Webinar Presentations
Questions or Problems? Please send email to allthethings@fenziacademy.com
Webinars will run approximately 1-2 hours including presentation and questions.
Click here for a list of frequently asked questions
Petra Ford- Engagement at a Distance
Date: Thursday, May 22nd, 2025
Time: 3pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
Dogs are generally uncomfortable when we leave them. Especially in the ring when they are surrounded by pressure and distractions. Most errors occur because the dog wants to escape the pressure. We want to teach our dogs that being away from us is safe and fun. Using tricks and games, we will create a positive conditioned emotional response to distance work. The result is a dog that is alert, engaged and confident both when we walk away and when we turn and face them. Whether you are teaching distance exercises, or your dog struggles with them, this webinar will provide you with strategies to build your dog’s confidence with distance work.
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Sarah Rodriguez - Look Ma No Hands! - Upgrading Dog Training Skills With a Hands-Off Approach
Date: Thursday, May 22nd, 2025
Time: 6pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
Expand your dog training toolbox and take a deep dive into a hands-off approach to dog training. Whether you’re working with fearful or aggressive dogs, clients with mobility limitations, or just want to level up your training skills, this webinar is for you. We'll go beyond shaping and capturing to also discuss adapted luring, utilizing props and environmental cues, and so much more! You'll get concrete examples to help you learn to think outside the box when it comes to training strategies. Build confidence in your canine learner while deepening your relationship with them through hands-off training!
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Sharon Carroll - Reactivity: Selecting a training protocol to suit the underlying driver
Date: Thursday, May 29th, 2025
Time: 3pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
Big feelings often lead to big responses!
When a dog performs big behaviors in response to a stimulus, the “reactivity” label is often applied, regardless of the underlying driver.
Any stimulus can trigger these responses, but common triggers include other dogs, people, vehicles, bicycles, skateboards, and other animals.
The behaviors frequently occur whilst on-leash, but can also be exhibited at a door or window in the home, at a property fence-line, or from within a crate, enclosure, or vehicle.
The behaviors may include any mix of the following:
• Lunging.
• Vocalizing (barking, whining, growling).
• Intense pulling toward the stimulus (when on-leash).
• Rushing to the stimulus or barrier (when off-leash).
• Attempts to flee from the stimulus or situation, which may also result in pulling and thrashing when on-leash.
In combination with the above, the dog may exhibit moments of intense focus on the stimulus, stillness, freezing, and/or body rigidity/tension. Alternatively, the dog’s whole body may be wiggling, and there may even be spinning, and/or leaping.
The extensive mix of different behaviors and body language are the result of differing underlying emotions and motivations driving the “reactivity”. Fear is a very common driver of “reactive” responses, but it is not the only driver, hyper-arousal due to excitement or frustration can also result in the performance of “reactive” behaviors. Certain genetic traits can influence the development of reactive behaviors too, these include traits associated with owner guarding, intolerance to nearby unfamiliar dogs, or a strong desire to chase. The “reactive” behaviors may also have been inadvertently reinforced by the handler, leading to the ongoing performance, and potential escalation, of these unwanted and potentially dangerous behaviors.
The common theme with “reactivity”, is that once the reactive responses are triggered, the dog’s ability to follow our cues is significantly diminished, but without our help, the dog struggles to manage their own arousal, emotions, and behaviors in the presence of the stimuli.
The best way forward, in terms of appropriate management and training, is largely going to be influenced by the underlying driver/s of the behavior. In this webinar we discuss the reasons why some strategies are best suited to certain types of reactivity, and how choosing the most appropriate strategy, will increase the likelihood of making significant progress with modifying your dog’s behavior.
Currently there are discussions in our industry about re-labeling reactivity to identify the difference between excitement-based responses, fear / anxiety-based responses, and behaviors with a likelihood of progression to aggressive behaviors. This webinar will also touch on the pro’s and con’s of re-labeling in this way.
