What to listen for:

Our hosts, Robin Greubel, Stacy Barnett, and Crystal Wing, reflect on their recent two-part conversation with Denise Fenzi and her strategies for ensuring steady, measurable progress when training your dog.

“Learning is a fragile place. Being correct is a reward in itself.”

Denise is a staunch advocate for finding your compass—a guiding principle that does wonders not just in your career as a handler, but in your personal life as well. This, along with understanding that learning requires humility, is key to navigating the chain of complex behaviors your dog goes through in the field.

“If you want your dog’s behavior to change, you have to change yours first.”

Self-reflection was another key theme in their chat with Denise, who explained that successful handlers see vulnerability as a superpower when training their dog. That’s why it’s important to track progress not just by skills learned but by demeanor as well. And as you monitor that progress, Denise encourages going for slow, gradual tweaks to prevent overwhelm.

Finally, the Dames of Detection give their take on Denise’s philosophy around repetition and rewards. In particular, they break down the power of structuring your training around five repetitions per command, and why it pays to embrace creativity and pattern interrupts when your training hits a slump.

Key Topics:

• Find Your Compass (02:06)
• Learning is a Fragile Place (09:13)
• The Value of Self-Reflection (14:03)
• The Power of Minor Tweaks (21:53)
• What to Know About Repetition in Training (29:12)
• Don’t Be Afraid of Trying Something New (42:25)
• “Let’s Go!”: A Case Study (50:10)
• Upcoming Events and Happenings! (53:00)

Resources:

• Fenzi Dog Sports Academy Webinars
• K9Sensus @MUTC
• K9Sensus Detection Dog Trainer Academy
• Military Working Dog Symposium
• ATK9

We want to hear from you:

• Check out the K9 Detection Collaborative FB page and comment on the episode post!
• K9Sensus Detection Dog Trainer Academy
• K9Sensus Foundation can be found on Facebook and Instagram. We have a Trainer’s Group on Facebook!
• Scentsabilities Nosework is also on Facebook. Here is a Facebook group you should join!
• Crystal Wing K9 Coach can be found here at CB K9 on Facebook + Instagram and here at Evolution Working Dog Club. Also, check out her Functional Obedience Class here.
• You can follow us for notifications of upcoming episodes, find us at k9detectioncollaborative.com to enjoy the freebies, and tell your friends so you can keep the conversations going.

What to listen for:

In part two of their discussion with the brilliant Denise Fenzi, our hosts Robin Greubel and Crystal Wing explore the delicate dance between striving for precision and cherishing the quirks of canine behavior!

“Your dog has to have a lot of ‘want to.’ If they don’t have a lot of ‘want to,’ they’re not the right dog for the job.”

Denise explains why picking the right dog for the job from the get-go is foundational to success. When you bring a dog with the right desire to the table, your job as a handler–controlling and shaping that desire–becomes much easier.

She also talks about identifying essential behaviors like a reliable whistle recall and advocates for a training philosophy driven by motivation and enthusiasm rather than obligation. She tackles ethical dilemmas faced in high-pressure operations and tells us to always prioritize the well-being of both the dog and the handler.

Denise also discusses the controversial use of e-collars and the pursuit of perfect recall. She explores the sensitive topic of rehoming, advocating for it as a positive solution when there is a mismatch between the dog's needs and the owner's expectations.

“Leadership is about setting a path. You can’t take on a leadership position if you’re not willing to say unpopular things.”

Denise gives her thoughts on leadership and personal growth through the lens of dog training. Early socialization, adaptability, and setting boundaries are crucial themes in building confidence and respect in dogs.

Finally, Denise tells us why she believes dogs are being over-socialized today, and why she’s totally against doggie daycare for puppies!

Key Topics:

• Reinforcing Nonnegotiable Behaviors (02:28)
• Choosing the Right Dog for the Job (10:00)
• Rehoming Your Dog (22:05)
• Denise’s Thoughts on Negative Online Discourse (22:34)
• Setting Boundaries and Becoming a Better Leader (32:11)
• Giving Your Dog Freedom (43:05)
• Box Feeding (47:33)
• What’s Next for Denise? (55:30)
• Takeaways (58:22)

Resources:

• Fenzi Dog Sports Academy

We want to hear from you:

• Check out the K9 Detection Collaborative FB page and comment on the episode post!
• K9Sensus Detection Dog Trainer Academy
• K9Sensus Foundation can be found on Facebook and Instagram. We have a Trainer’s Group on Facebook!
• Scentsabilities Nosework is also on Facebook. Here is a Facebook group you should join!
• Crystal Wing K9 Coach can be found here at CB K9 and here at Evolution Working Dog Club. Also, check out her Functional Obedience Class here.
• You can follow us for notifications of upcoming episodes, find us at k9detectioncollaborative.com to enjoy the freebies, and tell your friends so you can keep the conversations going.

Jingle by: www.mavericksings.com

What to listen for:

“If I cannot, in five repetitions, isolate a variable down and get it where I want it, I do need to stop. That doesn't mean the next time we'll be successful. What that tells me is, don't do the same thing again and again and again. And there's been a lot of variation. Isolate that variable. It looks good now. Put it back in a chain, it doesn't look good. What have I done wrong?”

In part one of this two-part discussion, Robin Greubel and Crystal Wing sit down with special guest Denise Fenzi, a trainer and educator who specializes in building cooperation, joy, and extreme precision in competition dog sports teams.

“Patterns lead to confidence. Unpredictable leads to listening.”

Famous for breaking down complex concepts into bite-sized lessons, Denise does a deep dive into a training philosophy that stresses adaptability and prioritizing the dog’s wellbeing. She discusses how to build your dog’s vocabulary via strategic repetition, as well as her approach to encouraging or disrupting behavioral patterns during training.

“The more ways you generalize the behavior, the better the dog gets at those behaviors.”

Denise shares why tools like choke chains and e-collars might be a thing of the past, and why tailored, humane options like aversives better enhance understanding and cooperation between you and your dog–which in turn fosters a bond built on trust and respect rather than pain and fear.

“A behavior chain is simply a bunch of behaviors strung together, so you have to get comfortable with degrees of messiness.”

Finally, Denise unravels the complexities of behavior chains and the balance between instinctual behaviors and structured learning. She walks us through the art of rewarding gradual progress and adapting training techniques to maintain a dog's confidence.

Key Topics:

• Denise’s Training Methodology (06:29)
• Applying Micro Behaviors To Full Training Scenarios (20:22)
• Generalizing Behaviors (25:36)
• Drive Versus Arousal (35:27)

Resources:

• Fenzi Dog Sports Academy

We want to hear from you:

• Check out the K9 Detection Collaborative FB page and comment on the episode post!
• K9Sensus Detection Dog Trainer Academy
• K9Sensus Foundation can be found on Facebook and Instagram. We have a Trainer’s Group on Facebook!
• Scentsabilities Nosework is also on Facebook. Here is a Facebook group you should join!
• Crystal Wing K9 Coach can be found here at CB K9 and here at Evolution Working Dog Club. Also, check out her Functional Obedience Class here.
• You can follow us for notifications of upcoming episodes, find us at k9detectioncollaborative.com

Jingle by: www.mavericksings.com

Audio editing & other podcast services by: www.thepodcastman.com