webinar, WOrkshops & Classes - scroll down for dates

 24/11/24 - Sydney - 2 x Tricks Workshops - Beginners to Advanced. All working spots FULL.

8/12/24 - Sydney - Increasing engagement and motivation. All working spots FULL.

12/1/25 - Canberra - 2 x half day workshops (Transitioning from Training to Competing; Increasing engagement and motivation). Open now for auditing and working spots - Contact: Belconnen Dog Obedience Club

 Working spots (available from 22 November 2024 10am PT): 

GOLD - USD$260, SILVER - USD$130

Auditing spots available until 14 December - USD$65

The whole class is delivered online and can be completed in your own time. The written content remains in your library for a minimum of 12 months.

For full course description, syllabus, sample lecture, and testimonials from previous students go to: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/32100

Registration includes access to a private FB group with close to 1,000 members who live and/or work with reactive dogs.

** This class is only offered approx. once each year. **

 Working spots (available from 22 July 2024): 

GOLD - USD$260, SILVER - USD$130

Auditing spots available until 14 August 2024 - USD$65

The whole class is delivered online and can be completed in your own time. The written content remains in your library for a minimum of 12 months.

For full course description, syllabus, and sample lecture  go to: 

  Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - FF155: Go Ahead, Motivate Me! Engagement for the Differently Motivated Dog 

USD $19.95 each

Registration link: Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - Buy Webinar 

Registration opens approx. 10 days prior and closes approx. 48 hours after the live presentation.

If you watch live then you are welcome to participate in the live Q&A. 

If you can't attend live that is no problem, 

the recording remains available to you for 12 months.

Webinar Description:  

   We’ve all experienced that moment where we deliver a cue, and our dog just doesn’t respond. It could be in a training session at home, it could be when we are asking our dog to demonstrate their new trick to a friend, it could be in a class setting, or it could be in the middle of a competition run.  

It is common to hear people say that if a dog doesn’t respond to a cue, then they “didn’t understand”, but sometimes we are sure that our dog does know what the cue means. At other times we hear people say that their dog is “blowing them off” (i.e. that their dog does know what the cue means, but their dog is actively choosing to ignore the person / cue), but is this really a common reason for a dog to “ignore” a handler’s cue?  

In this webinar we discuss the myriad of reasons why our dog may not respond to our first cue when cued to perform a behavior, including; lack of understanding, enjoying an alternative behavior, lack of adequate motivation, arousal in excess of optimal levels, physical discomfort (present or anticipated), mental / emotional discomfort (present or anticipated), fatigue (physical / mental), and situations when the behavior is perceived as too “high effort”.  

Obviously understanding why our dog is not rapidly and accurately responding to our first cue to perform a behavior is crucial to resolving the issue, hence in this webinar we discuss all the potential reasons in detail. We also discuss strategies for ensuring that our dog does respond to our first cue on each occasion.

 Register here: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/buy-webinar

USD $19.95 each

Registration link: Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - Buy Webinar 

Registration opens approx. 10 days prior and closes approx. 48 hours after the live presentation.

If you watch live then you are welcome to participate in the live Q&A. 

If you can't attend live that is no problem, 

the recording remains available to you for 12 months.

Webinar Description:  

  Why is it that some dogs / trainers find “reducing reinforcement” so easy, whilst others really struggle to maintain the same quality of work without the treats / toys?  

To answer this question, we need to have a full understanding of what reinforcement really means and how it generates and maintains our handler-cued behaviors. We also need to appreciate how each dog’s specific innate traits influence which strategies will be most effective, together with recognizing how our individual dog’s innate traits will impact the ease with which we can successfully “reduce reinforcement” in our chosen sport / work / activity.  

In this webinar we discuss: 

• How reinforcement really works. 

• The difference between rewards and reinforcement. 

• How to determine when to switch from a continuous reinforcement schedule (e.g. a treat / reward after every repeat of the behavior) to an intermittent reinforcement schedule (e.g. only delivering treats / rewards after occasional repeats of the behavior). 

• The impact of intrinsic motivation / reinforcement. 

• The use of reinforcers other than treats / toys. 

• How to tailor the strategies for “reducing reinforcement” to our individual dog and their unique traits. 

• Strategies for increasing our dog’s ability to work for prolonged periods without requiring treats / toys (which is separate to the concept of placing a behavior on an intermittent schedule of reinforcement).  

This webinar will be of interest to anyone who has had difficulty “reducing reinforcement” with their current dog, despite trying many strategies. It will also be of interest to anyone wanting to gain a greater understanding of the concept of “reducing reinforcement” and all the factors that contribute to helping our dog perform in a happy, confident, and reliable manner in the absence of rewards.

