# Like a Bull in a China Shop



## laprincessa (Mar 24, 2008)

some of my best decisions have been made spur of the moment - I'm interested in how training classes work online, keep us posted!


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## Anele (Dec 12, 2014)

I would love to hear about it! I wish I'd waited and signed up for Recallers instead of Puppy Peaks. The format of Recallers works much better for me!
How is it going?

From what I understand, good heeling starts with hind-end awareness . . .we have worked on this some . . .I will be interested to know if this is true in the course.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

The nice thing about the Fenzi - she has her scheduled courses up, so you can see when you might want to sign up - it's $65 for the bronze, and you can "eavesdrop" on the gold members and see their questions and follow up answers from the trainers in the forum for your class. So while YOU may not get one and one advice, you certainly can find someone with a similar problem that you can learn from. 

I haven't gotten far in Recallers, I finally recruited Karl to help me with restrained recall (he works second shift, I work first, so we're lucky some days to even see each other). In any case, I instruct him what I need to do, start to run the opposite direction to call Noah, and WHAM - my left foot finds the ONLY hole in the entire field and turns pretty badly. I very ungracefully went crashing to the ground and Noah did a very nice re-call to see why Mommy was laying flat on her face moaning in pain. 

That took about 2 weeks to recover from, and because I was over compensating in my walking, I managed to pinch my sciatic nerve and I've been dealing with that for several weeks. So - I haven't been really able to move well. Lucikly, Recallers is a year long, and we get all the videos on disc at the end of the course and it's self paced. 

Here's the schedule and syllabus for Fenzi Dog Sports Academy. I'm eyeing several other classes we may want to try later on. I'm also trying to find things that will keep Noah's mind and body engaged - since daycare is no longer an option for us (he aged out and we're not neutering yet) and the dock for dock diving will be closing soon for the winter. 

Fenzi Dog Sports Academy - Schedule


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## BriGuy (Aug 31, 2010)

I like the Fenzi Academy classes a lot! I prefer those classes over the Susan Garrett classes, just because they are more focused (and I need focus), and the price is easier to swallow. Have fun!


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## Pammie (Jan 22, 2011)

The Fenzi online courses are so intriguing! Thanks for sharing this info! I just spent oodles of time cruising their website! Wow, So many classes to pick from. You and Noah are bound to have a great time!!!

I have limited data usage for internet...(some aspects of rural living can suck).. are most of the classes a lot of YouTube video viewing? I looked at the sample course and I see videos, 5 short ones that total under 15 minutes for that class, is that typical? I could handle that. 

I am interested in the class called I'm Bored-Creative Exercise.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I love the Precision Heeling  but, be forewarned that you might struggle until it just kind of clicks then it is a beautiful thing.

I have been taking courses at Fenzi for quite awhile and love them, plus the materials stay in your library after the course ends  so you don't need to rush to keep up


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

Pammie, I'm not sure yet. There is also a related Facebook page for each class too that's a closed group only open to registered members of the class and alumni, where those taking class can also interact with each other. Maybe Sunrise can answer your question.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

OK - I'm officially addicted to the Fenzi classes - so much so that we've signed up at bronze for 2 more classes - Shaping and Life Skills - Real Life Skills for Performance Dogs. 

*Shaping*



> There are three positive ways of getting a behavior - capturing, luring, and shaping. Of these, shaping is by far the most difficult - and the most fun. With shaping, you can literally teach your dog to perform any behavior he is physically capable of doing. Shaping will bring you closer to seeing into your dog's thoughts than you ever thought possible.
> 
> Whether you've heard about shaping and don't know what all the fuss is about, or you're just not confident in your ability to form this very special relationship with your dog, we'll be here to help you master each step along the way. Instructor Sue Ailsby will help you work through the process - selecting appropriate exercises to start with, introducing the clicker, and helping you develop your timing and criteria. In this fun, educational, and entertaining class, you'll be able to watch your training skills skyrocket while introducing you to a smart, willing, exciting, intelligent partner - your own dog!


