Movement Puzzles Academy
01Day
18Hours
56Minutes
49Seconds

DOORS OPEN!
Registration closes on June 6th 11:59pm ET!

Discover how to BOOST your dog's CONFIDENCE and stress resilience with 

MOVEMENT PUZZLES ACADEMY

So that instead of being stressed and anxious, your dog can FINALLY feel calm and empowered in new and challenging situations! 

Online program for dog training enthusiasts.
By Mari Valgma, CPCFT 

Is your dog like...

Pipi?

Constantly looking for guidance and "Tell me what to do!".

Really struggling with doing things further away from you.

In the forest she would walk right behind you and never explore!

Mirru?

So scared of the outside world that going for walks is a challenge.

 Anything new in the house? She would avoid it.

Easily distracted in training sessions, loses focus and walks away quickly.

Mr Bo?

Confident in daily life, but...

Struggling with challenging training setups with noisy or moving surfaces.

Easily motivated in work to "push through". Do it and you'll get a barking, franticly moving frustrated mess.

Or maybe your dog has her own unique set of challenges!

Lack of confidence can show up in many different ways! 

It could be that your dog needs help with just one exercise in your sport classes...
Or that your whole life and choices revolve around your dog's insecurities and what she can and cannot do!

Sharing your life with a dog who is careful and timid, can quickly leave you feeling: 

💔 Heartbroken when you see your dog struggling with life and there's no quick way to help.

😟 Like you must be doing something wrong, causing this insecurity in your dog while other dogs seem so easygoing.

😳 That you should've done more socializing when he was a puppy.

😔 Tired and defeated, thinking that your dog was born this way and there's nothing more you can do.

😩 Maybe even resentful of the limitations and the life you and your dog are forced to live? You love your dog dearly, but that's 
not what you signed up for!

☝️ Sounds familiar? I've been there and just so you know - you are not alone!

We are here for you!

If you are like most of our members, then confidence exercises are nothing new to you!

You already try to associate new situations with fun outcomes for your dog.

You regularly offer novelty to your dog to make it less of a big deal in daily life.

And you try your best to prepare your dog for any challenge, whether it's in daily life or sport.

That's perfect! You are already doing so much to help your dog feel more confident and happy!

However, if you are here, then you are probably not seeing the results you've been hoping for...
Or you're looking for more fun training ideas to take you even further!

Here's the thing. Most confidence boosting exercises teach your dog to expect good and fun things in new situations. That's called optimism and it's essential for confidence!

However, that's only part of the equation!

CONFIDENCE is feeling sure of yourself and your abilities. Having no uncertainty about your own abilities.

Confidence is about SKILLS! And knowing that you are able to solve the challenge without risking your wellbeing.

Knowing that you stay in control of your body even when the surface underneath you moves.

Knowing that you can fit into that tight space and have the skills to get out, too.

Knowing that you can control your speed and lower your body to run under that fallen tree.

Knowing that - even when scary things happen - you still have control over your body.

It's easy to assume that our dogs get all the movement skills and confidence from running freely in the woods.

But what about the dogs who are so scared and overwhelmed about the world that they can't go on walks yet?

Dogs who go to the forest just to walk behind their human because they are feeling so insecure about exploring on their own?

Or sport and working dogs who need skills for artificial and moving obstacles that are nowhere to be found in nature?

Running in the forest is the best kind of exercise, but it's not a solution for everyone and it's also not always enough to help our dogs in their life or sport challenges.

We also need to keep in mind that while our dogs may LOOK athletic and physically capable in any situation TO US, their brains and nervous systems may not agree. THEY themselves may not think that they are athletic and capable!

In fact, past traumatic experiences, anxiety about the situation, flight/fight response all have a tendency to reduce the sense of proprioception - individual's understanding of where their different body parts are and how they move.

Proprioception is essential for having the feeling of control over your own body and movements! Reduce proprioception and a natural athlete becomes a clumsy mess.

What's even worse is that past traumatic experiences can also reduce individual's trust in their own bodies!

