Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - FF175: Building Bravery: Concepts and Games for Growing Confident, Optimistic Dogs

Course Details

Building Bravery is a six-week, game-based class designed to help dogs grow confident, curious, and optimistic in the face of new challenges. Using play, communication, and trust-building exercises, you’ll discover how fun it can be to turn worry into wonder and hesitation into resilience.

Each week blends practical training with concepts to help you create meaningful, confidence-boosting experiences for your dog. You’ll learn how to recognize when your dog is thriving versus when they’re overwhelmed—by developing the skill of reading subtle body language and emotional signals. This awareness allows you to tailor experiences so they truly support your dog’s internal emotional state- building bravery and optimism- not just their responses.

Through a mix of physical games, shared language, and teamwork challenges, your dog will learn to:

Explore new environments with curiosity and enthusiasm
Recover quickly from startle or surprise
Build physical coordination and body awareness
Become more confident in social situations
Problem-solve with persistence and creativity
Trust their handler’s support and their own ability to cope

And you’ll learn to:

Identify and interpret subtle signs of negative stress, over-excitement, and confidence
Adjust training intensity to stay in the “learning zone”
Use play and relationship-based training to nurture resilience
Develop handling strategies that support feelings of safety in stressful moments
Apply the Recover-Rest–Reboot model to build emotional stability

By the end of this six-week journey, you’ll have a practical toolkit of games and strategies that strengthen your dog’s emotional fitness, plus the confidence to keep building bravery long after class ends.

This class is perfect for proactively building bravery and optimism in puppies, and for helping shy or sensitive dogs to thrive!

Teaching Approach:

***This class has a Training Assistant via the FDSA Study Group forums to help support bronze and silver students!***

Lectures will be released twice weekly. Lectures are primarily written with short (1-2 minute) video examples.

In this class, the basic lesson plan and homework will begin the same for all students, but Gold students can expect to receive personalized modifications when suitable for their dog, which may be presented via written description or video example. Gold and Silver level student feedback is provided in a kind, supportive, and detailed format- written and occasionally including screenshots or timestamps for added clarity.

Instructor: Erin Lynes

Erin (she/her) is a lifelong dog enthusiast from Quesnel, British Columbia, Canada. Erin is certified as a Karen Pryor Academy Training Partner, a Certified Professional Canine Fitness Trainer, a Licensed Family Dog Mediator, and as a Cani-Fit Leader, ...(Click here for full bio and to view Erin's upcoming courses)

Syllabus

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Pre-Class Lecture

0.1 PreClass Lecture: Recover, Rest, Reboot

Week 1

1.0 Confidence from the L.E.G.S. Perspective

1.1 Communication- Marker Cues

1.2 Super Splitting

1.3 Loopy Approaches

1.4 Movement Puzzles Intro

1.5 End Session Routines

1.6 Consent Test

1.7- Play!

1.8- Shaping 1

Week 2

2.1 The Power of Play

2.2 Shaping 2 -Variations

2.3 Movement Puzzles 2

2.4 Troubleshooting Puzzle Errors

2.5 The Seeking Mindset

2.6 Bravery Games

2.7 Shaping 3- Easy Movement

Week 3

3.0 Social Learning- The Buddy System

3.1 Communication: The Mr. Rogers Hack

3.2 Movement Puzzles 3

3.3 Shaping 4 - Tipping

3.4 Rear End Awareness: Magnetic Rear Feet

3.5 Bowling- Double Tip!

3.6 Bravery Games- Level 3

3.7 - Movement Puzzles: Variations and Mobile Game

Week 4

4.1 Movement Puzzles 3: Hoop and Push!

4.2 Shaping 5- Box!

4.3 Changing Feelings about Gear & Tools

Week 5

5.0 Courage Fatigue

5.1 Bravery Game - Level 4

5.2- Shaping - Messy Box

5.3 Movement Puzzles - Box Obstacle

5.4 Puzzle Patterns for Problems

5.5 Slippery Floor Protocol

Week 6

6.0 Arousal as an Amplifier

6.1 Combination Movement Puzzles - U- Shape

6.2 Combination Puzzles- Square

6.3 Fly! 6.4 Bowling in a Box!

6.5 Magnetic Rear Feet 2

6.6 Advancing Skills for Gear

Prerequisites and Equipment

No skill prerequisites for this class, but we specifically use food as reinforcement in many exercises so at least a moderate interest in some type of food is helpful.

Equipment:

Front Foot target (phone book, rubber feed bowl, etc)
Platform- non-slip and big enough for the dog to comfortably sit on or larger. A Cato platform works great for most dogs, but anything similar in size that is slightly raised will do. (DIY option: Stack 3 or 4 of these interlocking mats and duct tape them together)
a largish carboard box (collect a few if you can!) - Size should be at least as wide/long as your dog is wide (we'll cut down the sides, height is not important).
Two matching 'uprights' (these could be traffic cones, jump standards, or plungers
Two matching bowls -heavier bowls that don't flip or slide easily is best
One hoop like this (or DIY version - 2 chairs and a broomstick)
Some ribbon or fabric strips, about 10 -25 pieces 10-24" long (check sample lecture for usage demo)
6 x Empty plastic water or pop bottles
Clean/crumpled paper (recycled flyers, newspaper, wrapping paper, etc)
Mat or dog bed

Optional: If you have agility aspirations for the future, or a dog who already has concerns about contact equipment, you may want to acquire a wobble board or tippy board and/or a narrow plank.

We will likely use some other household items as well, get ready to become creative!

Sample Lecture

Week 4 B- Adding Ribbons to Hoop

Who this exercise helps: Dogs who need to learn to 'push through' challenges in a physical sense, dogs who are uncomfortable with touch around head/ears, dogs who gain confidence from progressive victories!