 Register here: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/buy-webinar

 Working spots (available from 22 March 2024): 

GOLD - USD$260, SILVER - USD$130

Auditing spots available until 14 April 2024 - USD$65

The whole class is delivered online and can be completed in your own time. The written content remains in your library for a minimum of 12 months.

For full course description, syllabus, sample lecture, and testimonials from previous students go to: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/38833

This class is jointly presented by Sharon Carroll and Julie Daniels. 

USD $19.95 each

Registration link: Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - Buy Webinar 

Registration opens approx. 10 days prior and closes approx. 48 hours after the live presentation.

If you watch live then you are welcome to participate in the live Q&A. 

If you can't attend live that is no problem, 

the recording remains available to you for 12 months.

Webinar Description:  

 This webinar focuses on three key areas: 

• Using a structured system for effective acclimation in order to give our dog the best opportunity to work in stimulating and unfamiliar environments. 

• How to assess when our dog is ready to start work in a given environment. 

• A step-by-step guide for what to do when we lose out dog’s focus during a training session or when warming up.  

A feature of this webinar is Sharon’s step-by-step systematic guide that can be used both to prepare our dog to commence work, and also as a recipe for what to do when our dog stops responding accurately to our cues during a session.  

--------------------------  

Before we commence a training session, start the next exercise, or enter a competition space, we want to know that our dog feels ready to undertake the task ahead.  

In order to be ready to give their full focus to us and the task, our dog needs to feel safe in that space, they need to have previously built the skills needed to ignore the distractions in that space, and they need to have a desire to participate with us and engage in the task. When these requirements have not been fulfilled, we will find ourselves having to compete for our dog’s attention.  

Having to compete for our dog’s attention is not fun, and ultimately leads to frustration for both the dog and the handler. Continuing to ask for “work” from a dog that is disengaged, distracted, confused, and/or frustrated may result in: 

• Missed cues. 

• Anticipated cues. 

• Slow responses. 

• Incorrectly performed behaviors/exercises. 

• Looking away from us and the task. 

• Stalling / hesitating. 

• Zoomies. 

• Leaving us to “visit” other people / dogs. 

• Leaving us to investigate objects / pieces of equipment. 

• Attempts to escape the training / competition space. 

• Apparent “quitting” (i.e. lying down or walking away from us and the task). 

• Appeasement behaviors (e.g. pawing us, climbing on us, jumping on us, leaning on us, etc.) 

• Performing displacement behaviors (e.g. scratching, self-grooming, sniffing the ground).  

Ensuring we only ask our dog to work when they feel ready requires accurate assessment, not only at the start of the work but on an ongoing basis throughout the session.  

But what do we do if we assess our dog’s readiness to work at some point and they indicate they are not ready? These are the times we need a systematic protocol for influencing our dog’s readiness to work. The steps in this system help our dog to dissipate excess arousal, calm their emotions, and re-focus their thoughts. At this point we can then accurately reassess the best course of action in each instance.  

In this webinar we will cover: 

• Strategies that allow us to accurately assess our dog’s readiness to work, both initially and on an ongoing basis throughout a session. 

• Methods for assessing what caused a deterioration in focus/work during a session or whilst at a competition. 

• Strategies for influencing readiness to work, both prior to starting work and at any point where we notice a deterioration in focus/work.

 Register here: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/buy-webinar

 Working spots (available from 22 January 2024 PT): 

GOLD - USD$260, SILVER - USD$130

Auditing spots available until 14 February - USD$65

The whole class is delivered online and can be completed in your own time. The written content remains in your library for a minimum of 12 months.

For full course description, syllabus, sample lecture, and testimonials from previous students go to: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/32100

This class is only offered a maximum of twice each year.

  Gold level working spots: registration opens 22nd Nov 10am (PT).

Auditing spots available until 14 December - USD$65

This class is available through Fenzi Dog Sports Academy and is only offered a maximum of twice each year.

The whole class is delivered online and can be completed in your own time. The written content remains in your library for a minimum of 12 months.

For full course description, syllabus, sample lecture, and testimonials from previous students go to: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/33389

November 11 2023 - 9am to 5pm

 FDSA "The Adolescent Dog" one day online conference.

USD$89 for 6 presentations and 2 panel discussions.

2pm - Tailoring training for adolescent brains - Sharon Carroll

4pm Panel - The adolescent dog in the dog sport world - 

Sharon Carroll, Julie Daniels, Megan Foster, Loretta Mueller  Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - The Adolescent Dog 

Note: In this case, CCPDT CEUs are only available for my presentation, which can only be viewed by registering for the full one day event.

