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
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.
* Click here to Register Now *
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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Coming Soon!
* 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 *
Deb Jones, PhD - Food for Thought: Common Pitfalls When Using Food Reinforcers
Date: Thursday, June 12th, 2025
Time: 3pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
Dog trainers who rely primarily on positive reinforcement methods to build and maintain behaviors tend to lean very heavily on the use of food in training. There are good reasons for this. Food tends to be a fairly universal positive reinforcer. It is easy to obtain, control, and deliver. Many dogs will reliably work for food.
There’s another side to the use of food in training though. There are dogs who really don’t “live to eat” and some who even seem to find food aversive. Many trainers use food in a relatively thoughtless and non-contingent manner, and this can lower its overall usefulness.
Some of the food related issues we will discuss in this webinar include:
- Dog “doesn’t like” food or dog doesn’t consistently work for food
- Physical issues
- Emotional issues
- Dog needs higher and higher value foods (history of increasing value)
- Increasing levels of food acceptance
- Sharkiness & other arousal issues
- Food delivery issues
- “Poison” food (food predicts stressful events)
- Too much of a good thing? WHY are you giving that piece of food right now?
- Valid reasons for using food. Thoughtless reasons for using food.
- What are my alternatives to food in training?
- Getting off to a good start: Puppies & food & other reinforcers
Watch the Trailer
Coming Soon!
*This webinar has run previously. Please check your Webinar Library to prevent a duplicate purchase.
* Click here to Register Now *
Hélène Lawler - The #1 Reason Dogs Struggle at Dog Sport Trials—And How to Fix It
Date: Thursday, June 12th, 2025
Time: 6pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
Does your dog crush it in training but fall apart at trials? If yes, you’re not alone.
As a high performance coach and fellow dog sport enthusiast, I've worked with hundreds of teams on this exact problem, and have struggled with this myself!
So I am VERY familiar with how frustrating and discouraging it can be to walk to the start line and not know which version of your dog is lining up beside you.
Maybe you’ve tried everything:
- Countless training drills and strategies
- Simulating trial pressure at home
- All the latest arousal-management techniques
But despite all that, your dog still struggles on trial day.
If any of this sounds familiar, I want to invite you to my upcoming webinar: The #1 reason dogs struggle at trials...and how to fix it.
In our time together, I will share:
1) The common strategies most people use to fix this problem, and why these don’t work
2) Why most people misunderstand what's going on, and end up focusing on the wrong solutions as a result
3) The real reason even well-prepared dogs falter under trial pressure — a root cause most people overlook.
4) How to fix this with a powerful, proven approach — no complicated, time-consuming training plans required.
This is the same strategy I’ve used to help hundreds of dog–handler teams across multiple sports get trial-day results that finally match their training.
This Webinar is for you if:
✅ Your dog knows their job in classes and seminars, but the wheels fall off under trial pressure.
✅ You’ve tried “ring prep” sessions in training, but the success still doesn’t carry over to trials.
✅ Your dog did well in novice trials but struggles at more advanced levels.
✅ Trial days leave you feeling anxious, frustrated, disappointed, or defeated.
✅ You know you and your dog are capable of more, but can’t figure out what’s missing.
✅ You haven't started competing yet, and want to master this skill right out of the gate!
Whether you’re a seasoned competitor or just starting out, I will teach you the critical trial-day ability every handler needs to master so that you and your dog can perform when it matters most.
Watch the Trailer
Coming Soon!
* Click here to Register Now *
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