Beyond the Basics: Unlock Your Dog's Behavior

by Denise Fenzi

"You are a dedicated pet owner or trainer who is willing to put a fair amount of time and thought into the process of changing dog behavior. You want to develop a training plan that accounts for your dog's needs as well as your own, and that moves you to desirable behavior as expeditiously as possible!By considering your dog's emotions, overall health, and temperament and then adding a big dose of applied training skills, you and your dog can come to a place of mutual cooperation and behavior change. Not only will this book help you understand your dog better so that you can pick the right training plan, it will also help you evaluate your decisions after the fact to ensure that you are, indeed, making progress towards your goals.The first part of this book focuses on ""Understanding"". Understanding what factors influence your dog's behavior and also how to apply training skills to your situation so that you can design a training plan. The second part is a series of case studies, focused on the problem behaviors of excessive barking and failing to recall. Both are frustrating to owners, and both require a good look at the overall situation before deciding how to proceed with any given dog.The final part of this book focuses on Evaluation. Did you reach your goals? If not, why not? By walking through a systematic approach to evaluating both success and failure, odds are that success will be reached more quickly."

Genres: Dogs

Audible Audio

Published November 9, 2024

About the author

Denise Fenzi has competed in a wide range of dog sports – titling dogs in obedience (AKC and UKC), tracking (AKC and schutzhund), schutzhund (USA), mondioring (MRSA), herding (AKC), conformation(AKC) and agility (AKC). She is best known for her flashy and precise obedience work – demonstrated by two AKC OTCH dogs and perfect scores in both schutzhund and Mondio ringsport obedience.

While a successful competitor, Denise's real passion lies in training dogs; solving the problems that her own dogs and her student’s dogs present. She is a recognized expert in developing drive, motivation and focus in competition dogs, and is known internationally as an engaging speaker and an expert in no force training for sport dogs. She has consistently demonstrated the ability to train and compete with dogs using motivational methods in sports where compulsion is the norm.

In addition to training and speaking, Denise is a prolific writer. You can find her at www.denisefenzi.com where she maintains an active blog on all things related to dog training. She is also an active writer on facebook; add her as a friend or follow her there to learn more about her range of interests in addition to dog training. Finally, she recently wrote her first book with co-author, Deb Jones. That book, Dog Sports Skills Book 1: Developing Engagement and Relationship, was awarded the Dog Writers of Amercica "Book of the Year" for Behavior and Training, 2013. The second book in that series is currently being prepared for publication.

Denise thoughtfully and persistently works to break down the barriers that prevent people from obtaining a truly interactive and mutually enjoyable sport relationship with their dogs. Fenzi Academy is the culmination of her efforts; a forward step in providing progressive information to any trainer who wishes to learn.

To learn more about Denise's on-line dog training school, visit www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short but excellent book about understanding your dog and it will improve the relationship between any owner and their dog. I appreciate Fenzi’s awe at all that dogs bring to our lives, and her gentle but firm reminder that their so-called “problems” are very much our responsibility.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

A much needed book that encourages you to approach training by thinking first about your dog as a sentient individual. As I always wish when I read one of Denise Fenzi's books, I wish this one (along with her wonderful blog and videos) had been around when we adopted our first dog, especially the final chapter on "Un-problems." It would have helped me understand her better. The only thing I missed as a reader was a list of sources that informed the discussion, but that's likely more of a personal preference.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I've been dealing with a fear reactive dog for a while, I know most of the info shared in this book, but it was nice to see this writing all in one spot and the encouragement Fenzi provided. I would have liked more examples of different dogs dealing with the same issues and why they are the way they are

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful short book on basics of dog training with positive reinforcement.