Basic vs. Foundational Dog Obedience Training
The Problem with the Term “Basic Obedience”
Basic vs. foundational dog obedience training is not a great search term. The algorithms will hate it, but I’ll suffer that indignity to address something I have pondered for quite some time.
There is a difference between ‘basic’ dog obedience and foundational training.
What Does “Basic” Dog Obedience Really Mean?
Basic implies, not in the Urban Dictionary sense, but the more common use—addressing only the most rudimentary understanding of something. When I hear the term ‘basic dog obedience,’ I automatically think of handler-facilitated behaviors that never graduate beyond some form of tactile, auditory, or social cue.
The use of the term ‘basic’ isn’t necessarily bad, but it doesn’t lend itself to evolving into any form of complexity. It suggests no effort on the dog’s part to complete. Rote obedience stagnates. It is used as a tool to control instead of a jumping-off point used to create.
The Depth of Foundational Dog Training
Foundational training, to me, goes well beyond that. Foundational training implies a deeper, more profound level of understanding, suggesting knowledge that becomes elastic and expands, enabling additional development.
The Disconnect in the Dog Training Community
I see and hear a lot of criticism of ‘obedience’ by folks who cannot grasp the difference between basic dog obedience vs. foundational training. I am constantly reminded of the disconnect in the trainer’s trade between those who believe addressing behavior problems is somehow different than training a dog to a standard of obedience that can not only be demonstrated but measured.
People—many who call themselves trainers—don’t understand the rigor required to prepare a dog for performance-level obedience. They also rely heavily on leveraging devices to manage their dogs in the presence of distractions, in public, or anywhere the dog’s attention will be challenged. Not all, mind you, but a lot.
Is Companion Dog Obedience Really Different from Performance Training?
There is also a criticism that somehow ‘pet’ or companion dog obedience is distinctly different in scope and application than any performance discipline.
I find that pretty disingenuous since both require some application of obedience, regardless of how that transpires. Although performance dog training requires the augmentation of certain ‘drives’ a dog may possess, and companion dog obedience generally requires the inhibition of those same drives, both still require that the dog become command-compliant in the face of competing distractions.
Real-World Dog Obedience vs. Trial Obedience
Sorry, but that decoy call-off downfield isn’t any different than stopping a dog from heading toward oncoming traffic after a squirrel, cat, or passerby. I don’t care how dramatic you make the trial field; it is still tightly controlled in ways that real life is not.
How each trainer gets there may look different, start in different ways, at different times, but ultimately, the endgame should look the same: clean, crisp, precise, and expedient. Obediently.
The same goes for sporting dogs, who work around live firearms and ultimately relinquish game to the hunter’s open hand without contest or doubt. Again, obediently.
Even at the higher levels of competitive dog obedience, the dog’s only job is adherence to the handler’s cues with precision—regardless of performances in other rings, distractions at the gate, noise, chaos, etc. It’s all still obedience.
Why Foundational Training is More Than Just Basic Obedience
People frame dog obedience as some bland adherence to a rote command when, in fact, it is much more complex. To me, obedience is simply a framework for understanding that grows in depth and value. I teach my dogs basic obedience as a means to communicate an idea. I develop foundational dog obedience to the point that my dog is no longer reliant on my instruction during everyday life.
The Myth of “Robot Dogs”
The ‘robot’ dogs that people allege are the product of obedience training are, in fact, the dogs sequestered away from guests, locked in crates, in backyards, or never off-leash for fear they will not listen. They will never get to experience the freedom that only a solid foundation of obedience will bring.
Conclusion: What True Obedience Looks Like
I guess everybody has their idea of what dog obedience looks like, but mine will always look like a dog capable of a high level of function regardless of the distraction—without having to rely on a device to control it.
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