USD $19.95 each

Registration link: Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - Buy Webinar 

Registration opens approx. 10 days prior and closes approx. 48 hours after the live presentation.

If you watch live then you are welcome to participate in the live Q&A. 

If you can't attend live that is no problem, 

the recording remains available to you for 12 months.

Webinar Description:  

 Our dogs transition through several phases across their lifetime. From a behavior perspective adolescence is perhaps the phase with the most potential to cause disruption in a household and can really test our skills as a trainer.  

Adolescence is the time between puppyhood and adulthood. In dogs, this developmental phase starts anywhere between 6 and 12 months and typically ends somewhere between 18 months and 24 months. Adolescence is accompanied by physical changes, endocrinological changes, and neurological changes. During this phase there can be significant changes to motivation, preferences, energy levels, ability to focus, emotion regulation, impulse control, and decision-making skills.  

Many of the overt and challenging behaviors exhibited during adolescence are driven by frustration; increased evidence of frustration is common at this time due to our dog struggling with conflicting motivations, and/or due to them being blocked from engaging in the (inappropriate / unsafe) activities they would choose to undertake. Frustration can be a particularly challenging emotion for an adolescent dog to manage. The intensity of the emotions and urges experienced, together with the dog’s reduced ability for impulse control during this phase, frequently leads to “undesirable” and challenging behaviors that the human needs to manage or modify. The exact behaviors exhibited will depend on the individual dog’s coping style as well as other factors influenced by genetics and prior learning. Some of these behaviors are only evident in training scenarios, whereas others are evident in day-to-day life. Common examples include: 

• Reverting to performing behaviors that had previously ceased during early training (e.g. jumping up on people, pulling/lunging when on leash, mouthing / nipping / grabbing, etc.) 

• Excessive barking and/or whining. • Destructive behaviors (e.g. digging, ripping up objects, etc.) 

• Unable to maintain a stay or other durational behavior particularly when “distractions” are added. 

• Unable to focus or remain attentive for more than brief periods. 

• Reduced interest in their human, combined with increased interest in the environment. 

• Low levels of perseverance (i.e. rapidly disconnecting from training at the first moment of confusion / frustration / uncertainty – resulting in either zoomies, running off to visit people/dogs, wandering off sniffing, leaving and lying down, leaving and hiding, the development of avoidance behaviors, etc.). 

• An apparent deterioration of previously “known” behaviors (e.g. not able to follow “known” cues, not able to perform a fast or accurate recall, etc.) 

• In some dogs we may also start to see aggressive responses occurring that were not previously present. These may be directed at other dogs or humans.  

Adolescence can be an extremely challenging time for both the dog and their human/s. Sadly in the pet dog sector adolescence is the primary developmental phase where re-homing and relinquishment occurs. In the dog training sector, it is the phase where handler’s skills and emotions can get pushed to the limit. Having our dog emerge into adulthood as a confident, capable, relaxed, and well-rounded individual requires us to be strategic in our training and management during the adolescent phase.  

In this webinar we discuss the changes that are occurring in our dog as they transition from puppyhood into adulthood, as well as practical adjustments we can make to our training during this developmental phase. These adjustments will:  

• Reduce frustration for both us and our dog. 

• Allow us to enjoy our time with our adolescent dog. 

• Allow our dog to enjoy their adolescence. 

• Assist in forming a stronger relationship with our dog that will carry forward for the longer-term. 

• Create beneficial habits that will support our long-term training goals. 

• Increase the probability of reaching our long-term training and competition goals.

 Register here: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/buy-webinar

Presented by APDT Australia. Register at www.apdt.org.au

FREE for members. AUD$25 for non-members

1.5 CCPDT CEUs are available for CPDT-KA, CPDT-KSA, CBBC-KA

When a dog performs visibly big behaviours in response to a stimulus the “reactivity” label is often applied, regardless of the underlying driver.
Any stimulus can trigger these responses, but common triggers include other dogs, people, vehicles, bicycles, skateboards, and other animals.
The behaviours frequently occur whilst on-leash but can also be exhibited at a door or window in the home, at a property fence-line, or from within a crate / enclosure / vehicle.

The behaviors may include any mix of the following:
• Lunging, • Vocalizing (barking, whining, growling), • Intense pulling toward the stimulus (when on-leash), • Rushing to the stimulus or barrier (when off-leash), • Attempts to flee from the stimulus or situation, which may also result in pulling and thrashing when on-leash.

