Level 1 - Foundations & Focus

Pups & Dogs over 4 months of age | 4-Week Open Enrolment

Is this you?

You’ve done some training already… but things still feel a bit

wobbly.

Common frustrations at this stage:

• Your dog listens at home, but struggles around distractions

• Loose lead walking feels inconsistent (or non-existent)

• Recall works sometimes – just not when it really matters

• Your dog finds it hard to settle or stay engaged

• You’re unsure how to progress without over-facing your dog

You want practical skills that actually work in real life, not just in a quiet training space.

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How this class helps

Level 1 – Foundations & Focus bridges the gap between “we’ve started training” and “this is actually working”.

This class is about:

• Strengthening engagement and focus around distractions

• Teaching how to train, not just what to train

• Building calm, thoughtful responses instead of impulsive ones

• Creating consistency so your dog understands what’s expected

It’s ideal for dogs coming out of Puppy Preschool, private coaching, or those who need a solid reset on foundations.

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What we work on (the solutions)

Across your 4 weeks, we focus on:

• Engagement and orientation skills (choosing you over the environment)

• Loose lead foundations and handler mechanics

• Recall foundations with real-life relevance

• Settle, boundary and impulse awareness skills

• Proofing behaviours using distance, duration and distraction

• Clear markers, reward placement and timing (so training actually sticks)

Each exercise can be scaled up or down, so newer teams aren’t overwhelmed and more experienced teams stay challenged.

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The results you can expect

By the end of Level 1, clients typically notice:

• A dog who is more focused and easier to work with

• Less frustration on walks and during training sessions

• Greater confidence in handling distractions

• Clear next steps instead of “what do we do now?”

Most importantly, training starts to feel calmer, clearer and more enjoyable.

This level sets the groundwork for everything that follows.

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Where this leads

Level 1 flows directly into:

• Level 2 – Active Life Skills, where we build reliability, confidence and complexity

• Level 3 – Real World Ready, focusing on real-life application and resilience

From there, teams may also move into:

• Beginners Agility

• Intro to Scentwork

• Trick Training

• Workshops and future specialty classes

This levels system allows you to keep progressing with the same training philosophy, rather than starting over each time.

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Class details (short & scannable)

• 4-week Open Enrolment

• Small groups (maximum 5 dogs)

• Positive reinforcement, choice-based training

• Suitable for adolescents and adult dogs needing strong foundations

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​​Ongoing support outside of class

Training doesn’t stop when the session ends.

All Active Dogs NZ classes include:

• Written training notes and video resources to support your learning at home

• Lifetime access to the content for your class, so you can revisit it anytime

• Access to a client-only Facebook group for continued support, questions and community

• This means you’re never left guessing what to do between sessions, and you can train at a pace that suits both you and your dog.