Foundations of True Friendliness™

Your dog isn't bad at socializing. They're missing four foundational skills.

A self-paced online course for dog owners who want a calmer, more social dog — built on the 4 key qualities every successful social dog has first.

If your dog…

  • Gets too excited around other dogs
  • Ignores you in social settings
  • Struggles with on or off-leash greetings
  • Makes you anxious every time you see a dog
Calm, well-socialized dogs greeting each other politely

It's not a socialization problem.
It's a foundation problem. And there's a fix.

Enroll Now →
15+ yearsWorking with dogs
10,000+ hoursOf group socialization work
Best Dog Trainer in VermontSeven Days VT, 2022
Veterinarian RecommendedSocialization Expert
Most dog owners try to socialize their dog too soon — and it backfires. Safe, successful socialization doesn't start with other dogs. It starts with your dog having the right internal foundation.
— The core idea behind Foundations of True Friendliness
The Method

The 4 Key Qualities every social dog has first.

Every socially successful dog has 4 key qualities that keep social interactions calm, predictable, and safe. When these foundations are missing, dogs struggle to stay neutral, handle social pressure, or deescalate tension calmly. Instead, they fall back on stress responses like fleeing, freezing, or fighting. Rebuild these foundations, and your dog can become calmer, safer, and far more reliable around other dogs.

01

Emotional regulation

Your dog can stay calm instead of exploding with excitement or anxiety the moment another dog appears.

02

Energy management

Your dog doesn't rush, fixate, or overwhelm other dogs. They can match the energy of the moment.

03

Trust in their person

Your dog chooses you over distractions — even when something more interesting walks by.

04

Confidence

Your dog can handle new environments without shutting down or overreacting to every stimulus.

Student Story
The training and transformation of Lindy has been incredible. My stress level is practically zero, where as prior I was crying daily. Lindy is much more comfortable with other dogs and is getting better every day. My relationship with Lindy changed and I'm so in love with my dog.
M
Mindy & Lindy
After the Course

What changes when you build the foundation first.

→
You actually understand why your dog struggles.No more guessing, no more "she's just like that." You'll be able to read what's happening and why.
→
You have a real plan, not a wish list.Step-by-step exercises that build the 4 key qualities, in the right order, in your daily routine.
→
Calmer dog. Better greetings. Less leash drama.The visible stuff people will comment on — and the invisible stuff that makes daily life easier.
→
You stop dreading every walk.The anxiety that builds the moment you see another dog coming? That fades when you have a method that works.
Rhonda Bilodeau pack-walking with eight dogs through a Vermont meadow with mountains behind
Meet your instructor

Hi, I'm Rhonda.

I've spent the last 15+ years working hands-on with dogs, specializing in real-world socialization — including structured group environments where behavior shows up fast.

Most dog training programs focus on obedience. Very few teach how to actually socialize dogs in groups. That's where I've focused my work.

15+
Years working with dogs
10K+
Hours of group socialization
100s
Of students mentored

After 10,000+ hours with all types of dogs, I developed a system to build the qualities dogs need before socialization — so interactions become calm, predictable, and successful. That's exactly what I'll show you inside this course.

Foundations of True Friendliness™

Rebuild the 4 Key Qualities that make socialization possible.

A self-paced online course for dog owners who are ready to move from overwhelm to real progress.

Foundations of True Friendliness course shown on tablet, laptop, and phone alongside the printed workbook
What's Inside

Two phases. Eighteen lessons. Self-paced.

About four hours of step-by-step video, broken into short lessons you can watch whenever works. The exercises fit into your daily routine — meals, walks, quiet moments at home.

Phase 1 · 9 lessons

The Social Awareness Stage™

Understanding the why behind your dog's struggles. Learn to read what they're feeling so you can support them with calm confidence instead of guessing.