In combination with the above the dog may exhibit moments of intense focus on the stimulus, stillness, freezing, and/or body rigidity/tension. Alternatively, the dog’s whole body may be wiggling, and there may even be spinning, and/or leaping.

The extensive mix of different behaviours and body language are the result of differing underlying emotions and motivations driving the “reactivity”. Fear is a very common driver of “reactive” responses, but it is not the only driver, hyper-arousal due to excitement or frustration can also result in the performance of “reactive” behaviours. Certain genetic traits can influence the development of reactive behaviours too, these include traits associated with owner guarding, intolerance to nearby unfamiliar dogs, or a strong desire to chase. The “reactive” behaviours may also have been inadvertently reinforced by the handler leading to the ongoing performance and potential escalation of these unwanted and potentially dangerous behaviours.

The common theme with “reactivity”, is that once the reactive responses are triggered, the dog’s ability to follow our cues is significantly diminished, but without our help the dog struggles to manage their own arousal, emotions, and behaviours in the presence of the stimuli.

The best way forward, in terms of appropriate management and training, is largely going to be influenced by the underlying driver/s of the behaviour. In this webinar we discuss the reasons why some strategies are best suited to certain types of reactivity, and how choosing the most appropriate strategy, will increase the likelihood of making significant progress with modifying a dog’s behaviour.

Currently there are discussions in our industry about re-labelling reactivity to identify the difference between excitement-based responses, fear / anxiety-based responses, and behaviours with a likelihood of progression to aggressive behaviours. This webinar will also touch on the pro’s and con’s of re-labelling in this way.

NOTE: This is the same presentation as was delivered at the FDSA "Dogs with Big Feelings" conference. Hence this webinar will never be offered as a stand alone webinar through FDSA, but if you have that conference in your FDSA library then you already has this webinar. 

July 16 2022 - 9am to 5pm

 FDSA "Dogs With Big Feelings" one day online conference.

USD$89 for 6 presentations and 2 panel discussions.

4pm Panel - Defining reactivity - 

Sharon Carroll, Amy Cook, Julie Daniels, Michael Shikashio.

https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/36252

When competition performance falls apart.

https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/blog/e268-sharon-carroll-when-competition-performance-falls-apart

USD $19.95 each

Registration link: Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - Buy Webinar 

In this FDSA webinar we discuss the common reasons why a dog’s competition performances may deteriorate with each outing, instead of getting better and more consistent. We also look at ways to prevent this issue, as well as how to move forward once we see inconsistent performances or a downward trend. This webinar also discusses reducing reinforcement in detail, so as to prepare our dog to compete happily and confidently without treats/toys.  Thursday 12 May 6pm (PT) - [That's Friday morning here in Australia!].  Only USD$19.95. Registration is open now and closes 24 hours after airing. If you watch live then you are welcome to participate in the live Q&A. If you can't attend live that is no problem, the recording remains available to you for 12 months. Register here: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/buy-webinar 

For more information - here is a link to a free podcast where we discuss this topic and also this upcoming webinar - https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/.../e268-sharon... 

Webinar Description: Typically, we anticipate performances improving over time. We should see our dog’s confidence increasing, and their performances should become more reliable, and consistent, as we progress through the levels of our sport. However, it is quite common to see dogs start their competition career with lots of ribbons and early titles, but then over time the performances become less consistent, and/or the scores reduce. We may even see a complete deterioration in performance, with lots of NQs, and significant problems developing. The types of issues we may see include: * Dogs who lose focus, are inaccurate, and make errors in well-known behaviors. * Dogs who become behaviorally inhibited when in the ring (e.g. slowing, stalling, freezing, vacant staring, shutting down, not responding to cues, wandering off sniffing, etc.) * Dogs who display excess behaviors within their performances (e.g. barking, whining, fidgeting, performing "zoomies", leaving us when the leash is removed, leaving the task during an exercise, “visiting” ring crew/judges/spectators, etc.) There are a multitude of underlying reasons these behaviors occur, some of the most common include: * An inability to effectively maintain arousal within the optimal zone. * Experiencing negative emotions. * Issues connected with reaching social maturity. * Issues associated with working for periods without treats / toys / verbal encouragement. * Not being able to recover effectively when an error occur. * Not adapting to the changing requirements as they progress through the levels. The information in this webinar is applicable to ALL dog sports, and will be equally valuable for prevention (i.e. for dogs who haven’t started competing yet, or those in the early part of their career), as well as strategies for those already experiencing this type of deterioration. Register here: https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/buy-webinar

Setting Goals for the New Year: A discussion with Megan Foster, Petra Ford, and Sharon Carroll

