Positive Foundations Course

Calm communication, real-life skills, and trust-based training — guided one-on-one by me, Theo.

This course is designed for dogs and guardians who want practical, humane training that actually translates to real life. Using positive, force-free methods, we focus on helping dogs feel safe, confident, and motivated — while giving humans clear tools and understanding.

Whether your dog is young or fully grown, this program builds the foundational life skills and emotional resilience needed for long-term success living in our society.

Course Overview

Duration: 6 weeks
Format: One-on-one sessions with personalized homework
Delivery: In-person or virtual
Support: Ongoing guidance between sessions

Each week builds on the last, allowing skills to grow at your dog’s pace without pressure or overwhelm.

Week 1 — Understanding Behavior & Building the Foundation

Goal: Create clarity, predictability, and emotional safety.

Focus Areas:

How dogs learn and why behavior happens
Understanding your dog’s individual needs and motivations
Reading body language and early stress signals
Setting up your home and routine for success

Key Skills Introduced:
✔ Marker word or clicker basics
✔ Calm engagement games
✔ Reinforcing relaxed behavior

At-Home Practice:
✔ Establish daily training routines
✔ Practice calm check-ins throughout the day

Week 2 — Engagement, Focus & Communication

Goal: Help your dog choose you willingly, even with distractions.

Focus Areas:

Building attention without pressure
Name recognition and voluntary check-ins
Reinforcing calm focus
Setting realistic expectations around distractions

Key Skills Introduced:
✔ Attention cue (“look” / name response)
✔ Orientation to handler
✔ Rewarding choice-based engagement

At-Home Practice:
✔ Short focus games in low-distraction settings
✔ Practicing engagement during daily walks or routines

Week 3 — Core Life Skills

Goal: Teach foundational cues that support calm behavior and communication.

Focus Areas:

Teaching sit and down as communication tools
Duration and follow-through (without force)
Beginning impulse control
Building clarity and confidence with cues

Key Skills Introduced:
✔ Sit
✔ Down
✔ Beginning “stay” through duration, not pressure

At-Home Practice:
✔ Daily short training sessions
✔ Gradually increasing duration and calmness

Week 4 — Loose-Leash Walking Foundations

Goal: Reduce pulling by teaching skills — not correcting behavior.

Focus Areas:

Why pulling happens
Equipment guidance for force-free walking
Reinforcing proximity and slack leash
Creating calmer, more enjoyable walks

Key Skills Introduced:
✔ Leash orientation
✔ Reinforced check-ins
✔ Calm walking patterns

At-Home Practice:
✔ Structured practice walks
✔ Reinforcing moments of slack leash

Week 5 — Impulse Control & Everyday Challenges

Goal: Help your dog pause, think, and make better choices.

Focus Areas:

Understanding impulse control vs suppression
Teaching alternatives to jumping, grabbing, or rushing
Addressing behaviors like barking, over-excitement, or frustration
Environmental management to prevent rehearsal of unwanted behaviors

Key Skills Introduced:
✔ “Leave it” foundations
✔ Waiting calmly
✔ Choice-based decision making

At-Home Practice:
✔ Impulse control games
✔ Reinforcing calm choices throughout the day

Week 6 — Real-World Application & Long-Term Success

Goal: Bring everything together and create a sustainable plan moving forward.

Focus Areas:

Generalizing skills to new environments
Troubleshooting plateaus or setbacks
Building confidence around mild stressors
Creating a long-term training plan that fits your lifestyle

Key Skills Strengthened:
✔ Cue reliability in real-life situations
✔ Calm responses under mild distraction
✔ Confidence and resilience

At-Home Practice:
✔ Guided real-world practice
✔ Continued reinforcement of calm behavior

What You’ll Walk Away With

✔ Clear communication with your dog
✔ Foundational skills that work in everyday life
✔ A deeper understanding of behavior
✔ Reduced frustration for both ends of the leash
✔ A confident path forward

Why This Approach Works

This course is built on:
✔ Positive reinforcement
✔ Emotional safety and trust
✔ Teaching skills instead of punishing behavior
✔ Progress at your dog’s pace

Training isn’t about control — it’s about cooperation, clarity, and confidence.