

Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast
Melissa Breau
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 22, 2025 • 33min
E423: Julie Flanery - "Building A Musical Freestyle Routine"
Curious what musical freestyle is and whether it might be for you? Join Julie and I for a conversation that includes tips and tricks for laying out your routine, choosing which tricks to train, and more!

Aug 15, 2025 • 49min
E422: Petra Ford - Competing in Obedience at the Top
In this episode, we talk to Petra Ford, the 2025 National Obedience Champion, about her recent win and what it takes to compete at the top levels of obedience here in the US, how she approaches training, and more!

Aug 8, 2025 • 31min
E421: Jane Ardern - Anticipation vs. Relaxation: Training Release Cues
Jane Ardern joins me for a conversation about how our release cues can influence our dog's state of mind and ability to learn. She shares what the field-bred spaniels she's owned have taught her about frustration, frantic behavior, anticipation, and relaxation... with several helpful takeaways bound to apply to any dog sports team.

Aug 1, 2025 • 32min
E420: Sharon Carroll - "A Real Look at Reducing Reinforcement"
If you plan to compete, you need a plan for reducing reinforcement - but so often this is where trainers go wrong! Join us for a conversation about how Sharon recommends you reduce reinforcement to maintain attitude and correctness.

Jul 25, 2025 • 38min
E419: Nancy Little - "Weave Pole Performance"
Thinking about weave pole training? Whether you're troubleshooting a problem or beginning to teach weaves to a new dog, in this episode we dive into Nancy's thoughts on how to approach things... and where so many teams seem to go wrong.

Jul 18, 2025 • 40min
E418: Irith Bloom - "Getting Geeky On Behavior Change"
What is Applied Behavior Science? Learning Theory? Why bother, if folks have been training dogs for more than 10,000 years? Irith and I get into all that and more in this episode on the science of behavior change!

Jul 10, 2025 • 1h 14min
E417: Focus and Engage with Denise Fenzi, Petra Ford, and Karen Deeds
With the upcoming Focus & Engage one-day online conference only a few days away, join us for a preview of what you can expect, and an in depth conversation on acclimation, arousal, focus, and engagement.

Jul 4, 2025 • 50min
E416: Tracey McLennan - "A Framework for More Efficient Training"
Tracey McLennan joins me for a conversation on how her software background has informed her approach to dog training and led to her framework for smarter, faster, training progress.

Jun 27, 2025 • 37min
E415: Denise Fenzi - Contact Heeling v. Precision Heeling: What's the Difference?
Precision heeling and contact heeling may seem similar in some ways - but they're also very different. Join me for a conversation with Denise Fenzi on when she uses which one and how (and why) she approaches training both!

Jun 20, 2025 • 40min
E414: Crystal Wing - The Role of Relationship in Dog Training
Looking to improve your relationship with your dog and improve your teamwork? In this episode, Crystal breaks down the factors that go into fostering that relationship in a healthy way.