Product Description

The Foundation Fundamentals program is designed for all dogs at any skill level, whether a puppy or an adult. The purpose of this program is to build specific skills that your dog needs before you begin his obstacle training. It’s is very difficult to teach agility equipment to a dog if he’s running around with a toy, leaving you to go sniff, mugging you to get his treat, or going to visit others in hopes of finding something better than the reward you’re offering. You can’t train your dog to go over a jump or into a tunnel, much less chain together obstacles at speed, if he doesn’t know how to focus on the task at hand.

If the foundation skills covered in this two-day seminar are in place before obstacle training and sequencing begin, your actual agility training can be so much more efficient and enjoyable! A dog that loves his work and understands the boundaries within which to perform his work will be a joy for you to train, and the benefits will show when you begin your agility course work.

This 6-disc DVD set covers:

• Ignoring and working through distractions
• Using restrained recalls and chase games to aid in building drive and achieving maximum ground speed and tight turns on course
• Using non-agility equipment to teach your dog to understand handling cues and perform forward and lateral sends
• Teaching your dog to follow your cues to discriminate between two pieces of non-agility equipment so he chooses the “obstacle” you cue him to take, not the one he chooses
• Introducing your dog to balance and striding as he jumps
• Teaching your dog not to go behind you (sometimes referred to as the “no-go zone”)
• Teaching your dog to play with you without toys
• Teaching turns on the flat and working at your side
• Teaching recalls, even with distractions
• Retrieving a toy

Mary Ellen demonstrates the goal of each exercise with her own dogs and then works through the training steps with the seminar group. The group consists of puppies of varying ages and an older dog that is new to the sport. Mary Ellen not only helps the students teach the foundation skills to their dogs, but she gives them many tips for improving their overall dog training skills. The DVD also includes a bonus chapter where Mary Ellen demonstrates how the foundation fundamental skills apply to real agility work with obstacles.

About the Instructor

Mary Ellen's popularity as an agility seminar presenter and instructor has grown due to her ability to break things down for students and explain and clarify concepts. She has an excellent eye and is able to pinpoint simple training exercises for handlers to work on at home to improve coursework.Mary Ellen has been involved in dog training for 15 years. She's earned an ADCH with three dogs and represented the USA at the 2006 and 2008 IFCS World Championships.