Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast

Follow Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast
Share on
Copy link to clipboard

Published every other Friday, the Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast is brought to you by the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. Each episode of the Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast will feature an interview with a leading name in the competitive dog sports training world, talking in depth about issues that often get overlook…

Melissa Breau


    • May 30, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 38m AVG DURATION
    • 411 EPISODES

    4.8 from 206 ratings Listeners of Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast that love the show mention: dog sports, dog training, reinforcement, trainers, dogs, something new, class, learn something, love love love, great information, based, positive, hearing, guests, informative, great job, questions, thanks, interesting, next.


    Ivy Insights

    The Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast is by far one of the best dog podcasts out there. Hosted by Melissa, this podcast offers a wealth of knowledge and entertainment for dog enthusiasts and trainers alike. Melissa does an exceptional job interviewing guests without interrupting them or making the show about herself, which is unfortunately a common issue with other popular hosts. It is refreshing to hear a podcast that truly focuses on the guests and allows them to share their expertise uninterrupted.

    One of the standout aspects of this podcast is the fantastic content it delivers. Each episode provides valuable insights into dog training and behavior, catering to both serious competitors and casual dog owners. Whether you are involved in dog sports or simply enjoy training your own dog, you will undoubtedly find something useful in every episode. Additionally, the lack of endless ads is greatly appreciated, as it allows listeners to fully immerse themselves in the content without constant interruptions.

    The variety of topics covered in this podcast is also worth mentioning. From interviews with top trainers in various dog sports to discussions on building positive relationships with dogs, there is something for everyone. The range of guests ensures that listeners get exposure to different perspectives and techniques, making each episode engaging and informative.

    While there are many positives about The Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast, one criticism that can be made is that Melissa sometimes sounds a little stilted and nervous during interviews. Her laughs may come off as forced at times, and her responses to guest comments can feel generic. However, it seems that she has improved in later episodes by incorporating casual banter and smooth transitions between questions. Overall, this minor flaw does not detract significantly from the overall quality of the podcast.

    In conclusion, The Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast is an excellent resource for anyone interested in dog training and behavior. It offers valuable insights from knowledgeable guests without unnecessary interruptions or distractions. Whether you are a serious competitor or simply enjoy training your own dog, this podcast will provide you with informative and entertaining content. Despite a minor flaw in delivery, this podcast is highly recommended for dog enthusiasts looking to expand their knowledge and improve their training skills.



    Search for episodes from Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast with a specific topic:

    Latest episodes from Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast

    E411: Kim Palermo & Erin Lynes - "Building a Sports Foundation"

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2025 58:18


    If you've found yourself thinking, "I'm gonna do that differently with the next puppy," or "Next time I'll do this perfectly," you're not alone. Join me, Kim, and Erin for a discussion on what they prioritize with future sports dogs, why there's always something they'd do differently "next time," and how they're tackling things right now. 

    E410: Ashley Escobar - The Art & Science of Jump Training

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2025 19:02


    Jumps make up a significant percent of every agility course - yet so often they receive only a small percentage of our training time. If you've ever wondered what jump grids are, how to teach your dog collection, or whether cavalettis might improve your dogs performance... give this episode a listen!  

    E409: Sarah Rodriguez - Making Training More Accessible

    Play Episode Listen Later May 16, 2025 21:20


    We always say train the dog in front of you -- but in this podcast, Sarah shares the importance of considering the handler as well. Adjusting training so it's effective and easy for both members of the team may require some additional creativity... but it's more than worth it. Join us for a conversation on making training more accessible in this episode. 

    E408: Karen Deeds - Another Look at Box Feeding

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2025 38:52


    The more tools in your toolbox the more dogs you can help — in this episode Karen shares her experience using box feeding (aka the "dopamine box") to build confidence, desensitize to sounds, develop duration as a concept, for scent work, tracking, and to develop working under pressure.

    E407: Denise Fenzi, Crystal Wing, & Jane Ardern on Motivation

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2025 50:57


    With the upcoming one day conference on matters of motivation, Denise, Crystal, and Jane joined me to share their takes on what motivation really is and why it matters. 

    E406: Deb Jones, PhD - "An Honest Conversation about Hard Decisions"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2025 31:35


    There are certain topics in the dog training world that feel almost taboo - among them is the topic of behavioral euthanasia. In this episode Deb and I have a frank but thoughtful conversation on evaluating the severity of a behavior issue and what factors go into that sort of decision.

