Dog Obedience Classes Toronto

Foundation Skills – Who’s It For?

  • Your dog is 16 weeks or older
  • Your dog is not overly anxious or reactive to other dogs or people
  • Your dog has received their final booster shot and/or rabies vaccine
  • You want your dog to eventually take advanced classes such as Tricks, Scent Detection, Foundation Skills Level 2, etc.
  • Your pup is turning into a teenager, and want to get ahead of selective listening, pulling on leash, jumping on people, or not recalling
  • You have a new rescue dog of any age, and are looking to build their confidence and trust in you as the foundation for your developing relationship

Foundation Skills - How's It Work?

  • Start Anytime means open enrollment (we welcome new students every day)
  • Classes are taken in any order (except Module 7 which is taken last)
  • Each class has a specific collection of exercises (see below)
  • You can attend any of our Toronto  locations (mix and match, or stick with one - you choose!)

Module 1 – Clicker Skills

  • Capturing Attention (Voluntary Attention)
  • Sit and Down
  • Go to Mat

Module 2 – Impulse Control

  • Leave It
  • Drop It
  • Paw Target

Module 3 – Walk with Me

  • Walk With Me
  • Give to Pressure
  • Engage/Disengage

Module 4 – Stay

  • Touch
  • Stay (Distance, Duration, Distraction)

Module 5 – Recall

  • Name Attention
  • Engagement Games with Clean Training Loops
  • Recall Games

Module 6 – Perfectly Polite

  • Polite Greetings (Humans)
  • Polite Greetings (Dogs on Leash)
  • Co-operative Care and Start-Buttons

Module 7* – (Take This Last) Advanced Skills and Generalization

  • Behaviour Chains
  • Phasing out the Clicker
  • Generalization
  • Top Dog Finisher Game

When you’ve trained all the exercises to fluency, and you’re ready for our advanced classes:

cockapoo

“I took Foundation Skills for my dog, Reese, with Sarah.

This series is so helpful, not just because I gained skills to train my dog, but also to better understand her behaviour and the reasons behind our training decisions.

I loved that I could pick and choose which class module to take, as it suited my schedule.

I highly recommend this course.”

– Mairin and Reese

 

 

Dog Obedience Program Tuition

Prices do not include HST.

For details regarding class/training policies, please see our Policy page:

All five of our locations (Dundas West, Riverdale, Yonge & Eglinton, South Etobicoke, and Markham in 2025). Tuition grants you flexible access to all locations!

Want 1-on-1 Lessons?

Foundation Skills 1-on-1 lessons are available too! Click the button to learn more:

Already Attended When Hounds Fly Puppy Start Right?

Alumni: Log into the class calendar system and purchase the Foundation Skills bundle and start booking!

Okay, I’m Ready to Book!

New rescue or foster dog owner?

Get our free Manual for New Foster/Adopted Dog Owners, and set your new rescue dog up for success.