That also applies to daily situations that seem to have nothing to do with any physical performance. If your dog is feeling anxious, then even climbing 3 steps of stairs may become a challenge because she is not sure how to control her body and has lost all the trust in herself to be able to do it.

If your dog is careful, cautious, timid and gets scared of different situations then it's your dog's nervous system telling him it's dangerous and he can't do it.

And it's our job to help our dogs' nervous systems to see that actually... they CAN do it. They have the SKILLS. They ARE SAFE. They are SUPER CAPABLE!

It's true that some dogs will always be more careful and cautious than others. But confidence isn't a "yes" or "no" thing. It's a scale. And we can always shift the scale for any dog towards more confidence.

THE COLD HARD TRUTH IS:

NOT teaching your dog that she CAN SOLVE challenging situations and STAY IN CONTROL of her body in new situations (no matter what her nervous system has told her previously!) means that your dog will never reach his full potential of the awesome dog you know he is.

This will limit the activities you can do together, the sports you can play and even lifestyle choices for you!

You dog will experience fear for his own safety in new situations and expecting bad things to happen. Imagine being constantly stressed about new things!

It can get as bad as your dog - and even YOU - getting stress related health problems! And going on frequent vet visits will only make things more stressful for both of you.

Trust me, I've been there and that's not the future I want for you or your dog.

The best, most efficient way to boost your dog's confidence is to overrun his nervous system's default negative setting and replace it with "success stories".

By letting your dog discover what he's actually capable of.

The best way to do it, is by creating small challenges for your dog to solve on her own, that she's fully in control of the experience and her own body. That's the only way she can learn to trust her own skills in new situations.

Challenges that are small enough not to trigger the nervous system's warning signals, yet big enough to show your dog's brain that he CAN DO cool things! He SOLVED it, he's SAFE, he's in control of his body and it wasn't scary at all!

And you'll need to do it frequently over a long period of time, otherwise the nervous system's default "this is scary and dangerous" will quickly take over.

You'll need to offer new challenges, increase the level of difficulty and let your dog see that she's in control of her own body, her movements, she's safe and she can do cool stuff again and again.

But... how to do it?

Introducing:
MOVEMENT PUZZLES

Movement Puzzles are pattern movement exercises where the dog moves between 2 bowls and does different exercises while moving from bowl to bowl.

The exercises are carefully chosen so that they would help your dog focus on what her body is doing and controlling her movements:

🐾 where she is placing her paws,
📐 how big her body is,
👷‍♀️ how she can interact with the environment safely.

🏆 Showing her what she's actually capable of in a huge variety of different setups and challenges! We teach them in a way that offers novelty, but not in a way that would trigger your dog's warning signals.

Doing these exercises help your dog feel calm in new situations (yes, even when facing a scary snowman on your walk!) while her brain will be focusing on her body and movements instead of going down the "this is so scary" spiral.

What makes these exercises unique is dogs learning to focus on their bodies in challenging situations. They get to feel successful and in control of the situation over and over again.

There are no handler cues or corrections in case of "mistakes".

We reinforce every single repetition and use the power of environmental cues (props), very clear exercise structure and patterns to get the desired behaviors.

Once you master the foundation skills, introducing new elements into your movement exercises will be super easy. 

Using familiar patters will give your dog the feeling of "I know this! This will be fun!" even when introducing something brand new and potentially scary in your session.

"Hang on... How are these exercises going to help my dog who is anxious/reactive/scared of noises/dealing with behavior challenges?" 

Your dog's mind and body are connected, so that when you do exercises for your dog's body... There will be effects on his mind and behavior, too! How cool is that!

Doing coordination, proprioception/body awareness exercises (like Movement Puzzles!) helps to:

  • Improve body's ability to deal with stress - coordination exercises are like stress resilience boosters for your dog!
  • Balance "feel good" hormones like dopamine and serotonin that are essential for motivation, mental stability and even healthy sleep cycle
  • Improve memory, attention span and thinking 
  • Increase learning speed and neuroplasticity (that plays a huge role in overcoming traumatic experiences!)
  • Boost emotional self regulation and frustration tolerance (in fact, proprioception exercises are CRUCIAL for that)
  • Reduce startling and "big feelings" in case of surprises by balancing norepinephrine levels in the brain
  • Lower impulsivity and help your dog to "think before acting"
  • Reduce the risk of cognitive decline at a higher age. Coordination training is like a vitamin for the brain!

