Webinar Presentations
Questions or Problems? Please send email to [email protected]
Webinars will run approximately 1-2 hours including presentation and questions.
Click here for a list of frequently asked questions
Camille Nguyen - Biomechanics of Agility
Date: Thursday, May 21st
Time: 3pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
Agility, as a canine sport, presents significant physical challenges. A thorough understanding of the underlying physical mechanisms involved in the movements of this discipline can prove extremely beneficial, both for mastering these movements and for physically preparing the dog.
In this perspective, Camille Nguyen invites you to explore the biomechanics of agility through this new webinar. The topics covered will include:
- The essential basics of biomechanics.
- The physical challenges related to trajectories and various types of jumps.
- The impact of various variations in slalom movements on engaged muscle groups.
- The influence of different training methods involving zone obstacles on the dog's physical condition.
This webinar is designed for various audiences:
- Enthusiasts of agility eager to deepen their knowledge of this sport.
- Health professionals such as veterinarians, osteopaths, and orthopedists, who, while not necessarily practitioners of agility, wish to be able to advise their clients on the possibility of resuming this discipline after an injury.
- Canine fitness instructors and canine physical preparers seeking to optimize their exercise programs for their clients.
- Canine educators offering agility courses, aiming to gain a more informed perspective on the practice of this sport and the dogs' ability to participate, even for recreational purposes.
- Curious dog owners (or physics geeks :)) who wish to explore this field more deeply
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This is a previously run webinar. Please check your Webinar Library to prevent a duplicate purchase.
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Julie Flanery - For the Love of Heeling: 5 Simple Changes to Make Heeling Fun for Your Dog
Date: Thursday, May 21st
Time: 6pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
Have you ever seen those dogs that seem to love heelwork? Wish you had one? You can! By implementing these 5 simple strategies you can increase your dog’s enthusiasm, confidence and yes! Love of heeling! Learn how to implement changes in your heelwork training that will have your dog begging for more!
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This is a previously run webinar. Please check your Webinar Library to prevent a duplicate purchase.
* Click here to Register Now *
Sharon Carroll - Not optional, still fair: When choice isn’t possible in modern dog training
Date: Thursday, May 28th
Time: 3pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
Modern dog training and management place a strong emphasis on choice, agency, and emotional wellbeing. These are essential components of ethical, kind, and effective training. At the same time, real life inevitably presents situations where outcomes cannot always be optional.
Dogs cannot always greet who they want, move where they want, perform socially inappropriate behaviors, or avoid situations that are necessary for their care and safety. At times, our dog needs to perform a behavior that is not their preference in that moment. This may include responding to cues in situations where safety matters, such as leaving a stimulating situation, or getting into the car in an emergency, as well as more structured situations such as grooming, physical handling, or veterinary care. In these moments, allowing full choice can create ongoing conflict, rehearsal of unwanted behavior, and, in some cases, genuine safety risks.
A key part of navigating these situations is understanding why dogs resist. In this webinar, we explore the important distinction between fear-based distress and situations where a dog simply prefers a different outcome. Many dogs, particularly those with a strong preference for independence and autonomy, may resist handling, restraint, or direction, not because they are fearful, but because they would rather not participate. In these cases, ongoing negotiation can increase frustration, prolong the interaction, and lead to escalation, which for some dogs may include aggressive responses.
Without a clear framework, these “no choice” moments can feel confusing or at odds with our training values. This webinar explores how “not optional” situations can be handled within a thoughtful, kind, fair, and ethical approach, without compromising our dog’s welfare or our relationship with them. We’ll discuss how clear, fair removal of choice, when applied appropriately, can reduce stress by removing ambiguity and shortening the interaction.
At the same time, strong emphasis is placed on ethical boundaries. “Not optional” is not a justification for pushing dogs through fear, ignoring their emotional state, or continuing when stress has moved beyond a tolerable level. You’ll learn how to distinguish between different types of resistance, recognize when your dog can cope versus when they need support, and how to ensure your dog continues to experience choice and agency in other areas of their life.
We will also cover practical skills that support clarity in everyday training and management. This includes the use of “positive interrupters” to reduce the rehearsal of inappropriate behaviors, “not now” cues to communicate when interaction (e.g. attention, training) is not available, and “not happening” cues to signal ahead of time that a preferred behavior will not occur. We’ll explore how to clearly separate “opt-in” cues from “not optional” cues, and why asking, when we cannot honor the answer creates confusion. This clarity helps reduce frustration, shortens interactions, supports better emotional outcomes for our dog, and increases handler safety when aggression is likely.
Importantly, we will address common concerns around learned helplessness, including why clearly defined, limited non-choice situations are not the same as removing a dog’s ability to influence outcomes more broadly.
This webinar provides a clear, practical, and ethically grounded framework to help you navigate necessary non-choice situations with confidence, clarity, kindness, and care. It is designed for anyone who wants to better understand how to balance agency and structure in a way that supports both welfare and real-world practicality.
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Coming Soon!