    E405: Jessica Wheatcraft - "A Closer Look at Circle Work"

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2025 40:51


    Give this episode a listen to learn a bit more about Jessica, her background, what Circle Work is and what led her to develop it!

    E404: Amy Cook, PhD - The Evolution of The Play Way

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 56:44


    Join me and Dr. Amy Cook for a conversation on where her ideas for The Play Way came from, the science that inspired it, and how it's evolved (and continues to evolve). We also discuss the one letter that Amy thinks every trainer should add to their conversations about reactivity and thresholds. 

    E403: Denise Fenzi & Crystal Wing - Let's Talk Play

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2025 48:58


    Join us for a serious conversation on all things play! Denise and Crystal share how play impacts our relationships and our training with our dogs. 

    E402: Julie Symons - "Building Environmental Resilience"

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2025 40:52


    Nosework competitions require the ability to focus and work independently in new and novel locations — so Julie joined me for a conversation on how to build the necessary levels of environmental resilience. 

    E401: Kim Palermo - "Patterns for Performance'

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2025 30:46


    Join us for a conversation on how pattern games can benefit dogs with big feelings — whether those feelings are positive or negative! Kim is a certified Control Unleashed instructor and shares insights into why the program was developed and how it can help.

    E400: Dante Camacho - "Building A Beautiful Heel"

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2025 22:20


    When done well, heelwork can be downright beautiful. But if you've ever tried to teach heelwork, you know it's much more complex than it might look at first. Join me and Dante for a conversation on the pieces that you need to consider to get lovely heeling with duration.

    E399: Sara Brueske, Irith Bloom, Kim Palermo, and Sophie Liu, DVM - "A Look at Barky Lungey Dogs"

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2025 62:25


    What do you do if you end up with a dog that barks and lunges at people or other dogs? Join us for a panel discussion on what to do first, whether it matters what emotions are driving the behavior, and what you might want to consider if your goals are to compete.

    E398: Janice Gunn - "Stand Your Dog: Teaching the Stand for Competition Obedience"

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2025 27:06


    How solid is your dog's understanding of their stand cue? Join us for a conversation on how to teach the stand and why it's such an important skill for competition obedience. 

    E397: Canine Sports Medicine Vets with Drs. David Lane and Chris Zink

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2025 34:22


    Join me for a conversation with canine sports medicine vets David Lane and Chris Zink about what sports handlers should know! We talk about what is included within the canine sports medicine umbrella, how to find a specialist, and where you can learn more.

    E396: Petra Ford - "Engagement that Holds Up in the Competition Ring"

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2025 30:52


    In this episode Petra and I discuss the difference between attention and engagement. Join us for Petra's advice on preparing your dog for the competition ring.

    E395: Julie Flanery - "Gamifying Training for Your Dog"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 39:43


    Looking to add some joy back into your training? Join Julie and I for a conversation about ways to use games to build connection, engagement, attention and... joy! 

    E394: Bronagh Daly - "Control Unleashed for Agility"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2025 26:54


    Have a dog that struggles to think clearly in or around the agility ring? Want to be proactive, so your dog can always keep his head? In this episode Bronagh and I talk about how to create that "thinking brain" even when exciting, overwhelming or intimidating things are happening around our dogs!

    E393: Jerri Scherff - "Becoming An Influencer: Sailor Jerri's Story"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 17, 2025 50:01


    You may have seen her on TikTok or Instagram... this week the dog trainer known for sharing her videos on social media is making an appearance here on the FDSA podcast! If you aren't already following her, you'll want to by the time you finish listening. 

    E392: Aleks Woodroffe, Julie Symons, Kayla Dever, and Stacy Barnett - Know the Nose 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2025 78:48


    Today we brought together several of the presenters from our upcoming one day conference on nosework, Know the Nose! They share what they wish they'd known sooner about nosework, as well as how they tailor their training and handling to the dog in front of them.

    E391 - Karen Deeds: The Pieces to Creating Peace At Home

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2025 42:12


    Karen and I talk about how she uses a settle behavior in her behavior work and what it means to have a harmonious household. 