Doing Movement Puzzles, coordination and proprioception exercises alone won't solve behavior challenges. But NOT doing them is like trying to win a car race with your brakes on.

What your dog does with her body affects her nervous system, brain health and behavior BIG TIME.

Not having a plan how to make your dog's physical activities support your dog's behavior training will mean that the training process will be longer, progress slower and your dog will be missing out on some seriously amazing benefits.

And if you are here, then I'm sure you want to do things differently! Right?!

Hi! I am Mari Valgma

I am a Certified Professional Canine Fitness Trainer (CPCFT), passionate about helping dog training enthusiasts boost their dogs confidence by teaching their dogs how to use their bodies and control their movements in new and challenging situations.

Movement Puzzles first started as a fitness training tool to help working and sport dogs with dynamic balance and coordination skills. But it quickly came out that Movement Puzzles are so much more!

Our students started reporting improvements in their dogs' confidence, reactivity training, focus during sessions, independent performance, obstacle commitment...

Soon I realized that my TRUE PASSION is in helping cautious and timid dogs feel more confident and empowered in their lives and activities. That's where Movement Puzzles can really help both dogs and their human partners live the best possible lives!

I share my life with 3 dogs who you met earlier: Pipi, Mirru and Mr Bo. Super cautious Mirru has now become a real Movement Puzzle star, is no longer scared of novelty, can truly enjoy her outdoor adventures and is a joy to live with. A true puzzle success story!

My ideas and confidence boosting training have also been featured in Fenzi Dog Sports Academy (where I'm also a proud alumni!), Agility Nation and numerous international dog training summits.

GET ACCESS TO OUR UNIQUE TRAINING APPROACH IN 
MOVEMENT PUZZLES ACADEMY

Our unique step by step program that will show you exactly how to boost your dog's confidence and stress resilience. So that instead of being stressed and anxious, your dog can FINALLY feel calm and empowered in new and challenging situations!

  • From zero to hero with our foundations module that will help you get started quickly with all the right training techniques. No previous skills needed!
  • Detailed How To instructions for more than 30 exercises + their variations using the same equipment in new ways! Exercises focusing on moving on different surfaces, moving through things, things touching the body, getting in and out of tight spaces and more.
  • Create new setups with things you already have at home! Like textile shopping bags, cardboard boxes, empty plastic bottles, broomsticks, chairs and even clever sofa placement for your exercise!
  • Get ideas for small space setups and see how others are doing these exercises in our student example library.
  • Guidelines for puppy/older dog exercise adjustment, exercise safety, # of repetitions and dealing with mistakes!
  • All the future additions, new exercises and materials to the program contents
  • Lifetime access to the materials

Also included 4 month access to:

Because confidence boosting is a race for the tortoise! Doing these exercises every single day for a month will give you the benefits only for that month. The winners are the ones who do them frequently and fit these exercises into their weekly training routines. It's a game for the long run, so better buckle up and make it fun... And we are here to make that happen for you!

4 Foundation Monthly Challenges

Join one of our monthly challenges, so you know exactly what to work on that month. Focusing on one exercise at a time, helping you fit short training sessions into busy daily schedule, progress in your training quickly with our detailed step by step instructions and FEEDBACK from myself and our highly knowledgeable and dedicated coaches. 

Movement Puzzle Level 1 Certificate

Master the foundation exercises and apply for Movement Puzzle Level 1 Certificate after 4 months of being in the Academy! Perfect for showcasing your and your dog's skills or using it professionally to show your qualifications! 

Member Community

As a member you get access to our super supportive community of fellow Movement Puzzle enthusiasts.
In this community you will get new training and setup ideas, cheer other community members on their journey. Inside this community you can ask questions and get feedback on your training sessions from myself, fellow community members and our experiences coaches.