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*This webinar has run previously as part of the Dogs with Big Feelings Conference. Please check your Webinar Library to prevent a duplicate purchase.
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Julie Symons - Hold It! Working in a No Pee Zone
Date: Thursday, May 29th, 2025
Time: 6pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
Some dogs are all business and focus on their task. Other dogs want to DO their business. Urine-marking is a normal and instinctual behavior. Changing that behavior can be very hard after habits have already been formed! Even dogs who are very focused on a task can mark. It’s made even more challenging when we are doing sniffing sports! It’s our job to figure out what the trigger may be and to apply the correct training. There are many reasons for why a dog may pee/urine mark when working. They can be territorial, environmentally focused, anxious or frustrated. They can also lack motivation for the task and be unclear when they can or cannot pee. This webinar will break down common suggestions, go over proactive ways to change their behavior or prevent it in the first place, review how our handling can help or hinder, and test if your dog truly understands when they are in a No-pee zone! Although this class is geared toward Nosework/scent sports, the content would apply to many other dog training situations!
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*This webinar has run previously. Please check your Webinar Library to prevent a duplicate purchase.
* Click here to Register Now *
Ann R. Howie - The Right Stuff: What Makes a Therapy Dog (and Handler!)
Date: Thursday, June 5th, 2025
Time: 3pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
Are you curious about whether your canine companion could be a therapy dog? Passionate about animals helping people? Join us for an enlightening webinar where we dive into the essential characteristics that define an ideal therapy dog. (And the characteristics you need to be successful, too!)
More than simply good manners, dogs need the right temperament, specific training, and social skills. Identify the qualities your dog has that say he wants to work as a therapy dog, then nurture his potential to help him shine! Learn how to match your dog’s qualities to places to visit. Therapy dogs can now be found not only in human hospitals, but also in airports, courtrooms, jails/prisons, classrooms, libraries, human residential facilities, and nearly anywhere humans can be found! Learn how to match your dog’s qualities to his ideal environment, where he will be happiest as well as most effective. There are more than 700 therapy dog organizations in just the U.S. alone! Peek into registration criteria and learn how to find one that has the right stuff for you.
Whether you're a dog guardian, a dog trainer, a human healthcare or education professional, or someone who simply loves dogs, this webinar will equip you with valuable insights.
Don't miss out! Reserve your spot today and embark on a journey to understand whether your dog has the right stuff to be a therapy dog.
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*This webinar has run previously. Please check your Webinar Library to prevent a duplicate purchase.
* Click here to Register Now *
Denise Fenzi - Here to There: Managing High Drive Dogs in Working Environments
Date: Thursday, June 5th, 2025
Time: 6pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
You've got a good handle on arousal management when your dog is actively training and competing - awesome! Now let's talk about...more!
Qualities that make high-drive dogs amazing for work are often the same qualities that make them challenging when they're not working but are present in public spaces. Their prey drive, energy, and desire to play games don't simply disappear when it's not their turn to shine.
The handler's job is to build up their dog's tolerance for existing in public gradually, as they show readiness. You will choose a training plan and set of expectations or they will choose their own - often at your expense. There is nothing fun about a large and powerful dog that screams, bites, and drags you to the start line for training, and it's not a "natural" part of a highly driven dog - it's a training matter.
In this presentation, Denise will talk about this "civilizing" process; from the very beginning of your team's working career to a more trial-ready picture, or when you no longer have food or toys to keep your dog occupied!
The time in between "active training" and "resting in a crate" sets the dog's attitude about competition environments. Trained thoughtfully and with care - from start to finish - you will eventually arrive at a place where non-stop management in no longer required, and you and your dog can begin to relax, even in high arousal environments.
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Coming Soon!
*This webinar has run previously. Please check your Webinar Library to prevent a duplicate purchase.
* Click here to Register Now *
Questions or Problems? Please send email to help@fenziacademy.com
