Build a dog you can trust.
Six weeks of private sessions, group practice, and support between every session. Built around your dog, and working toward off-leash freedom.
Sound like your dog?
Foundations is for you if...
- Your dog has more energy than you know what to do with
- You repeat yourself a million times and they still don't listen
- Walks are stressful because they pull you everywhere
- They bark and lunge on leash, or jump on everyone they meet
- You don't trust them out and about, so they stay home more than you'd like
- You're ready to commit to weekly training and practice between sessions
- You genuinely enjoy working with your dog and want to be part of the progress
A different path might be better if...
- Your dog has bitten, or tried to bite, a person or dog
- Your puppy is under 5 months old
- You can't commit to weekly training right now
Not sure where you fit? Apply anyway, and we'll point you to the right path on your call.
Everything your dog needs. Every single week.
Weekly private sessions
One-on-one time with your trainer to build the plan for your dog. The Core 4, our FFF method, and anything specific your dog needs to work through.
Weekly group sessions
Practice your skills around other people and dogs, get live feedback, ask questions, and connect with owners going through the program alongside you.
Weekly homework on Skool
A Long Beach Foundations course with written instructions for each week. Submit a video of your practice, and your trainer replies within 24 hours.
Lifetime support
Skool access for life: message your trainers, join live Q&As, watch the replays, and learn from a growing library of real training sessions.
Support and accountability, all week long.
Most training happens between sessions. So that's where we show up too.
-
1
Private session
Your trainer builds and updates the plan for your dog.
-
2
Practice + homework
Work the week's skills and submit your video 4 days before your next session.
-
3
Feedback in 24 hours
Your trainer reviews your video so you can adjust before you see them again.
-
4
Group session
Practice around real distractions, with live coaching and your fellow owners.
Repeat for six weeks. Every week builds on the last.
Four skills. Four questions answered.
Living with a dog comes down to four questions that come up constantly. Every Foundations dog learns the answers, taught through our FFF method: Fulfilled, Focused, Free.
Place
Go to a defined spot and stay there until released.
Place gives your dog a clear answer to "What should I be doing right now?" It creates an off-switch without needing to crate or constantly manage them.
- Cooking dinner
- Eating
- Answering the door
- Bringing in groceries
- Cleaning
- Having people over
- Working from home
Down
Lie down and stay there until released, even without a specific bed or platform.
Down is a portable version of Place. You don't need any equipment, which means you can use it anywhere in everyday life.
- Talking to a neighbor
- Sitting at a coffee shop
- Waiting at the vet
- Stopping to chat on a walk
- Hanging out in the front yard
Heel
Walk with you on a loose leash, without pulling, weaving, dragging behind, or making every decision about where you're going.
Heel makes moving together easier. Your dog doesn't need to heel for the entire walk, but they should know how to come into position when you need more structure.
- Passing another dog
- Walking through a crowd
- Crossing the street
- Moving through a store
- Navigating a parking lot
- Getting past distractions
Recall
Come directly to you when called, and let you physically take control of them.
Recall isn't yelling "come" and having your dog wander in your general direction. A useful recall ends with your dog close enough for you to grab their collar.
- They slip through a door
- They get too far away
- They're heading toward trouble
- It's time to come inside
- They get loose
- They need to disengage
You don't need 30 commands to have a dog that's easy to live with. You need a few skills that are strong enough to be useful when you actually need them.
Out where life actually happens.
Marina Vista Park → your favorite spots
We start at Marina Vista Park in Long Beach. In the final sessions, we train wherever you want to take your dog: your neighborhood, a favorite patio, the beach, or the trail.
Pet Food Express, Long Beach Blvd
A busy, real-world setting full of people, dogs, and distractions. The perfect place to prove your skills hold up.
A dog you actually want to bring along.
- Settles in most places, from your living room to a busy patio
- Knows and listens to the Core 4 on leash, at home and in public
- A dream to walk and take places with you on leash
- Ready to move into our Off-Leash program
- Ready to join the pack in Adventure Academy
Graduation isn't goodbye.
Six weeks is the foundation. You keep a place in the pack for life.
Lifetime Skool access
Ask your trainers questions anytime and stay part of the community we're building.
Live Q&As + replays
Join live sessions with the trainers, or catch the replay whenever it works for you.
A growing training library
Watch the trainers work with dogs in real time, with new videos added based on what the community asks for.
Graduate discounts
Special pricing on future programs, like Off-Leash and Adventure Academy.
Everything included
- 6 weekly private sessions
- 6 weekly group sessions
- Weekly homework with video feedback within 24 hours
- Lifetime Skool access, live Q&As, and replays
- Discounts on future programs
Dogs are living beings, so we don't promise perfection. We do promise your dog will finish with better behavior and stronger skills than they started with.
Questions, answered.
Foundations is 6 weeks, with one private session and one group session each week, plus weekly homework and feedback through Skool in between.
Private sessions start at Marina Vista Park in Long Beach, and in the final sessions we train at the places you want to take your dog. Group sessions meet at Pet Food Express on Long Beach Blvd.
You can reschedule a session with at least 24 hours' notice. If you miss a group class, makeups are up to your trainer, since you'd be joining the next round of Foundations students for their group class.
Yes, and we recommend it. Anyone who's actively involved in training your dog should come to sessions and classes. For safety, kids under 10 can't attend, since sessions can get overwhelming and some dogs aren't comfortable around kids. Kids 10 and up who are part of the training and can stay engaged for the full session are welcome.
Each week you'll get homework through Skool with written instructions, plus a practice video to submit 4 days before your next session. Your trainer replies within 24 hours, so you have time to adjust before you meet again. Most of the progress happens between sessions, so this part matters.
For most dogs, six weeks is the sweet spot to get the foundations down and build a solid understanding of the Core 4, as long as you show up to every session and group class and do your homework. If your dog needs more time, you can schedule extra sessions with your trainer at an additional cost.
Everything you need to know, including what to bring, is covered in your onboarding before your first session.
Every dog starts on a slip collar and leather leash, and we teach new skills using food and toys. Some dogs progress to a prong collar during Foundations, and occasionally an e-collar when it's the best fit for that dog and owner. We'll walk you through exactly how and why on your call.
Yes. Barking and lunging on leash is one of the most common reasons people join Foundations. Private sessions build the skills first, and group sessions give you a place to practice around dogs and people with your trainer's guidance. Dogs with a bite history may need a different path, and we'll talk it through on your call.
Foundations starts at 5 months old. If your puppy is younger, we recommend a puppy socialization program starting at 8 weeks, and we're happy to suggest some.
Dogs are living beings, so no honest trainer can guarantee perfection. What we can guarantee is that your dog will finish Foundations with better behavior and stronger skills than when you started.
Yes. Foundations is $1,250, and you can pay over time with Affirm.
You keep lifetime Skool access, with live Q&As, replays, and a growing training library. Many graduates move on to our Off-Leash program or Adventure Academy, with special pricing for Foundations graduates.
Walks could look completely different.
Apply in a few minutes, talk with a trainer, and start building the dog you've been picturing.