t be expected to know everything! Even experienced trainers are constantly learning and tweaking their sessions to suit their dog, the environment, and their training goals.   
 
When I first started, I had a lot of questions...  

• What’s the right equipment to use?  
• What should I train first?  
• How often should I train?  
• How do I get my dog calm and focused?   
• How often do I need to reward?  

We live in the information age and many of us will turn to our friend Google in search of our answers. When we do this there are two things that can happen...  

1. We find the wrong information – there is A LOT of information out there and not all of it is correct or safe. In a recent live I did, I took students through an exercise that at first glance may look pretty easy to do but as we broke it down it quickly became clear that it was an exercise only experienced handlers and dogs should do. The truth is, the exercises we see online very rarely have a disclaimer attached to them warning us about the difficulty or pre-requisite skills needed.  
2. We experience information paralysis – when we get iodinated with information we can begin to over think or shut down entirely. When this happens, we simply give up and stop trying to condition our dogs entirely. When we are overwhelmed by the task of simply “figuring it out” we give it up.   
   
   

This is why I encourage people to search out trusted and reliable sources of information for conditioning exercises. Seek out the experts who can help guide you through the exercises that are suitable for YOUR dog. As a canine physio, I have seen, treated, and guided hundreds of dogs through conditioning programs. As a result, many of the issues you may be struggling are the same challenges I’ve SEEN and worked through with another trainer. 

Why foundations? 

Foundation training is not just for puppies or dogs new to canine conditioning. Dogs at all stages of life, training, and ability can benefit from a return to foundation skills. Foundation work is not something we need to “get through” so we can start working on the “real skills,” in fact, the work we do now is crucial to the success of our future training goals. By taking the time now to teach our dogs good training habits, proper form, and a solid understanding of various foundation exercises we are reducing their risk of injury (present and future) and save critical time that would be needed to re-train those bad habits and postures later in life.     
 
There is no set time frame for which foundation behaviors have to be completed. In fact, I still work on foundation training with ALL my dogs on a weekly basis. Foundations can include learning a new exercise, proofing an existing one (improved foot positioning, balance) or adding a new challenge to an already learned behavior. Remember, we truly want to get the dog to understand the foundation behaviors versus going through the motions of just completing the exercise for the sake of checking it off our list.  
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The foundation training we do apply to more than just conditioning but actually compliments our other training as well. When we work with our dogs on foundation, we not only build a stronger relationship with them but we also bolster their confidence, improve upon their life skills, and build on their sport foundations. ​

The answer to our foundation woes...

You may be thinking, Carolyn, this sounds great but how do I avoid the pit falls of information paralysis and bad internet searches in my journey to brush up my foundation skills?   
 
You’re in luck. I have been hard at work for years with hundreds of clients and their dogs perfecting a systematic framework for foundations! I’m finally ready to announce that I have discovered the right combination of exercises and behaviors to ensure my dog’s foundation was completed and not full of holes!!!!! 
 
This. Is. HUGE! The definitive conditioning foundation course is here!  
If you’re struggling with any of these common conditioning roadblocks this program is for you!!!! 
 

• You DESIRE that perfect standing position but struggling to figure out how to do it!!!  
• Your dog LOVES conditioning work so much but they can’t seem to stay still!!  
• You TRY to support your dog but not sure where your body or reward placement should be to get better success… 

• You KNOW which behaviors you need to work on but have no clue how to train it quickly for max results…. 
• You are BUSY – work, family, other commitments and want to learn quickly and efficiently how to get results!! 

 
What do you get in this course? 
 

• 30 foundation exercises! With modules focusing on core, strength, flexibility, balance, and achieving the PERFECT stack! 
• 5 LIVE Q&A sessions with Carolyn! 

• BONUS! Training Games  
• EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK at our Framework to Foundation Success Workbook!  
• NEW! Training Tips videos with detailed instructions on reward placement, positioning and other tips to help set your training sessions up for success! 
  
  

Canine Conditioning is no different than any other complex task.  You wouldn't just start a dog running full courses, you would start with foundation skills and the same is critical with conditioning exercise programs. Stop feeling overwhelmed! This program is the key to getting your dog to the NEXT LEVEL.  It is a one-of-a-kind conditioning foundations course, that when followed, will improve your dog’s fitness and allow them to start to working on more complex exercises! From the Ground Up: Foundation Essentials for the Canine Athlete is open for enrolment now! 

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Check out From the Ground Up