Foundation Behaviors: A Practical Perspective

I am asked regularly, “What are the first behaviors that we should train our animals? Does the order matter? How do we determine what should be trained first?”

It depends!

No two animals are exactly alike, and no two training situations are exactly alike, so my initial response to the question of what to train first is always, “It depends!” However, I do use a specific sequence when I train a new animal, and I will share it with you here.

1. Approach and eat

If an animal do...