Here's what our members say:

Hélène Lawler

Fenzi Dog Sports Academy instructor, Founder of Shaping Chaos and Dog Sport Scholars

USBCHA herding Open handler & coach

"My dogs and I are absolutely loving Movement Puzzles, which have become my new go-to for building foundations."

This unique skills-building program is so powerful that I believe it has the potential to completely change how we train our dogs for work and sport. Not only that, it SHOULD change how we train for work and sport.

Mari’s systematic program teaches both dog and handler the skills we need for performance excellence without danger of over-arousal (hallelujah!), all the while building confidence and developing excellence in communication.

Her step-by-step lessons are clear, easy to follow, and well organized. Her insights are paradigm shifting. Which, as a lover of rabbit holes, is my favourite part of working with Mari. But my dog is very grateful too! Particularly since the exercises allow her to tell me exactly where I need to improve, and how.

Our goal is to offer a premium program with high quality instructions and unparalleled long term support to our members through our unique program structure.

We strive to provide a safe, kind and judgement free community for everyone who is struggling with their dogs' behavior challenges and uses Movement Puzzles to support their training journey.

If that sounds like something you'd enjoy being part of then I can't wait to see you and your dog inside the Movement Puzzles Academy and community!

I'd love to join, but what's the investment?

You and I both know that this program isn't the only training option you have. There are other online courses out there. An average online course costs 200-400 USD for just 6-12 weeks of feedback. 

Individual consultations may be a good option, but they do tend to get expensive very quickly. Many highly qualified trainers charge 300+ USD per consultation. My time is extremely valuable and 1 hour of 1-on-1 coaching with me starts from 500 USD IF I have the time to offer them.

If I were to teach you everything that is included in the Movement Puzzles program and do it 1-on-1, it would be more than 30 sessions. At least! That's a 15k investment!

However, this may not be accessible for you. So you may be thinking that you can probably figure this out on your own.

Having seen so many people trying to figure this out on their own and failing - making their dogs even more cautious, and completely missing the key ingredients that make these exercises work...

I want this training and our support to be as affordable as possible for you. So that you and your dog can get the support you deserve and start these exercises right!

Which is why we are offering lifetime access to the program materials + 4 MONTHS of our support for just 347 USD today.

JOIN MOVEMENT PUZZLES ACADEMY HERE!

Get access today:

  • Lifetime access to Movement Puzzles core program & materials
  • 4 month access to our foundation Monthly Challenges & feedback
  • Movement Puzzle Level 1 Certificate application
  • 4 month access to our Members Only Community

For questions or help with enrolling send an email: support@themovingcanine.com

With PayPal you'll get access details email within 24h of joining, it won't come instantly!

Risk free 30 day money back guarantee

I want you to be happy with this program.

I get it. Maybe you've been burnt before when joining online programs that promised big things and never delivered. 

That's exactly why I'm offering a 30 day money back guarantee. If this program isn't what you expected, if you don't find value in the content we provide, or for any reason whatsoever, simply email Kriste at our member support team within 30 days of joining the program for a full refund.

No Questions Asked!

Emma Lee

Lighten Up Dog Training

"When I first encountered Mari's Movement Puzzles for dog training, it was a game-changer."

As a behaviour consultant, I often dealt with dogs struggling with impulsive behaviours and poor decision-making, especially in dynamic situations like agility. Many programmes focused on calmness, which wasn't the primary concern for my clients. It was the dogs' ability to make decisions on the go and control their behaviour in various settings that needed attention.

Mari's Movement Puzzles addressed this issue brilliantly. I joined the course in March 2022 and quickly recommended it to my clients. The results were astonishing. Dogs, especially the highly sensitive and impulsive ones, started having their 'lightbulb moments.' Within weeks, we observed improvements in a wide range of behaviours, from abnormal repetitive behaviour through to high levels frustration and even more simple things like leash pulling.

What sets this programme apart is its thoughtfulness. Mari has anticipated every possible challenge and provides strategies for guardians to overcome them. The monthly challenges are exceptional and cater to a variety of dog backgrounds, including sensitive working-line dogs. This means I very rarely need to make individual adaptations or suggestions for my clients' dogs – and when I’ve needed to, it’s simply been to say to re-visit Mari’s guidance.