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Sharon Carroll - Escape and Avoidance: When to support and when to build coping skills
Date: Thursday, May 28th
Time: 6pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
Escape and avoidance behaviors are often treated as clear indicators that our dog is overwhelmed or fearful, and in many cases, that interpretation is both accurate and important. Within modern reinforcement-based training approaches, we are rightly encouraged to respect these behaviors by increasing distance from triggers, avoiding situations likely to provoke them, and reducing pressure when they occur in training.
However, it is important to recognize that not all avoidance is driven by fear, or occurs in response to overwhelming challenge.
Over time, escape and avoidance can become highly reinforced patterns. Some dogs learn that withdrawal provides an effective way to avoid uncertainty, emotional or mental challenge, or any perceived risk. Others are genetically predisposed to rely on escape and avoidance as their primary coping strategy in response to novelty, ambiguity, or perceived challenge, and in some cases this response can be triggered even in relatively simple or familiar situations.
Importantly, escape and avoidance behaviors can occur both in response to environmental triggers as well as within training contexts, and in some cases can become entirely anticipatory. For example, our dog may choose not to leave the home, rather than only withdrawing in response to a specific stimulus when encountered on a walk, or our dog may routinely walk away as soon as training begins, rather than only disengaging in response to moments of confusion, frustration, or increased effort.
Because escape and avoidance behaviors reliably reduce pressure, alleviate potential risk, and minimize effort, they can become increasingly generalized, resulting in some dogs applying the same strategy across a widening range of stimuli and contexts. Eventually, these patterns can become habitual responses that no longer truly benefit our dog.
In a training setting, when a dog occasionally displays escape or avoidance behaviors, it is appropriate to respect their need to disengage at that time. In these situations, our dog may be feeling unwell, overwhelmed, mentally fatigued, or physically tired. However, for dogs that consistently opt out, this may instead reflect a learned response to situations involving effort, uncertainty, or the anticipation of challenge. When this pattern is repeatedly facilitated, our dog may rarely choose to participate, not because they are unable, but because, from their perspective, avoidance has become the most efficient and reinforcing strategy.
This creates a common and often confusing dilemma. How do we distinguish between a dog that genuinely needs more space, distance, or a break, and a dog that instead may benefit from gentle support to remain in the situation and build capability? And when we attempt to build capability, how do we do this in a way that remains fair, kind, and appropriate?
In this webinar, we will explore escape and avoidance as functional behaviors, and examine how reinforcement history, emotional state, and individual coping styles influence how and why these behaviors occur across both everyday environments and training scenarios. You will learn a practical, structured approach to assessing your dog in real time, including how to evaluate their response to reduced pressure, their ability to perform very small behaviors, and their recovery after the moment has passed.
We will also introduce practical strategies such as “graded escape” and “one small ask” participation. These approaches allow us to support our dog in creating enough distance, time, and pressure reduction to feel safe and in control, while also identifying when they are able to remain and begin building capacity through small, achievable successes.
A key component of this discussion is the role of opt-in and opt-out in training. Providing dogs with the opportunity to choose to participate or disengage is a powerful way to build trust, reduce conflict, and support emotional safety. This webinar does not move away from that principle. Instead, it helps you apply it more accurately by distinguishing between opt-outs that should be respected, and patterned avoidance where our dog may benefit from support to remain in the presence of a stimulus or to re-engage with training at an appropriate level.
This webinar is not about pushing dogs through fear or expecting participation in the presence of intense challenge or pressure, or asking for inappropriate effort. Instead, it focuses on recognizing when and how to support dogs in building skills gradually, and helping them shift away from relying on escape and avoidance as their primary coping strategy, so their confidence, resilience, and overall enjoyment of the world can grow.
This webinar is ideal for trainers and owners who want to move beyond a binary view of escape and avoidance, and develop the skills to support emotional safety while also building capability, resilience, and a greater willingness to participate over time.
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Coming Soon!
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Ashley Escobar - Move To Improve: Reducing Neurological Noise through Fitness
Date: Thursday, June 4th
Time: 3pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
What if your dog’s behavior challenges weren’t just about “too much energy” ... but an overloaded nervous system needing the right kind of movement? In this webinar, we will discuss how structured, intentional fitness exercises can help reduce “neurological noise” for dogs ... the mental and nervous system overload that often contributes to anxiety, reactivity, hyperactivity, poor focus, and difficulty settling. Unlike random activity or simply “burning energy,” purposeful canine fitness targets body awareness, balance, coordination, impulse control, and nervous system regulation to help dogs feel calmer, more confident, and more connected. This session combines canine behavior science, nervous system education, and functional fitness principles to show how intentional movement can improve both physical wellness and behavioral health.
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Coming Soon!
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Michele Ellertson - Finding Hides vs Teaching Concepts: Intentional Training for Nosework
Date: Thursday, June 4th
Time: 6pm Pacific Time (Click here for time at FDSA (Pacific Time).
Fee: $19.95 USD
Finding hides isn't the same as building understanding. Let's take a closer look at the difference between outcome and learning, exploring how subtle training choices influence clarity, independence, and problem solving. We'll examine common patterns that can limit progress and how more intentional setups can create stronger, more thoughtful search behavior. Designed to challenge assumptions and refine your approach, this session will help you see your training with a more critical and informed eye.
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Coming Soon!
* Click here to Register Now *
Questions or Problems? Please send email to [email protected]
