Kelly 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

What 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

Ever 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

Living 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

For 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!

Jennifer 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!

Ever 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.

Kim joins me this week to talk about the relationship between resilience and arousal. We talk about how control unleashed and freework can both help improve resilience and arousal management for dogs with big feelings.

Fitness training can benefit dogs of all ages — but it should be adapted to meet the specific needs of the dog in front of us based on their health and their age. In this episode Kelly and I talk about how to adapt fitness training for puppies and seniors.

Dr. Sue Yanoff specializes in canine sports medicine. In this episode we discuss the importance of getting an accurate diagnosis for canine sports injuries and how to advocate for your dog if the right diagnosis isn't immediately clear. 

Erin Lynes, Kim Palermo, Crystal Wing, and Denise Fenzi, all presenters from the upcoming one day conference on Building the Bond join me to talk about what goes into building a bond with a dog.

Teaching your dog a recall just makes sense — but what about those situations when running to you might be more dangerous than staying put? In this episode, Julie makes the case for why an emergency stop is just as important... and the added benefits it can offer for sports dogs.

In this episode Erin and I dive deep into the benefits of thoughtful movement through puzzle games and movement puzzles. Whether you have a dog who moves without thinking (adolescent labrador?) or a dog who needs to build confidence in movement, Erin argues this type of training offers significant benefits for sports and life.

What's really going on when a dog competes in the breed ring? Ashley breaks down what judges look for, what we can do to help present our dogs in the best light, how training helps, and what the handler's job is, when competing in conformation. 

Amy and Josefin have been working together on a new program designed to help us rethink every interaction we have with our dogs... and they're calling it "The Social Approach."