It’s also been useful for fitness and recovery as well as confidence building. For many of the dogs I work with, they seem much more comfortable navigating the world. Having predictable patterns has also helped those dogs who need a bridge into other environments to help them settle. So often, stillness is an impossible challenge. A few short puzzles in new spaces seems to remind the dogs I work with that they make the decisions about what their body does, not the world around them.

Having worked with dogs for over a decade and seeking continual development, I can confidently say that Movement Puzzles was a true lightbulb moment in my career. I very much look forward to seeing The Moving Canine as it develops. 

Who is this program for?

🙋🏼‍♂️ Dog training enthusiasts living with sensitive, cautious or timid dogs who look new ways for building confidence and encouraging independent exploration

🙋‍♀️ Sport and working dog handlers who want to make sure their dogs are well prepared for moving with confidence, precision and awareness in challenging situations.

🙋🏽‍♂️ Handlers and trainers who use R+ training and are looking to add new tools and enrichment activities to their training skillbox

🙋‍♀️ Puppy trainers and guardians looking for confidence exercises for new surfaces, moving over/ through funny stuff

🙋🏽‍♂️ Dog guardians who are working through their dogs' behavior challenges and are looking for meaningful physical activities for their dogs.

Note: In case of problem behaviors, Movement Puzzles program can only support your existing training program. Movement Puzzles alone don't solve problem behaviors!

Who is this program NOT for?

This program is NOT for dog trainers and guardians who:

❌ Are looking for quick fixes and hope that problems get solved on their own

Aren't willing to commit to anything for more than 1 month and then say the method doesn't work

❌ Are only looking for end results without being able to enjoy the process and learning from their dogs.

❌ Are not interested in investing in themselves or their dogs and are only looking for free information.

Doing Movement Puzzles correctly, so that they would actually empower your dog, assumes that you are willing to learn from your dog's responses to the setup and adjust the setup when things don't go according to plan.

When "mistakes" happen, then the setup needs to be adjusted. It's not the dog's task to figure out the "correct" behavior through trial and error.

If that's NOT something you strive for in your own training, then Movement Puzzles are not a good fit for you.

Here's what other members have noticed about their dogs since starting with Movement Puzzles:

  • Becoming less reactive to other dogs!  
  • Feel a lot calmer in previously scary situations (like planes flying above their training area!)
  • Startle less when hearing household noises
  • Better distance skills in agility!
  • More focused during training!  
  • Less frustration during training sessions. Less barking, better engagement!
  • Calmer during training (no more frantic and reckless movements) without losing the enthusiasm!

So, Let's Recap!

When you join Movement Puzzles program you get instant LIFETIME access to our unique confidence boosting training that will finally help your dog feel grounded and empowered in new and challenging situations.


  • PLUS Our 4 foundation Monthly Challenges so you'll know exactly how to get started with Movement Puzzles + instructor feedback
  • PLUS Movement Puzzle Level 1 Certificate application to help you stay motivated with your training
  • PLUS 4 month access to Members Only Community and feedback

Join TODAY for ONLY $347

IT'S TIME TO MAKE ONE OF TWO CHOICES

Choice #1:
Do Nothing

As you already know, if you do nothing... then nothing changes. You came to this page with a reason. Possibly because your dog isn't as confident as you'd like him to be and that's worrying you. Maybe it means that your sport results are suffering. Or maybe your whole life and choices are affected by your dog being stressed and insecure in new situations. That's not going to change unless you take action and start changing it.

Choice #2:
Start changing your dog's life towards better NOW

If you are ready to take your dog's confidence on a new level, help her feel empowered and grounded in new situations... Then we can't wait to show you our shortcuts, help you with our troubleshooting guides, support you and cheer you on inside our Movement Puzzles Academy! 

Simply click the button below! Your new supportive Movement Puzzles community and I will be waiting for you inside to make these goals real!

