Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast

Precision heeling and contact heeling may seem similar in some ways - but they're also very different. Join me for a conversation with Denise Fenzi on when she uses which one and how (and why) she approaches training both! 

Looking to improve your relationship with your dog and improve your teamwork? In this episode, Crystal breaks down the factors that go into fostering that relationship in a healthy way.

Have a dog who likes frisbees? Join us for a conversation about UpDog — including What's UpDog and how you can compete!

Do you find your dog tends to fall flat as you continue to raise criteria in training? Or maybe you have a dog that is SO enthusiastic that precision feels like an impossible dream? Join us for a conversation on balancing motivation and precision in your sports training.

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. 

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!  

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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!

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. 

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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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! 

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!

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. 

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.

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

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!

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.

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. 

 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!

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. 

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.

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! 

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. 

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.

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.

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!