Why Foundations Are Everything — And Why People Go Wrong

In agility, everyone loves the flashy stuff. The big distances, the fast runs, the tight turns. But here’s the truth: none of that matters if your foundations aren’t solid.

Your foundations are your communication system. They’re how your dog learns to read your body, understand your cues, and build confidence in problem-solving. When they’re clear, consistent, and reinforced from day one, everything else becomes easier. When they’re rushed, skipped, or patched together… that’s when it starts to fall apart.

Most agility issues aren’t “handling” problems—they’re foundation problems showing up under pressure.

Dogs that blow past start lines, ignore cues, turn the wrong way, miss contacts, or take off-courses aren’t being “naughty.” They’re confused. They’re guessing. And it’s our job to make sure they never have to.

So why do people go wrong?

Because foundations feel slow. And slow isn’t sexy.

We’re a culture of instant results. People want to skip straight to sequencing and running courses. They think, “My dog gets it,” when the dog is really just patterning a behaviour, not understanding the why behind it.

And when something goes wrong, instead of going back to fix the foundation, they patch it with more handling. More motion. More noise. Which leads to even more confusion.

The best teams in the world don’t have magical dogs or secret skills. They just built everything on rock-solid foundations—and they revisit those foundations all the time.

Can your dog stay focused under arousal? Do they know how to work independently? Can they turn tight without being micromanaged? Do they understand your motion cues without a verbal? Can they handle pressure?

If not, don’t see it as failure—see it as an invitation. Go back. Break it down. Rebuild it properly. Because when your foundations are strong, your options become limitless.

Fast runs don’t come from rushing training. They come from confidence, clarity, and trust—and that all starts at the foundation level.

Lay the groundwork like you’re building the Eiffel Tower. Because if you want to fly, your dog needs to know the ground beneath them won’t give way.