Obedience

Foundations of Obedience

Build a working relationship with your dog from the ground up — engagement, marker training, and the core positions that everything in competitive obedience is built on.

3 modules

7 lessons

54 min

Start the course

Behaviors covered F-05 Attention / Focus F-11 Reward acceptance / drive engagement A-05 Long stay (30-60 seconds)F-01 Sit F-10 Position change on cue F-06 Heel position (static)

Part 1

Engagement & Attention

Before a single command, the dog has to want to work with you. This part builds the foundation of focus that the rest of the course depends on.

Why Engagement Comes First · 12:34
The single most common reason obedience falls apart in trial is a dog that was taught commands before it was taught to care.
The Engagement Game · 16:52
A simple, repeatable session structure that teaches the dog that offering you attention is the most rewarding thing in the room.
Adding Distraction
Attention in your kitchen is easy. This lesson covers the graded introduction of distraction so focus holds up at a trial.

Part 2

Marker Training

A clear communication system — one sound that means "yes, that, and payment is coming" — is the vocabulary the rest of your training is written in.

Charging the Marker · 10:23
How to give a marker word or clicker its meaning so it becomes a precise, reliable promise of reward.
Marker Mechanics & Timing
The handler-side skills — timing, food delivery, and reward placement — that make or break a marker system.

Part 3

The Core Positions

Sit, down, and the heel position — taught with the engagement and marker foundation already in place.

Luring vs. Shaping · 14:49
Two ways to get a behavior, when to reach for each, and how to fade the help so the dog owns the position.
Building the Heel Position
Finding, marking, and rewarding the exact heel position — the anchor point of competitive obedience.