What are Fundamentals?  Since I finished filming I have  been thinking more about fundamentals as I view the subject. .. . for me it's really a time when you develop the way a dog is. …  From the time you first start training a puppy and on thru basic training,  you are molding what the dog will be like.

What could be more important?

Essentially, the process of training, not just commands and concepts,  is the procedure of creating attitudes like courage, enthusiasm, dedication,  passion for work etc.  So, because of this, I pay very close attention to  making sure that the dog, as he goes thru this development,  thinks and believes that retrieving is a wonderful game, and that it is fun.   To summarize, Fundamentals are far more than the Basic Skills.  It is during this time that the dog develops and how he becomes  the dog that you want him to be.