# Foundation First: Why Dog Trainers Are Rethinking Training Priorities
Most dog owners start training with sit, stay, and loose-leash walking. Certified dog trainer Jae Thomas disagrees with this conventional approach. Thomas, a contributor to Whole Dog Journal, argues that three foundational skills matter more than basic obedience commands, and they should come first in any training program.
The shift reflects a growing trend among professional dog trainers who prioritize emotional and behavioral foundations over trick-based training. Thomas's perspective, shared in an interview with Kate O'Connor at Whole Dog Journal, challenges the decades-old hierarchy of dog training priorities.
Traditional training focuses on commands that owners find immediately useful. Sit stops a jumping dog. Stay keeps a dog from bolting. Loose-leash walking prevents pulling during walks. These skills solve everyday problems, so they dominate training classes and how-to guides. But Thomas contends that addressing underlying behavioral foundations produces better long-term results.
The reasoning is straightforward. A dog that understands basic obedience commands but lacks emotional control will struggle with reliable compliance under stress. A dog taught to sit but unable to manage arousal around distractions will revert to old habits when excitement peaks. Foundation work builds the mental framework that makes all subsequent training stick.
What does foundation training look like? Thomas emphasizes skills that help dogs regulate themselves. This includes impulse control, the ability to focus on handlers despite environmental distractions, and emotional regulation in novel or challenging situations. Dogs that master these foundations learn faster and respond more reliably to commands because they have the mental tools to comply even when distracted or excited.
This approach aligns with modern canine behavior science. Researchers studying dog learning have found that a dog's arousal level and emotional state directly affect memory formation and command retention. A dog in a heightened state of excitement or anxiety forms weaker associations with training cues. Foundation work that teaches dogs to lower their own arousal makes them better learners overall.
The implications for dog owners are practical. Investing time in foundation training before formal commands reduces frustration and accelerates overall progress. An owner who spends three weeks teaching a dog to manage impulses will see faster results with sit and stay than an owner who jumps directly to commands with an uncontrolled puppy or newly adopted adult dog.
Thomas's interview explores specific foundation exercises that owners can practice daily. These exercises require minimal equipment and fit into normal routines. The work is subtle enough that some owners might not recognize it as formal training, but the results appear quickly when owners know what to look for.
The Whole Dog Journal piece arrives as more trainers adopt relationship-based and science-informed methods. Organizations like the International Association of Canine Professionals increasingly recognize that traditional command-first approaches miss critical developmental stages. Dogs benefit from learning how to learn before they learn specific commands.
Dog owners reading Thomas's recommendations should expect their training timeline to shift. Foundation work takes patience and consistency. But handlers who follow this model report that their dogs ultimately respond better, retain commands longer, and handle real-world distractions with greater reliability. The payoff extends beyond puppies to rescue dogs and older animals beginning new training programs.