by Denise Fenzi | Aug 5, 2018 | Musings
365 days ago, I started a blog. I had no agenda, except to create a “diary” of the process of raising my new puppy, Lyra. I had no intention of posting every week. I had no intention of using my blog as a soapbox; a chance to talk about whatever...
by Denise Fenzi | Aug 5, 2018 | Musings
I have lots of opinions about how dogs “should” be trained. I prioritize toys and play over food, speed over accuracy, short sessions over long ones, etc. At the same time, I also have a range of students in both private lessons and in seminars with...
by Denise Fenzi | Aug 2, 2018 | Musings
We know a lot about good training these days. We know about errorless learning, setting up environments to foster success, and using our knowledge of total circumstances to change behavior in ways that are both kind and effective for the learner. We know how to create...
by Denise Fenzi | Jul 25, 2018 | Generic training advice, Musings
What does positive reinforcement based training mean to you? For some trainers, it means a lot of cookies and maybe throwing a toy into the mix on occasion. I see that kind of training a lot. As a matter of fact, it’s the most common type of positive...
by Denise Fenzi | Jul 17, 2018 | Most Viewed Posts, Musings, Raika
I have an old dog. When did she become old? Maybe it started with the decline in her manners. Doesn’t she see me standing here as she pulls something out of the trash?! Maybe, but it doesn’t matter because she knows I won’t enforce the rules and she can’t hear me...
by Denise Fenzi | Jun 23, 2018 | Generic training advice, Musings
I recently asked a few people to set some goals for themselves. And they did! Big, general, enthusiastic stretch goals! Lots of goals! All the goals! Does that sound like you? I don’t do that. I don’t like big goals. They overwhelm me. Depress me. Make me...
by Denise Fenzi | May 30, 2018 | Generic training advice, Musings
Wherever did anyone get the idea that the definition of a science-based trainer is one who believes in the four quadrants? The quadrants are a reality that explain the ways that we acquire behaviors. They exist. If you know that, then you’re educated as to the...
by Denise Fenzi | May 24, 2018 | Generic training advice, Most Viewed Posts, Musings
If you have a puppy, or if you are a breeder who sells puppies, or if you are a rescue who places puppies, or if you just like reading, thinking, or dreaming about puppies…. then keep reading. The instructors at Fenzi Dog Sports Academy (FDSA) have created a...
by Denise Fenzi | May 23, 2018 | Generic training advice, Musings
Note: I wrote this blog post within a few days of starting my blog in 2011. I don’t recall why I never published it, regardless, I found it here in my drafts folder today. Because I think it’s interesting to observe how thoughts about training (and writing...
by Denise Fenzi | May 1, 2018 | facebook live, Musings
Do you like podcasts? I was interviewed by my friend Ryan Cartlidge recently for his Animal Training Academy Podcast. If’ you’re interested, take a listen! We covered a lot of territory, so it’s hard to say what all we covered, but we did talk...
by Denise Fenzi | Apr 17, 2018 | Generic training advice, Musings
I recently asked on Facebook what a typical dog purchase contract looks like. I asked from the breeder’s and also from the buyer’s point of view. The good news is that most people were able to find a breeder with a contract that worked for them and...
by Denise Fenzi | Mar 27, 2018 | Musings
Have you thanked your instructor lately? Your training buddies? Your support system? Your trial volunteers? Your advocates? Your spouse? I am incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by people who are positive and appreciative of the things that I do, therefore I get...
by Denise Fenzi | Mar 26, 2018 | Generic training advice, Musings
I heard it again today. A team entered the Open obedience Ring and the dog was clearly disengaged so the handler pulled the dog for the weekend. Probably a good choice! Another trainer’s response? If the dog knew she “had to” work then that...
by Denise Fenzi | Mar 3, 2018 | Most Viewed Posts, Musings
When I was a kid, my mom used to rage about people who had weeds growing in their gardens. Those weeds go to seed and those seeds get blown around the neighborhood, leaving my mom’s pristine garden a hapless victim. Weeds in her garden were the result of...
by Denise Fenzi | Feb 24, 2018 | Most Viewed Posts, Musings
You had a bad training day. You got angry. You yanked at your dog, jerked them around a little bit and generally behaved badly. Ugly stuff. What happens now? One answer is to blame the dog. The dog deserved it. The dog is stubborn and hard. There is no other way to...
by Denise Fenzi | Feb 12, 2018 | Musings
Do words affect our thoughts, feelings, and responsive actions? If I “cue” you to sit in a chair, what is your reaction? What is the language that suggests a cue? What relationship might we build from there? If I “direct” you to sit in a chair,...
by Denise Fenzi | Jan 24, 2018 | Generic training advice, Musings
Here’s a puzzle for you based on the “Stroop Effect” Name the colors of the following words. Don’t read the words; name the colors. For example, you would say red, blue, green, if you were going across the top line. How did you do? ...
by Denise Fenzi | Jan 17, 2018 | Most Viewed Posts, Musings, Raika
Here on my blog I generally talk about dog training, but on Facebook, I cover a good deal more territory. The following conversation is one of a regular series of conversations that I have with my 13-year-old dog, Raika. Some of our conversations are funny and some...
by Denise Fenzi | Jan 16, 2018 | Musings
I do a huge amount of training in my house. I do that because it’s quiet, it’s familiar to my dog, and it’s convenient for me. That is very much a winning proposition, and the convenience allows me to get in several tiny sessions per day if I...
by Denise Fenzi | Jan 12, 2018 | Musings
If I had a dollar for every time someone said they were showing for ring experience, I’d be a very rich woman. “Experience” can be a wonderful thing for creating comfort and enthusiasm for a task. When you train your dog on a regular basis and...
by Denise Fenzi | Dec 24, 2017 | Musings, Uncategorized
I wrote another book! And right now it’s on sale for a really good price ($15.50) so you may want to look at it. I do that on occasion. Write books. Well. Actually, I do that a lot. I’m up to….eight! But this one is a bit different because...
by Denise Fenzi | Dec 2, 2017 | Generic training advice, Musings
When I talk about personal play or interaction, I’m talking about the process of interacting with your dog without food or toys in a manner that is enjoyable for both of you, but rarely do I consider personal play a reinforcer. So what does that mean? A...
by Denise Fenzi | Oct 8, 2017 | Musings
Originally published on Facebook: My preferred dog sport is competitive obedience. The sport is struggling right now and various powers-that-be are working to make it, in theory, more appealing. How might we get there? Making dog sports easier is not going to solve...
by Denise Fenzi | Sep 28, 2017 | Musings
You just read something. Or you heard something. Or a thought entered your head, and now you have an opinion. So the question is, should you express it; that thought or opinion? As an avid user of social media, I am consistently amazed at the number of people who feel...
by Denise Fenzi | Sep 27, 2017 | Musings
Judges, coaches, and competitors are all important to the success of dog sports, but they are different. There’s not much value in asking a judge a question that is more suited to a coach and likewise, you may not get much help asking a competitor a question...