Bobbie Lyons

CCFT, KPA CFT, Program Director CSCC, KPA Faculty

"From my first exposure to movement puzzles I was super intrigued with the concept and now I use it often for so many different things.  "

I love it for puppies and old dogs. It is a great way to teach clicker mechanics to new students. It is a great way to teach proprioception to dogs and for dogs to learn and think at a distance from their handler.
I continually find more and more uses for movement puzzles. Thank you Mari for sharing this concept.  It will always be part of what I teach.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For learning the Movement Puzzles concept, you'll need:
  • 2 bowls, 2-3 cones 
  • 1-2 platforms/steps. Human step platforms and Cato boards are perfect. Books or wooden blocks covered with a yoga mat work well for smaller dogs
  • 2 cavaletti poles or broomsticks

    Here are other pieces of equipment that will become handy, depending on which exercises you choose to do with your dog. There are lots of DIY equipment ideas inside the program:

  • Stool or a bench that you can use for crawling
  • 1 balance disc/unstable surface. Balance discs with bases (Gymnic or TotoFit) or Propel Air Platform are the perfect. The disc/platform should not roll or slide under your dog. 
  • A cardboard box + empty plastic bottles or similar for a box of "funny stuff"
  • Plastic bottles on strings + something to hang them on (or similar for a "noisy curtain")
  • Old tires/wooden ladder or something similar to give your dog narrow surfaces to step on (like ladder rungs) 
  • Small thin target
  • Big cardboard boxes for creating narrow spaces

Recommended area of 4x 6 meters/13x 20 feet, however you can also make it with half of that size. Most of the how to videos and examples inside the program are made in a space 2x 3 meters (6x9ft). Make sure the surface is non-slippery!

You get instructor support in our members community (videos are not limited). All you have to do is video your own sessions, post a video in our community and ask for feedback. During our Monthly Challenges we also offer daily instructor feedback to the challenge participants. You will have access to our foundation Monthly Challenges and member community for 4 months.

You will keep lifetime access to Movement Puzzles program materials and 4 month access to our foundation Monthly Challenges, members community, feedback and Level 1 Certificate application.

We offer 30 day money back guarantee, so you can get your money back if you contact us within 30 days of joining the program.

There's no fixed start date for this program. You will get full access to all the contents as soon as you join, so you can start working on the exercises and start getting results straight away!

Most of the confidence boosting exercises are perfect for puppies as young as 3 months. The body awareness and coordination exercises are better suited from 8 months and up. I'd personally recommend taking this course with a puppy, observe what your puppy is able to do easily and focus on these exercises. Inside the program we have guidelines for adjusting the exercises for puppies.

There is some overlap between these two programs, but there will be definitely new exercises for you in the Movement Puzzles program.

Before joining, contact us to see if Movement Puzzles is a good fit for you: support@themovingcanine.com

Posting videos is not mandatory 🙂 You can post your videos for instructor feedback during the challenges, but there is no requirement to post your videos for the program to work and give you results. In fact, most students say the program instruction videos and guides are so clear and so easily understandable that they can easily train on their own, without posting training videos.

The program runs on a platform called Circle

Please contact us via email: support@themovingcanine.com

Wow! You made it all the way to the bottom of this page :) 

If you are still reading this, there is a reason.  

There is some part of you that knows this is what you've been looking for.

So why not jump in and test it out? It's risk free with our 30 day money back guarantee.

What do you have to lose?

Got a question? Email us at support@themovingcanine.com

We do not claim to solve any dog's problem behaviors with our training. If your dog is showing problem behaviors, you should consult with a canine behaviorist.

We make no guarantees or claims as to the success of any user or our programs. Each individual is unique and their abilities are unique to them. The aim is that we provide support and training to allow you to better understand your dog, how to improve confidence, body awareness and coordination.

All training provided will be general information and guidance and will not be bespoke advice. We are not responsible for any action or inaction which you take as a result of the information within our services.

We are not responsible for any loss of opportunity or any investments which you make. No content in our services should be construed as veterinary advice, whether mental or physical. If you believe that your dog requires veterinary attention you should seek assistance from a veterinary professional immediately.