  1. Introduction to Foundations
  2. Body language
  3. Social stress
  4. Over-stimulation
  5. Different play group personalities
  6. Different play styles
  7. Canine sociability spectrum
  8. Instinctual drives
  9. Breed and predatory sequence
Phase 2 · 9 lessons

Regulation Before Interaction™

Train the 4 key qualities. Slow their momentum, manage frustration, build trust — so they enter social situations prepared and capable of making good choices.

  1. Skill building
  2. Relaxation training
  3. The marker word
  4. Food training
  5. Pressure and release leash work
  6. Spatial pressure
  7. Impulse control & high-drive dogs
  8. Why intros fail and what comes next
  9. Putting it all together
The Offer

Foundations of True Friendliness™ online course

Everything above, in one self-paced training. Lifetime access.

Was $297
$97
Less than the cost of one private training session.
  • Proven path to teach the 4 key qualities
  • 4 hours of step-by-step video training
  • 2 comprehensive modules · 18 self-paced lessons
  • Real-world application guidance
  • The Social Fluency & Friendliness Framework™
  • Instant access — start today
Enroll in Foundations — $97
30-day risk-free guarantee. If it doesn't help, we refund.
Common Questions

Things students ask before they buy.

Will this work for my breed?
Yes. The four foundational qualities apply across breeds and sizes. The lessons include guidance on breed-specific instinctual drives and play styles, so you'll understand how your dog's wiring shapes their behavior — whether you've got a working-line German Shepherd, a reactive rescue, or an excitable Goldendoodle.
How much time do I need to commit each week?
The video content is about 4 hours total, broken into short lessons you can watch whenever works. The exercises are built to fit into your daily routine — meals, walks, quiet moments at home — so you're not adding another thing to your calendar. Most students watch a lesson or two per week and practice as they go.
My dog has had bad experiences. Is it too late?
No. Many of the dogs Rhonda has worked with came in with a history of bad experiences — slipped collars, fights, trainers who told their owners "this dog will never socialize." The foundations work because they address what's underneath the behavior, not the behavior itself. Read the student stories below.
What if I buy it and it's not a fit?
You have 30 days to try it. If it doesn't help your dog make real progress, email us and we'll refund every cent. No forms, no questions, no hassle.
Not Sure Where to Start

Which “button” is your dog leading with?

Every reactive moment — the lunging, the barking, the freezing, the over-the-top excitement — comes from one of five coping mechanisms your dog is reaching for. Most owners are working on the wrong one.

The Which Button Quiz is a short, free assessment that pinpoints which button your dog is leaning on hardest right now, and what that means for how you start building the four foundations.

It takes about 3 minutes. No email required to see your result.

Take the Which Button Quiz →
More Student Stories

Real dogs, real transformations.

"For fear of being yelled at by the people she barked at or her getting into a fight with another dog, we stopped taking Bella to public places. I now take Bella hiking off-leash and to the park on a regular basis — no more hiding for us. Her skills far exceeded our expectations. I have a social dog again."
P
Phoebe & Bella
"Bristol is learning to greet off-leash dogs in a friendly way and remain obedient in high-distraction environments. We have received dozens of comments from friends and family about the amazing difference. Rhonda gave us the tools to live in harmony with Bristol."
K
Katie & Bristol
"Audra was getting worse around other dogs. Now we recognize her body language to prevent any escalation, and she can successfully greet other dogs both on and off-leash. Training with Rhonda changed Audra from a dog we were perpetually nervous about into a trusted member of the family."
S
Sam & Audra
"One trainer put Thai in the hall away from all dogs. The second told me she'd never socialize. I went from dreading seeing another dog to watching Thai play off-leash with 10 other dogs. She now has a foster sister with zero aggression toward her."
M
Mandy & Thai
Start Today

Build the foundation that actually makes socialization work.

Skills are built first. Exposure comes second. If your dog is struggling with other dogs, this is where to start.

Enroll in Foundations — $97
Tell your dog I said hi. 💛
Rhonda
Foundations of True Friendliness™
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