Hosted by Melissa Breau. This panel presentation included a large section of audience Q&A. The panel included myself, USA agility legend Megan Foster, and 2020 USA AKC Obedience Champion Petra Ford.

https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/blog/setting-goals-for-the-new-year-a-discussion-with-megan

USD $19.95 each

Registration link: Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - Buy Webinar 

Part 1 - Concepts and Overview

Part 2 - Case Studies / Specific Examples 

 When we train our dogs, we are constantly asking them to solve puzzles. We are asking them to connect the dots between the cue (context cue or human initiated verbal / visual cue), their subsequent behavior (action), and the reinforcement. As our dog becomes more confident about the connection between these elements, they can respond more rapidly and with improved accuracy.  During the learning process there will be moments of frustration and confusion. Typical dogs deal with small amounts of frustration and confusion in a way that helps them find a solution to the puzzle. This leads to the dog attaining reinforcement, which results in them putting in the same or greater effort on future learning-oriented tasks.  Atypical dogs however do not respond in the same way. For a range of underlying reasons, the training puzzle itself may cause an excessive spike in arousal in these dogs. This is commonly referred to as the dog “stressing down” or “stressing up” depending on the observable behaviors. “Stressing down” behaviors may include shutting-down, stalling, looking away, appearing disinterested, freezing, moving slowly, or performing avoidance, escape, appeasement, or displacement behaviors. “Stressing up” behaviors may include barking at the human or at the task, whining, performing rapid sequences of random un-cued behaviors, anticipating cues, spinning, doing zoomies, lacking focus, and attempting to guess at the solution with little thought.  Beyond training pressures, these dogs may also struggle more than usual with environmental pressures. All dogs need a certain amount of desensitization and distraction training in order to successfully function in bigger environments, but the atypical dog may be extremely aware of stimuli in the environment. This requires additional training steps and more detailed monitoring.  

In “Part One” webinar we discuss: 

• The underlying factors that contribute to the development of an atypical dog, including genetic traits and the impact of prior learning. 

• Ways to identify the difference between a simple training gap, and a more complex problem. 

• When to use classical conditioning versus operant conditioning. 

• Methods for measuring the proportional impact the environment is having on our dog’s behavior. 

We also look at a range of solutions that can create a more focused, happier, and more consistently successful training partner. 

 In “Part Two” webinar we look at a wide range of specific examples from a variety of different sports. Including: 

• Object retrieve (moving slowly, displacement sniffing at the object before picking up or instead of picking up, dropping the object or stalling on the return) 

• Retrieving incorrect articles in scent article exercises or in directed retrieves. 

• False alerts and missed hides in nose work. 

• Arcing in straight line exercises such as recalls or retrieves. 

• Breaking start line stays in agility. 

• Missing position change cues at a distance. 

• Inconsistency, slowing, stalling, or avoidance in weave poles. 

• Needing repeated cues or wandering off during rally, obedience, agility. 

• Performing zoomies or “visiting” ring crew, judges, stewards, spectators, other dogs during training / competing. 

• Hesitating on the approach to contacts or blowing through contacts in agility. 

• And more! 

For each example we discuss the varied reasons these behaviors may occur, along with solutions for resolving these issues. 

USD $19.95

Registration link: Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - Buy Webinar 

Whether you’re traveling with your pet dog, or traveling to classes and competitions with your sport dog, the trip is more pleasant if your dog is relaxed.

Some dogs, however, really struggle to remain calm during travel. They may whine, pant, bark, pace, spin, lunge at the windows, scratch / bite at the crate door, or just appear restless or uncomfortable.

In this webinar we look at all the underlying reasons that can affect your dog’s behavior when traveling. We also discuss behavior modification and management strategies aimed at improving the journey for you and your dog.

For many dogs, these same behaviors don’t stop when the journey ends. They may exit the vehicle with so much emotion and arousal that they are unable to focus on their human. So, in this webinar we also look at strategies for producing calm behaviors when arriving and setting up at a new venue.

Key areas covered include:

• Getting in and out of the vehicle in a relaxed way.
• Traveling calmly.
• Producing calm behaviors when arriving and acclimating in new locations.
• Calm crating / stationing at new venues.

Panelists:

Kamal Fernandez

Denise Fenzi

Sharon Carroll

Hosted by: Amy Cook

Link to bio of each panelist: https://thelemonadeconference.com/presentation/lunch-panel-day-3/

FREE EVENT - This lunchtime discussion will be streamed via Facebook Live on the event’s Facebook page, free and publicly available, even to those not paying to attend the conference. Discussing the differences between drive and arousal, and what is normal, vs what is… NOT.