Timing notes: your marker cue occurs at the moment your dog's face has passed through the hoop/ribbons

Progression check: Increase difficulty through these levels when your dog has had at least 3 short sessions where they consistently (85%+) and eagerly going through the empty bowl for 6-10 passes in a row. (These sessions should be at least separated by play and rest, not back to back- we check consistency over time). Note- some dogs may need to have this introduced in SHORTER sessions. If it looks like your dog is finding step 1 to be very challenging, aim to end sooner, and build up the number of passes gradually over more sessions before increasing difficulty. Success at any level is more empowering than rushing to challenges your dog is not ready for.

Level 1 - Start easy- add 2 strips of ribbons to the edge of the hoop. This should create a large open space where your dog can still get through the hoop without touching the ribbons, if that is their preference

Level 2: Increase challenge: Fill in the remainder of hoop with ribbons (leave 3-4 inch spacing between each, room for a pushy muzzle to easily shove through.

Level 3: Max Ribbon Challenge: add ribbons to fill in, so that only ~1 inch gaps remain. You'll notice in this demo, the wind is giving us a bit of a boost and moving the ribbons - that is helpful in Velveeta's case (less difficult to push through)- but some dogs may find that additional movement very challenging. Be aware of your dog's reactions and if it feels like TOO much of a jump for any reason- abort and lets discuss options.

GOLD STUDENTS- show me each step and let's check comfort level before moving on.

Testimonials & Reviews

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A sampling of what prior students have said about this course...

This was my first ever FDSA class, and it exceeded all expectations! I started with a 10 week old puppy and the excitement of someone who has not had a puppy in 15 years. This class gave me step by step strategies, activities, and games for teaching my puppy to be curious, brave, and to love learning. Erin’s clear directions, enlightening videos, positive nature, and helpful TA Cindy really made this such a joy. I will definitely be signing up for a class in the next session! I am hooked! My puppy and I have the best start to our relationship, and I am so incredibly thankful! I found this to be one of the most thoughtfully presented courses that I have had the pleasure to take. I can't say enough good things about the concepts and the logical approach to content. The instructor Erin Lynes was very clear and organized; I look forward to any sequels to this class.

This was my second FDSA course and it was fantastic! I am did this with our family (aka Im not a dog sport guru) and I never felt like we couldn’t keep up or do the exercises. Erin have very clear lectures and videos so even at the bronze level I was able to progress. A lot of her games/exercises I can ‘take with me’ to help with his confidence and resilience. There was also minimal equipment required so I didn’t have to go buy supplies and I could do the exercises in small spaces or outside in our yard, at the park while my kids played…just so versatile. And my dog gained so much confidence. Even with things I didn’t directly work on I could see he was much more curious and confident about checking things out that he might not have previously. He is also better at doing tasks while having something a little concerning or exciting near him. And I have gotten better at reading my dog and when he needs to rest/recover. This was a fantastic course and I always enjoy Erin’s teaching style!

Great course, lots of information and skills. The key thing for me was to pick and chose which skills were more suited for my dog and not get bogged down trying to do everything! Erin was great in helping us tailor the course based on on our individual dog’s needs !

I really appreciated the teaching style and positive/direct encouragement and feedback. Also, I took a gold spot and did much less chatting and uploaded fewer videos than most (due to disabilities and energy affecting my training pace/energy allotment) and I was never made to feel inconvenient or "out of place," which was very kind.

This class was so very interesting! I’ve had dogs for close to 60 years, and Erin helped me to see things about my current dog in a fresh perspective!

This course was really helpful and really fun. Erin breaks down the steps and demonstrates them with the appropriate level dog making each lesson easy to follow. I like having the lectures coming out twice a week. This is actually the first class I have kept up with and have done all the homework. Super Splitting worked so well. Also having Cindy Cerne as TA was really beneficial.

I really enjoyed this class. I am new to fenzi and dog training in general but Erin has very clear lectures with helpful videos. I did it with my 6 month old lab (who is a family pet) and it really helped giving me exercises and games to build his confidence as well as games I can take with me when Im out and about. Im so glad I have this in my library now to go back and revisit exercises and lectures when I need. Thanks again Erin for another awesome course!

This was my first gold class and I was a little intimidated at first since I am new to all dog training but I am so glad I took the courseand highly recommended it. Erin was an amazing instructor who broke things down into small steps. The course helped me gain a better understanding of how to help my Sandi, a 7 month old golden, face new obstacles and overcome fears with confidence. I felt like this course really helped me gain a better understanding of how to read my puppy, how to watch her movements and increaaeed our bond. The activities surprised me at times, things I thought would be hard for Sandi she didn’t hesitate, like walking through a hoop with ribbbons, while what I perceive as easy, like putting her feet in a cardboard box or touching a water bottle, were real challenges. I am excited to use all the tools as we continue on our training journey.

Registration

Next session starts: June 1, 2026
Registration starts: May 22, 2026
Registration ends: June 15, 2026

Registration opens at 11:00am Pacific Time.

SILVER LEVEL Update - Students will be permitted to submit ONE 90 second video each week. For additional details on all enrollment levels please view our Getting Started section on our Help Page.

FF175 Subscriptions

	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Tuition	$ 260.00	$ 130.00	$ 65.00
Enrollment Limits	12	10	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	✔	1 per week	✖
Receive instructor feedback on	Questions All videos	Questions All videos	✖

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

FF175: Building Bravery: Concepts and Games for Growing Confident, Optimistic Dogs

FF175: Building Bravery: Concepts and Games for Growing Confident, Optimistic Dogs

Course Details

Teaching Approach:

Gold

Silver

Bronze