Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - AG305: Velcro No More! Distance and Layering Skills

Course Details

Do you have a dog that you have to run to each and every obstacle with? How about a dog that doesn't commit to obstacles as soon as they are cued? Do you want to run courses that utilize distance and layering? This is the class for you!

Let's get started getting rid of the Velcro! In this class we will work on the basics of getting your dog to go ahead without you, move off of you laterally and really start getting your dog to be confident moving away from you on command! Verbals will be taught as well as several games to work on your dogs understanding that they can do things without you being right there!

Whether you have a beginner dog that is just learning obstacles, or a seasoned dog that needs more skills at a distance, this class can meet you where you are at and expand on your teams knowledge!

Teaching Approach:

Lectures will be released weekly, all on the same day. Lectures contain key concepts to accomplish with written instruction and videos.

Feedback is given with time stamps, second by second analysis, if needed, to help the student understand what to improve and also what is going well. The student can then resubmit video with the changes.

Instructor: Loretta Mueller

Loretta Mueller (she/her) has been involved in agility since 2003 with her first rescue dog, Ace. Since then she has been involved in a variety of dog training activities including USBCHA herding, competitive obedience, rally obedience, and service dog training. In 2007, Loretta...(Click here for full bio and to view Loretta's upcoming courses)

Syllabus

View Full Syllabus

Week 1: Testing your dogs distance skills

Distance Game #1

Week 2: Finding a line skills

Teaching a GO ON verbal and forward focus

Week 3: Lateral movement away from the handler

Teaching an OUT verbal and commitment

Week 4: Beginning Layering

Week 5: What verbals DO you need?

Teaching solid verbals: how to reward, how to add motion as a distraction

Week 6: Working with all the variables and how to increase challenges!

Prerequisites and Equipment

We will be working with jumps and tunnels in this class. If you have other pieces of equipment, those can be worked with as well, but for the sake of class, we will be utilizing obstacles that are easier to obtain and move around. If you have a Treat N Train or some kind of remote training device, that is very helpful. If not, a dog that goes to toys, OR a toy that contains treats that the dog can access would be needed. If none of those options are available, a dog that can go to food placed in a bowl can work.

One tunnel (10-15 feet) or a cone to send around and 4 jumps if possible.

Space of 30 x 30 if possible. A marker word or clicker is very useful to mark behaviors. If your dog knows all the obstacles, access to play some of the games with different equipment besides jumps and tunnels can really help. But not required.

Sample Lecture

Something I hear a lot while teaching seminars is, "I need more distance because I am slow", or "I am always behind my dog, so my dog gets mad at me, they need more distance"

As if "needing distance" is a bad thing? A side affect of not being fast enough, or smooth enough.

Here is a secret for you ;) EVERYONE NEEDS DISTANCE HANDLING!!

Why?

It builds confidence!

It builds drive!

It gives the dogs independence so you can be in another place to help them see the next challenge on course!

It reduces your yardage, while increasing them, making you look faster! Who doesn't want to look faster?

Many times people neglect distance work until they run into an issue on a course that requires it, and it is nowhere to be found. The goal is to have these skills already in your toolbox so you can use it whenever needed.

Most courses at this point will have places on course that you can utilize distance, which gives you an advantage over other teams who have to run the entire thing.

The goal is to have a CONFIDENT dog, trained with CLARITY, who can execute behaviors at a distance with CONSISTENCY.

Let's get Started!!!!

Registration

Next session starts: August 1, 2025
Registration starts: July 22, 2025
Registration ends: August 15, 2025

Registration opens at 9:30am Pacific Time.

AG305 Subscriptions

	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Tuition	$ 260.00	$ 130.00	$ 65.00
Enrollment Limits	10	25	Unlimited
Access all course lectures and materials	✔	✔	✔
Access to discussion and homework forums	✔	✔	✔
Read all posted questions and answers	✔	✔	✔
Watch all posted videos	✔	✔	✔
Post general questions to Discussion forum	✔	✔	✖
Submit written assignments	✔	✖	✖
Post dog specific questions	✔	With video only	✖
Post videos	✔	Up to 2	✖
Receive instructor feedback on	Questions All videos	Questions All videos	✖

Find more details, refund policies and answers to common questions in the Help center.

AG305: Velcro No More! Distance and Layering Skills

AG305: Velcro No More! Distance and Layering Skills

Course Details

Teaching Approach:

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Bronze