Base Training Method

The Foundation Behind Lasting Behavior Change

The Base Training Method™ is taught through a series of structured online courses that help anxious and reactive dogs build calm, confidence, and emotional regulation.

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Relationship-Centered · Behavioral Science · Positive Reinforcement
Base Training Method

A Clear Process. Lasting Results.

A Clear Process
Lasting Results.

A Clear Process.
Lasting Results.

The Base Training Method is a structured, evidence-based training system built around improving a dog's emotional baseline by establishing calm, confidence, connection, and clear communication before introducing increasingly difficult challenges. Dogs develop the emotional resilience and behavioral skills needed for lasting, real-world success.

1. Foundation First

We establish key behaviors to fluency in a low-pressure environment. These become your dog's default responses in daily life.

2. Progressive Challenges

We apply those same behaviors through a hierarchy of real-world challenges, starting easy and gradually increasing difficulty.

3. Your Dog Guides the Pace

Your dog's responses become feedback. They tell us when to move forward, when to hold steady, and when to return to basics.

4. Build Calm from Within

As your dog learns to relax, focus, and connect, their emotional state improves. Behavior change follows naturally.

5. Train Where Life Happens

By practicing where your dog already lives, new skills naturally become part of everyday life.

The Sequence

Why the Sequence
Matters.

Why the Sequence Matters.

Most people want to begin with the problem they're experiencing: loose leash walking, reactivity, or anxiety.

The Base Training Method takes a different approach.

Before asking dogs to perform in challenging environments, we first build calm, focus, and connection in low-pressure settings. That emotional foundation becomes the base for everything that follows.

Mat Work builds calm. Heel Work strengthens connection and confidence.

With that foundation in place, dogs are better prepared to navigate distractions, remain engaged on walks, and respond thoughtfully instead of reacting emotionally. That's why behavior change becomes more reliable, and more lasting.

We build behavior from a calm baseline and gradually expand into real-world challenges.

01

Mat Work

Build calm, focus, and emotional regulation through a shared language between you and your dog.

02

Heel Work

Take the calm connection you've developed in Mat Work and carry it into new environments and challenges.

03

Recall

Teach your dog to disengage from distractions and return to you before excitement or reactivity takes over.

04

Send Away

Teach your dog to move away from situations that trigger excitement, frustration, or conflict.

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Behavioral Science Degree

📅

16+ Years Working with Dogs

🌍

Clients in 10+ Countries

⏱️

Thousands of Hours Teaching Online

About Alyssa

The Base Training Method Comes From Experience.

The Base Training Method grew out of years of studying behavior through both professional dog training and a background in human behavioral science. Thousands of hours working with dogs and families helped shape it into the structured approach it is today.

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Begin Here

Build the foundation.
Confidence, connection, and
lasting change grow from there.

Whether your goal is better walks, fewer reactions, or greater confidence, it all starts here.