    E390: Denise Fenzi - Setting Training Goals & The Evolution of Circle Walking

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2024 26:05


    Hear the story of what inspired Denise's popular circle method for loose leash walking, and join us for a discussion on goal setting as we head into the near year!

    E389: The One Day Conference Spectacular

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2024 82:19


    In honor of our current sale, we're bringing back highlights from several previous conversations on choosing your sport puppies, dealing with adolescence, what it means to have a confident dog and what it means to have a high drive dog... and combining them for one final takeaway. 

    E388: Julie Symons - The Benefits of Nosework & How to Get Started

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2024 33:35


    Trying to decide if Nosework is worth a try? In this episode Julie and I talk about the benefits of nosework and how to adapt your handling to improve your nosework dog's performance.

    E387: Bronagh Daly - "Breaking Down Agility Handling for Your Dog"

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2024 29:22


    When running an agility course full speed there's a lot your dog has to process... so how do you make handling clear for your dog? Bronagh and I talk about handling clearly and training your dog to optimize that clarity.

    E386: Sara Brueske - "Training A Stunt Dog"

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2024 16:17


    Ever wondered what it takes to train the show stopping tricks you see frisbee dogs and stunt dogs perform? In this episode Sara and I talk about training big moves — what to think about, how to break them down, and what you need to consider to keep both you and your dog safe.

    E385: Nancy Gagliardi Little - What it Takes to Prepare to Compete

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2024 34:28


    Need a strategy for getting reinforcement off your body? Wondering what other skills you should have on board before that first competition? In this episode Nancy and I talk about all of the pieces that go into preparing our dogs to perform their best.

    E384: Julie Flanery - Shape Up Your Training

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2024 28:12


    Shaping: People either love it or hate it! Join Julie and I for a conversation on why it should be a tool in your training toolbox and how you can build your skills so you and your dog can become a talented shaping team.

    E383: Irith Bloom - Changing Feelings: When to Use Food to Change Emotions

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2024 58:48


    As positive reinforcement trainers we often use food for everything! In this episode Irith and I talk about desensitization and counterconditioning... and why Irith actually prefers not using food for these cases unless we need to.

    E382: What Do We Mean By Big Feelings?

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2024 61:36


    Join us for a fantastic panel discussion with Dr. Amy Cook, Denise Fenzi, Kim Palermo, and Petra Ford on sports dogs, their big feelings, and how to help them thrive. 

    E381: Dr. Jennifer Summerfield & Dr. Jessica Perry Hekman - "Anxiety in Our Dogs"

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2024 31:58


    What do we know about anxiety in our canine companions? Join us for a conversation about what causes anxiety and what we can do about it.

    E380: Bobbie Bhambree - "Creating a Resilience Framework for More Resilient Dogs"

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2024 31:39


    What do we know about resilience and what it takes to build more of it in our dogs? Join Bobbie and I for a conversation on what factors we need to consider when it comes to our dogs and helping them deal with stress — and why that's SO important for our sports dogs.

    E379: Angelica Steinker - "Handling Hearing and Vision Impairments in Dogs"

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2024 34:26


    Have you ever wondered how unilateral deafness might impact learning? What a dog with vision impairments might face? Angelica shares her experiences with both and shares her story in this episode.

    E378: Loretta Mueller - "Multi-Dog Households: Adding a New Dog"

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2024 43:36


    Having a peaceful household when you live with multiple dogs can be tough — join us for a conversation about what it takes, and tips on how to introduce a new dog to your household even if there may be a significant size difference.

    E377: Karen Deeds - Advanced Reactive Integration: Bringing The Pieces Together

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2024 33:04


    You've heard of Fight or Flight and maybe Freeze, but did you know there are actually 5 F's that dogs can exhibit under stress? Join us for an interesting conversation on working with reactive dogs!

    E376: Irith Bloom - Creating Confidence and Calm for Anxious Dogs

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2024 50:01


    In this episode Irith and I talk about what anxiety looks like in dogs and what we can do to help our dogs feel safe and build confidence. Plus, I ask Irith to talk about what factors influence how long these behaviors take to work and what factors influence prognosis.

