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You've taught your dog the exercises—but do you know how to show them in the ring?Join Petra Ford for a deep dive into what actually happens during an AKC obedience trial, from Novice through Utility. She goes beyond the rulebook and training videos to explore the flow of a performance—what the judge says, how you respond, when you can talk to

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.   Transcript  Melissa Breau: This is Melissa Breau and you're listening to the Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast brought to you by the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, an online school de

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.   Transcript Melissa Breau: This is Melissa Breau and

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 ep

 If you've ever walked into a Rally ring and felt like your dog wasn't quite with you, you're not alone. Connection is one of the most important—and often overlooked—skills in Rally. Without it, everything feels harder. With it, everything flows. In Rally, connection isn't just nice to have—it's essential. It affects the quality of your heelin

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!    Transcript Melissa Breau: This is M

Agility handling is a game of precision, speed, and split-second decision-making. Yet, many handlers find themselves struggling with late cues, unstable turns, or inconsistent movement—issues they often blame on technique alone. While skill and timing are crucial, there's another often-overlooked factor that could be holding you back: core strength

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.   &n

 Why Reward Placement Matters: When a dog receives reinforcement, they're likely to repeat not only the behavior they were doing, but also the position they were in and where they were looking when the reward arrived. In heeling, this means that if you feed your dog out in front or with their head turned, you're unintentionally reinforcin

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.   Transcript Melissa Breau: This is Melissa Breau and you're listeni

Life can be really hard, and today's political climate (and fallout from) is a lot. And let's be real—it's not getting better anytime soon.This means we have two choices: let stress run the show or take control of how we manage ourselves. The difference between managing stress and taking control is huge, and understanding it can help us shift from

 Have a dog who likes frisbees? Join us for a conversation about UpDog — including What's UpDog and how you can compete!  Transcript Melissa Breau: This is Melissa Breau and you're listening to the Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast, brought to you by the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, an online school dedicated to providing high quality instruction for

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.   Transcript Melissa Breau: This is Melissa Breau and you're listening to the Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast brought to you by the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy, an

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!    Transcription ​Melissa Breau: This is Melissa Breau and you're listening to the Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast brought t

Tracey McLennan joins me for a conversation on how her software background has informed her approach to dog training and led to her framework for smarter, faster, training progress.   Transcription Coming soon!  Credits Today's show is brought to you by the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. Special thanks to Denise Fenzi for supporting this