FUNctional Foundation Fitness
This class will focus on a solid foundation of the essential fitness skills. This means your dog will be able to perform the most important skills in excellent form. It’s the perfect class for those new to fitness, and wanting to master the basics well without getting super geeky and having HEAPS of exercises to remember and master. The focus will be basics, done well, to help with functional life. This class will also be perfect for younger dogs, older dogs, and potentially dogs with minor issues or recently completing rehab (pending veterinary approval).
Course Details
This class will focus on a solid foundation of the essential fitness skills. This means your dog will be able to perform the most important skills in excellent form. It’s the perfect class for those new to fitness, and wanting to master the basics well without getting super geeky and having HEAPS of exercises to remember and master. The focus will be basics, done well, to help with functional life. This class will also be perfect for younger dogs, older dogs, and potentially dogs with minor issues or recently completing rehab (pending veterinary approval).
There is a TA for this class: Kirstin Rider
Teaching Approach:
Kelly uses a combination of written, video, and pictures to help students understand concepts and exercises. Lectures are detailed, and released in 'chunks' of 1-2 lectures over the first few days of each week.
Feedback is given in a variety of ways, to best suit the students homework post, and also their individual needs. This can include written feedback, annotated screenshots, and / or Loom video feedback.
Syllabus
Week 1
- Fitness guidelines: keeping it safe and appropriate!
- Different ways of teaching new skills in fitness
- Texture desensitisation
- Nose targets
- Looking at form
- Structure matters!
Week 2
- Front feet on equipment
- Back feet on equipment
- Going around a cone
- Desensitisation to being handled
Week 3
- Standing on equipment
- Perfecting sits
- Starting movement patterns around cones
- Chin rests
- Stationing: Relaxation protocols
Week 4
- Downs
- Reversing
- Cavaletti poles
- Gym squat sit to stands
- Looking at gaits
Week 5
- Pivoting
- Side stepping
- Figure 8’s
- Front paw exercises and targeting
Week 6
- Down to stands
- Tuck sit / kickback stands
- Some harder exercises!
- How to progress exercises
- Workouts
Each week we will also look at how these exercise link to functional real life, and have a fun challenge!
Sample Lecture
1.3 Texture and surface desensitisation
For some dogs, texture can make learning new equipment, or travelling over certain surfaces more challenging. You also need to consider that some dogs are MORE sensory sensitive than others. Sensory input, like texture through their paws can cause discomfort.
Exposing dogs to different surface and textures in a fun way can be useful for many reasons, including:
- Desensitisation to textures
- Increased proprioception (awareness and control of limbs in space)
- Exposure to equipment that they will need later in life
- Giving you information to if there are textures and surfaces that your dog finds challenging
- Life! Dogs in an urban environment often have to be comfortable moving over surfaces that naturally they might find challenging, such as metal sidewalk grates, slippery floors etc.
- We can use this as an enrichment activity
- Confidence boosting
My favourite way to desensitise, and safely expose dogs and puppies to different sensations, textures, and surface under their feet, and build proprioception and general body confidence is in proprioceptive pathways.
In essence this is a series of equipment or items that we reinforce a dog for moving safely over. Here’s some information about setting this up, and some examples.
Proprioception pathway set up
Ricky - proprioception pathway for confidence
Grid - scatters on different equipment and surfaces
Chace - older dog proprioception pathway
Grid
Tori and Tripp
Your mission: create a safe and appropriate proprioception pathway for your dog.
- Decide how to make it safe and meet their needs: do you need to have a harness on them to keep them safe? Do you need to sprinkle treats first? Would reinforcing targeting or movements be useful? Maybe just reinforcing effort?
- Create, film and have a go, and evaluate! Was this useful? What was surprising? Do you need to try something different next time?
Instructors
Kelly Daniel (She/her) is a learning and dog training addict. She has been training and competing with her dogs (of various shapes and forms) for around 15 years ...
Registration
Choose the plan that fits your goals and start learning at your own pace.
Gold
$260
Enrollment limit: 12
- Access to all lectures and homework forums discussion
- Read all posted questions and answers
- Watch all posted videos
- Post general questions to discussion forum
- Submit written assignments
- Post dog specific questions
- Post videos (unlimited)
- Receive instructor feedback
Registration dates:
May 22, 2026 - June 15, 2026
Silver
$130
Enrollment limit: 25
- Access to all lectures and homework forums discussion
- Read all posted questions and answers
- Watch all posted videos
- Post general questions to discussion forum
- Post dog specific questions (video only)
- Post videos (up to 2)
- Receive instructor feedback
Registration dates:
May 22, 2026 - June 15, 2026
Bronze
$65
Enrollment limit: Unlimited
- Access to all lectures and homework forums discussion
- Read all posted questions and answers
- Watch all posted videos
Registration dates:
May 22, 2026 - June 15, 2026
Scholarship available! Apply here
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