“The Foundation Style Dog Training System is designed to empower dog owners with a systematic method of troubleshooting the causes of problem behaviors and subsequently developing the best possible plan to address even the most challenging issues.”

— K9-1 Specialized Dog Training, dogtraining.world

At Reality K9, we practice Foundation Style Dog Training. This method was developed by world-renowned trainer Michael D’Abruzzo of K9-1 Specialized Dog Training.

In this method, concepts build off one another to form a comprehensive training plan that addresses the entire dog.

Color-coded pyramid chart illustrating levels from ethics and ethics at the base to perception at the top, with categories including ethics, etiology, health, diagnosis, attitude, management, leadership, drive, habitation, anxiety, training, perception.

The method prioritizes scientific integrity and ethically sound training practices that recognize the value of both positive reinforcement and properly introduced aversives.

Training is broken up into Four phases

Young puppy lying on grass with a small stick in its paws, looking at the camera.

Phase one

The dog is taught what commands mean in a distraction-free environment. In this phase, the only consequence for breaking a command is that treats and praise stop.

It has been proven that dogs learn new behaviors best through positive reinforcement, so it is important that aversives (training collars) not be used in this phase.

Brown dog with black nose and ears wearing a blue collar, sitting on a dirt path with a blurred outdoor background and clear blue sky.

Phase Two

Still in a controlled environment, we introduce corrections. Corrections are necessary in dog training because positive punishment is the only way to stop highly-motivated behaviors.

Withdrawing treats as a consequence would not be enough to stop a dog from chasing a squirrel, for example. This is why, for truly reliable obedience, we must use both rewards AND corrections.

In this phase, we use a training collar and apply gentle leash pumps that are designed to be irritating to the dog.

Four dogs sitting on a rocky garden area under trees with a blue sky in the background.

Phase three

At this point (and only at this point!) do we introduce the e-collar.

With the e-collar, we can teach the dog that ignoring a correction causes the correction to escalate, until the dog reaches the level where he avoids disobedience.

Two black dogs lying on gray pet beds in a grassy outdoor area on a sunny day with a blue sky and white clouds. A wooden fence and a white building are in the background.

Phase 4

We bring things into the real world. Off-leash obedience is achieved around high distractions, and we generalize this obedience to the scenarios and places the dog most often encounters.