Serious dog sport talk, plainly handled.
Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast is a working-trainer conversation about dog sports, behavior, and the decisions handlers make in real training situations. It favors careful definitions, concrete examples, and honest discussion of what changes when the dog in front of the trainer does not match the plan.
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Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast covers competitive dog training through long, practical interviews and panel conversations. It has a steady, working-room feel. The focus is not on broad pet advice, but on the fine details that matter when a dog is learning under pressure, around distractions, or inside a sport with precise criteria. Recent episodes move from training philosophy to very specific cases. Denise Fenzi talks about training the dog in front of the handler and about correcting stale assumptions around positive reinforcement. Jennifer Henion frames turn-taking as a trained release-and-reward sequence rather than a simple stay. Shade Whitesel looks at scent, birds, chicken bones, and other environmental reinforcers as training problems that can be split into manageable pieces. Kim Palermo separates resilience from arousal by looking at how quickly an animal recovers after an event. Kelly Daniel discusses fitness for puppies and seniors with attention to strength, balance, body awareness, and age-appropriate expectations. Sue Yanoff explains why sports medicine depends on careful diagnosis, while also describing the rare cases where the answer remains unclear. A panel on bond and communication treats connection as something seen in small choices, not just in affection or reward access. Petra Ford brings obedience competition down to the actual team: the dog with the title, the handler doing the work, and the older dogs whose careers are managed over time. The show is calm but not vague. It repeatedly asks what the dog is doing, what the handler is reinforcing, and what part of the environment is driving the behavior. That makes it especially useful for handlers who already train and want sharper ways to think through problems.
Made for: For competitive dog handlers, trainers, and committed sport-dog owners who want practical reasoning behind training choices. It suits listeners who enjoy detailed conversations about behavior, fitness, impulse control, diagnosis, and team development.
What sets it apart: The show stands out for its patient, example-heavy style: questions are narrowed, terms are defined, and training problems are treated as conditions to analyze. It feels less like general dog media and more like experienced handlers comparing notes on what actually changes a dog's behavior.
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.
Based on 6 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Careful interviews turn sport-dog behavior, attention, and physical readiness into practical decisions grounded in what each dog is actually doing.
Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast treats training as a continuing negotiation between a dog's abilities, surroundings, and state of mind. Melissa Breaux leads interviews and panel conversations with trainers, a behavior consultant, and a veterinarian, asking practical follow-ups that…
A chicken bone by the curb becomes a masterclass in what your dog values more than you.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A candid conversation about self-reinforcing behavior, changing bodies, and keeping training ideas current.
Denise Fenzie's conversation with Melissa Breaux uses the podcast's first official audio-and-video episode to test training philosophy against real behavior.
Jennifer Henyon reframes honoring as a manageable lesson in anticipation, distraction, and a release the dog truly values.
Dog sports training turns into a close look at anticipation as Jennifer Henyon explains what a dog is being asked to handle while another dog gets the thing it wants.
A grounded discussion of scent distractions, competing reinforcers, and teaching dogs where to put their attention.
Training a sport dog through seasonal scent or roadside chicken bones could sound narrow, but Shade Whitesell turns it into a useful lesson on competing reinforcers, location, and giving the dog a clear alternative behavior.
A practical look at the detective work behind diagnosing injuries in canine athletes.
Sports injuries can be hard to read when a dog is still performing well, and this episode keeps that tension practical. Sue Yanoff, a veterinarian and board-certified surgeon who spent the later part of her career mostly in sports medicine, explains how that specialty differs…
A grounded conversation about communication, trust, and the work of building a connected companion.
The Fenzie Dog Sports Podcast treats the handler-dog bond as something shaped through communication, choices, and repeated practice rather than affection alone.
A grounded look at using structure, mat work, and predictable food cues to help dogs settle at home.
Karen Deeds frames peace at home as something dogs can practice, especially when arousal, anxiety, or impulsivity starts making choices for them. Her mat-based routine gives the dog a clear job: go to a place, settle there, and learn that food can predict what comes next.
A practical look at why dogs may need to get oriented before they can focus and work.
Focus and engagement are treated here as things that may have to come after a dog has settled into a new place. Karen Deeds introduces active acclimation, with a clear practical point: before a dog can work, it may need time to look around, sniff, listen, and decide the setting…
Sharp talk for serious agility handlers.
Host Melissa Breaux interviews Denise Fenzi, Petra Ford, and Karen Deeds about focus and engagement for an upcoming Fenzi Dog Sports Academy conference.
Drs.
Karen Deeds, a certified dog behavior consultant, discusses creating peace in multi-dog households.
Fenzie Dog Sports Podcast E456 is Denise Fenzi's first official appearance on the show as a video podcast, with Melissa Breaux hosting on both the audio feed and YouTube.
Melissa Breaux and Jennifer Henyon use the Fenzi Dog Sports Podcast to break down how dogs learn to take turns, honor another dog's work, and wait for a release instead of a static stay.
Shade Whitesel argues that trash, wildlife scent, chicken bones, and the smell of an intact female in season can outcompete a handler's treats on the Fenzie Dog Sports Podcast.
Kim Palermo discusses using Control Unleashed and FreeWork to build resilience and modulate arousal in dogs for competitive dog sports.
Kelly Daniel discusses how to define and approach fitness for puppies and senior dogs, contrasting it with adult sports dogs.
Sue Yanoff, DVM says Fenzie Dog Sports Podcast listeners should treat "limping" and "back pain" as clinical signs, not diagnoses.
Denise Fenzie separates "communication" from "connection" and says anyone with training can do the first, while the second changes how choices affect the relationship over time.
Petra Ford discusses her recent win at the 2025 National Obedience Championship and her approach to training top-level obedience dogs.
Jane Ardern discusses the difference between teaching dogs anticipation and relaxation, focusing on release cues for sports dogs.
Irit Bloom discusses applied behavior science in dog training, emphasizing the importance of moving from lab research to real-world application.
A podcast episode introducing speakers for the Focus and Engage One Day Conference, discussing dog training and behavior topics.