Fenzi Dog Sports Academy

December 2024

FE335: Spaces In Between

This is a class about preparing our dogs for the competition or seminar environment. Over and over I see dogs that are unprepared or rehearsing behavior we don't want at seminars, classes and trials. Over time this ...

Shade Whitesel(Faculty)

FE370: ALL THE SPORTS: Foundation for the Cross-training Canine

This course outlines the foundation training program developed by the instructor, Sara Brueske. This program was developed with experience training many different breeds and ages of dog to successful careers i...

Sara Brueske(Faculty)

FF140: Connect and Engage with Games: Build Focus for Sport Dogs

Have you ever felt embarrassed when your dog checks out in the middle of training — or worse yet, in the middle of the competition ring? This could look like the dog sniffing on the ground, running to another person...

Nicole Wiebusch (Faculty)

RA560: Shape Up - Improving and Maintaining Your and Your Dog's Shaping Skills

Both dog and handler’s shaping skills can deteriorate when not used regularly. In training, many of us focus on specific sports. Each sport has its own set of skills that we work to train to fluency in our d...

Julie Flanery(Faculty)

February 2025

FE130: Toys - Developing Cooperation and Play

Do you have a dog that chases the ball, yet won’t bring it back? Plays keep away with toys? Tugs but won’t let go? Bites you instead of the tug? Obsesses over toys, yet won’t listen to a single thing you say? Is you...

Shade Whitesel(Faculty)

FE145: First Things First - Puppy Foundations for a Bright Future

First Things First is the new puppy owner's guide to building strong skills and social behaviors -right from the start! With a progression based on my board-and-train puppy program, this sequ...

Erin Lynes(Faculty)

FE225: Shaping Skills: From Start to Finish!

Do you end up doing a palm-to-face plant every time you start a shaping project? Using shaping to teach behaviours to our dogs can be both exhilarating and downright frustrating. Sometimes we fly along, and other ti...

Heather Lawson(Faculty)

FF115: Control Games for All the Sports

This course utilizes games to help teach your dog focus and self control with a focus on sport behaviors. Start line stays, working around distractions and choosing to focus on the handler are some of the goal...

Sara Brueske(Faculty)

FF145: Food Cues and Markers: Powerful Reinforcement for Clean Training

Are you finding yourself confused by all the new marker cues for everything? Toss, X, Yes, Sniff, Scatter, it’s hard to keep them all straight and your head is going to explode! What is the big deal anyway? A ...

Shade Whitesel(Faculty)

FF150: Greet Expectations: The Art of the Polite Hello!

Is your dog TOO friendly? Over-excited, jumpy, and perhaps even a little unwittingly rude with how eagerly they greet you, other family members, or strangers? If you’ve found yourself wishing that your...

Erin Lynes(Faculty)

FF215: Game Changer!

As positive reinforcement trainers, we understand that our dogs have choices – the choice to engage or not engage, to stay or go, to work or not work, to choose us or choose the environment. These choices are crucia...

Julie Flanery(Faculty)

April 2025

FE280: Cutting Out the Cookies (or Toys!) - Reducing Reinforcement for R+ Trainers

Ever feel envy when you watch a obedience/rally/Schutzhund/etc… trial performance and the dog executes perfect skills for the WHOLE routine? No treats in the handler’s pocket, no toy in their hand, but the dog is ce...

Shade Whitesel(Faculty)

FE415: Zen Logic - Making Sense of Self Control

What is Zen Logic? The title Zen Logic has two meanings. First, Zen Logic is a training approach based on the concept that giving up what you want can lead to an even better outcome than directly going a...

Deborah Jones(Faculty)

FE515: Hound About Town - Lifestyle Skills and Manners Training

Learn the skills and manners that will help to prepare you and your dog for your worldly adventures. These skills will also prepare you to take the Canine Good Neighbour (CGN), Canine Good Citizen (CGC) or Urban Dog...

Heather Lawson(Faculty)

FF110: Pay to Play: Using Food to Get Great Toy Play

Do you have a dog that plays great at home but ignores the toy in public? Is your dog lacking confidence in tug or gets distracted in fetch? Or a dog that gets too excited about toys and struggles to focus on work o...

Sara Brueske(Faculty)

FF160: The PROOF is in the Training: Building Strong Behaviors

Consistent. Reliable. Confident. We’ve all seen those dogs who seem to have a perfect understanding of the job they’re being asked to do — whether in the obedience ring, working as a therapy dog, or that go-a...

Nicole Wiebusch (Faculty)

June 2025

FE130: Toys - Developing Cooperation and Play

Shade Whitesel(Faculty)

FE420: Bye, Bye Cookie: Hello Delayed Reinforcement!

Do you struggle to get your dog's attention without a cookie (or toy!) in your hand? Are you tired of your dog only responding to a cue until you reach into your pocket? &nbs...