At NWA School for Dogs, we consider the foundation skills of dog training to be those skills required for you and your dog to have a harmonious and happy life together. These aren’t just tricks – they’re the building blocks of communication, safety, and mutual understanding.
Our core foundation skills include:
- What’s your name?
- Leave it
- Sit
- Down
- Come
- Wait
- Walking politely on a leash
- Being able to relax on their mat at home or in public
- Understanding that learning is fun
While these aren’t all of our foundation skills (you’ll find the complete list on our monthly training calendar), they represent the essential toolkit we use daily. The magic happens when these behaviors become second nature – when your dog performs them automatically as part of your shared language.
Why Foundation Skills Matter
Many clients come to us reminiscing about their childhood dogs – those seemingly perfect companions who just “knew” how to behave. What we often forget is that those dogs likely had consistent boundaries and daily reinforcement of good manners made through:
- Clear communication
- Positive reinforcement
- Consistent practice
Our Training Philosopy: Skills for Life
It is our passion to help each and every dog live a fulfilling life rich with playtime, adventures outside, peace at home and understanding of the skills needed to live with their owners.
Let us help you connect with your special pup with easy and fun techniques. We offer group classes, private coaching, board and train, and day school for dogs and each option includes personalized training to resolve your individual training hurdles so they can master the foundation skills of dog training!
Visitors are always welcome, so stop by sometime and say hello! But we recommend you call ahead to make sure we’re not training off-site.
Learn more about our services and view our current class schedule HERE!