Podcast
Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast
Hosted by Melissa Breau · EN
Published every Friday, the Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast is brought to you by the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. Each episode of the Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast will feature an interview with a leading name in the competitive dog sports training world, talking in depth about issues that often get overlooked by traditional training methods.
25episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
E463: Bronagh Daly - "Big Feelings in Dog Agility"
4d ago00:49:01Tap to summarizeDoes your dog have big feelings about dog agility? Whether they love the sport so much they can't contain themselves or have big feelings about new environments, other dogs, or strangers, in this episode Bronagh and I talk about how big feelings impact your dog's agility performance and what you can do about it.
Transcribe →E462: Melissa Breau - "Teaching a Reliable Recall"
2w ago00:32:17Tap to summarizeWant your dog to come running when you call them? In this episode Crystal Wing steps in as guest host to talk to Melissa Breau about her upcoming class on building a reliable real-life recall, including why reps matter, how reinforcement history builds a better recall, and what to do if you have a recall cue that your dog has learned to ignore.
Transcribe →E461: Sarah Rida - "Teaching A Contact Heel"
3w ago00:28:46Tap to summarizeCurious why and how to teach a contact heeling behavior? Contact heeling is a transport behavior distinctly different from formal obedience heelwork or loose leash walking – and in some instances, it offers significant advantages over either of those other options. In this episode Sarah Rida joins me to talk about why she teaches contact heeling, when it can be helpful, and how to actually begin training this useful skill.
Transcribe →E460: Kelly Daniel and Ashley Escobar - "The Mental Benefits of Canine Fitness for Sports Dogs"
4w ago00:41:01Tap to summarizeKelly and Ashley join me in this episode to discuss why canine fitness is sometimes overlooked by dog sports teams, how it can help dogs with impulse control, arousal modulation, and emotional fitness, and the difference between quality movement and a dog who is just active in their environment in a less intentional way. LINKS & RESOURCES: Ashley's upcoming class, CC210: Patience in the Details: Impulse Control, Body Awareness & Precision Through Conditioning (starts June 1, 2026): https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/2418 Kelly's upcoming class, CC150: FUNctional Foundation Fitness (starts June 1, 2026): https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/45377 Ashley's FDSA instructor page: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/people/786-people/faculty/36119-ashleyescobar Kelly's FDSA instructor page: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/people/786-people/faculty/39473-kellydaniel FDSA Course Catalog: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com
Transcribe →E459: Petra Ford, Kamal Fernandez, Ashley Escobar, and Sharon Carroll - "Breaking Down Competition Obedience"
May 801:14:07Tap to summarizeWhat does it really take to stand out in obedience and rally? In this episode we look at the invisible skills you and your dog both need to perform and achieve your goals, from careful splitting of behaviors and building behavior chains to managing your own mental game. LINKS & RESOURCES: Skills & Beyond: Obedience & Rally from the Backyard to Competition (May 16, 2026): https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/36252 FDSA Course Catalog: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com
Transcribe →E458: Aleks Woodroffe - "Supporting Senior Sniffers"
May 100:41:21Tap to summarizeEver wondered how scentwork dogs' abilities change as they age? Many dogs who got started in scent sports right as the sport took off are now hitting their senior years. In this episode, Aleks Woodroffe joins Melissa Breau to talk about how age impacts the nosework dog, what aging gracefully looks like for the scent work team, and how to keep senior sniffers in the game. LINKS & RESOURCES: Aleks's upcoming class, N3001: Noses Just Get Finer With Age, Supporting the Senior Sniffer (starts May 1, 2026): https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/51917 Aleks's FDSA instructor page: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/people/787-people/guest-intructors/39598-guest-instructor-alexwoodroofe2 FDSA Course Catalog: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com
Transcribe →E457: Christina Young - "Teaching Your Dog to Move Away from Conflict"
Apr 2300:23:48Tap to summarizeLiving with multiple dogs means managing multiple personalities, and like any home with multiple personalities, there will be times when there are disagreements. In this episode, Christina Young and Melissa Breau talk about how to prevent conflict between dogs in your home, the early signs of tension people tend to miss, the difference between management and structure, and how to teach your dogs to actively move away from situations that might escalate. LINKS & RESOURCES: Christina's upcoming class, B3002: Fighting at Home? Teach Dogs to Move Away From Conflict (starts May 1, 2026): https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/51912 Christina's FDSA instructor page: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/49783 FDSA Course Catalog: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com
Transcribe →E456: Denise Fenzi - "From Training Philosophy to Training the Dog in Front of You"
Apr 1800:54:14Tap to summarizeFor our first ever dually published podcast episode (both as an audio podcast and on youtube as a video podcast!) we brought back our first ever guest — Denise! — and revisited the things we talked about 10 years ago in our first ever podcast episode. Together they talk about how Denise's training philosophy has evolved, what it means to "Train the Dog in Front of You," how training has impacted Denise's approach to dealing with people, how her own fitness journey has led her to thinking about canine fitness differently, and more!
Transcribe →E455: Jennifer Henion - "Teaching Impulse Override & Take Turns"
Apr 1000:26:48Tap to summarizeJennifer joins me to talk about the idea of impulse override and how it can help teach dogs to wait for their turn — an important skill in the field trials and hunt tests where she competes!
Transcribe →E454: Shade Whitesel - "What's that Smell?"
Apr 300:36:18Tap to summarizeEver wondered how you approach teaching a dog to focus around distracting scents - things like bitch in season scent or trash on the side of the road? In this episode Shade and I discuss the way she handles scent distractions as a real life skill.
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