    E375: Liz Joyce & Kelly Daniel - Core Fitness for Both Ends of the Leash

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2024 27:31


    Core strength is important for both ends of the leash — so for this episode, Liz and Kelly both joined me to talk about their relative expertise... Kelly shared what to consider and why it matters for our four-legged teammates, and Liz talked about fitness for the human-half of the team!

    ends leash core fitness
    E374: Deb Jones, Jennifer Summerfield, and Julie Symons on Living With and Loving Your Senior Dog

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2024 44:18


    We hear so much about puppys and adolescents, but it's rare to focus on seniors — in this episode, that's exactly what we do. We take a deep dive into what it means to live with and love our dogs in their golden years.

    E373: Erin Lynes - "Surviving Canine Adolescence"

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2024 27:11


    Teenagers get a bad rap — join me and Erin for a conversation about what you can really expect and how to survive canine adolescence and then come out with an awesome sports dog on the other side. 

    E372: Kamal Fernandez - Teaching the Concept of Duration

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2024 24:12


     If you've ever struggled to convey to your dog that you want them to keep doing a thing... Whether it's a stationary behavior or a moving one, this episode is for you. Kamal and I break down why he teaches duration as a concept and what it means to approach training duration that way!

    E371: Crystal Wing - Learning to Play

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2024 45:18


    It's easy to assume we're all born knowing how to play - but sometimes reclaiming that childlike sense of fun is harder than it looks! Join us for a conversation on the skills we need to rediscover and those we need to teach our dogs to get toy play everyone involved can enjoy. 

    E370: Jennifer Henion - Breaking Down the Blind Retrieve

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2024 22:05


    One of the skills you'll need for retriever hunt tests is the blind retrieve — where the dog retrieves downed game that they didn't see land. In this episode Jennifer talks me though exactly what that means and how she approaches it in training.

    E369: Shade Whitesel - Choosing Location Specific Marker Cues

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2024 34:13


    Wondering what the hype is about when it comes to Location Specific Marker cues? Shade and I talk about what they are, what they can offer your training, how to decide when it's time to consider adding a new one, the role of anticipatory behaviors and more! 

    E368: Tracey McLennan - Overcoming Critter Distractions for the Real World

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2024 35:06


    Have a dog that's easily distracted or driven to chase prey-like critters? In this episode Tracey and I talk about overcoming critter distractions and building behaviors so you can both enjoy the outdoors again. 

    E367: Julie Symons - "One of a Kind Hides & Creating Clarity in Nosework"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 19, 2024 28:02


    Ever wondered if your dog can remember which hides they've already found? In this Episode Julie and I dive into problem solving multiple hides and using contrast to create clarity in nosework.

    E366: Deb Jones, PhD - Redefining Focus: What Training for Focus Looks Like

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2024 40:48


    What really goes into having a focused dog? Join us for a conversation what it means to train focus — and how we can split a complex behavior down into component parts to build a strong but flexible skillset every sports dog needs.

    E365: Dr. Amy Cook, Crystal Wing, and Erin Lynes - "The Power of Play"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2024 45:34


    What's the big deal about play, anyway? Join us for a conversation on the benefits of play... and how to tap into your inner child, so both you and your dog can enjoy playing together!

    E364 - Sharon Carroll - Training & Competing with "Differently Motivated" Dogs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2024 35:42


    In this episode Sharon and I talk about what engagement looks like for those “differently motivated” dogs and how to handle it when our dog appears to be ignoring our cues.

    E363: Hélène Lawler - Reliable Distance Downs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 21, 2024 31:15


    Ever wonder how herding dog handlers get those fabulous downs at a distance? Hélène Lawler joins me to talk about building reliable behaviors at a distance... useful whether you want to herd sheep or nail your startline stay and drop on recall! 

    E362: Kelly Daniel - "Wellness and Your Canine Athlete"

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2024 24:00


    Wellness is about both the physical and the emotional being. Today Kelly and I take a deeper look at what that means and what we, as handlers, can do to ensure the wellness of our canine athletes. 

    E361: Irith Bloom - The Role of Choice and Habit in Dog Training

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2024 62:51


    Choice and habit both play a role in our dog training - and if we want to change behavior, it's important to determine which that behavior falls into to create an effective plan. During this episode, Irith and I talk about how to know and what to do!

    Claim Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast

    In order to claim this podcast we'll send an email to with a verification link. Simply click the link and you will be able to edit tags, request a refresh, and other features to take control of your podcast page!

    Claim Cancel