*Life Skills - Real Life Skills for Performance Dogs*



> Do you struggle to balance high energy, high intensity behaviors in your sport with calm behavior in every day life? If so, this class may be for you.
> 
> This class will cover:
> 
> ...


I first planned to just sign up for the Life Skills class, but then learned Shaping is only offered about once a year, so jumped on that one. We desperately need Life Skills, particularly if we plan to get serious in competition sports, where he has to be on a flat collar and not a harness, and I really, really am struggling on my own with polite greetings. Just the first lecture's homework for LLW is like "brilliant!", when I read and saw the accompanying video. 

And best of all, Noah is having a blast!


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

Pammie said:


> The Fenzi online courses are so intriguing! Thanks for sharing this info! I just spent oodles of time cruising their website! Wow, So many classes to pick from. You and Noah are bound to have a great time!!!
> 
> I have limited data usage for internet...(some aspects of rural living can suck).. are most of the classes a lot of YouTube video viewing? I looked at the sample course and I see videos, 5 short ones that total under 15 minutes for that class, is that typical? I could handle that.
> 
> I am interested in the class called I'm Bored-Creative Exercise.


Hi Pammie - from what I can see, Denise's Precision Heeling is video intense, but it's broken down into subsets - so if you work on a few steps, it's not a lot to watch. But if you want to follow the gold member's videos and the instructor's feedback, you're looking at a few more 2 minute videos. But you could pace yourself, or pick just one or two gold members to follow who seem to be most like your situation. 

Life Skills - there's only one lesson video so far, and then the gold member's videos (not required to watch). 

I JUST signed up for Shaping, so I'm not sure how video intensive it is yet. 

I don't see why it's not doable for you though.


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## Pammie (Jan 22, 2011)

So kind of you to report back! I really appreciate it.


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## bixx (Sep 8, 2015)

rabernet said:


> OK - I'm officially addicted to the Fenzi classes - so much so that we've signed up at bronze for 2 more classes - Shaping and Life Skills - Real Life Skills for Performance Dogs.
> 
> *Shaping*
> 
> ...


I am also thinking of signing up for these two. Are they really very helpful? I only read their website. At 65 dollars a pop for each course, i want to make sure i am not spilling money!


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

Shaping so far, we're just warming up the clicker hand and clicker eye at this point. And, good to know, the lectures will remain in your library for a year, so you don't have to feel obligated to complete them in the six weeks. I also find that the Facebook Lurkers groups are also a great help to get feedback from other members (since as Bronze, you can't ask any questions in the Fenzi forums). But I figured, we probably can put shaping to very good use in every day training situations. 

Oh - and if you sign up for another class in say December, or February (and so on - new classes start every 2 months), your library remains active for a year past the the most recent class, to include earlier classes - and you can also save lectures to your own computer or Evernote and not have to worry about losing the library. 

Life Skills - I'm really enjoying it. I did try the "gimme 3 steps" lesson at rally last night and that wasn't really fair to Noah - he'd only had a few sessions at home with no distractions and then I took him to rally with a TON of distractions and asked him to play the game with me. When I realized he couldn't handle it in that situation, I stopped trying - we'll get there. Still haven't transferred skills yet, and he's also still puppy brain. 

But do I think it will help us in the long run? Absolutely! And you can also join the Fenzi Alumni page once you're registered too. Denise is awesome about participating there, and even recommended this blog post she recently made, in a response to me about being excited about the class and Noah's excessive greeting disorder. I just need to find a willing victim....errr....helper...to do the exercise! LOL

Hyper Greeters (jumping up – extreme) | denisefenzipetdogs

I guess the reason I jumped on these classes (and I've since also signed up for Relationship Building Through Play also - four - four is my limit! LOL), is because I checked the next set of lessons in December, February, and so on, and didn't see these classes offered, and really thought they would benefit all of us (Noah, myself and my boyfriend).


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

Oh - one word of warning - maybe you may not want to join Fenzi Acadamy Alumni FB group - that's where I got into real trouble reading other people going on and on about how great certain classes and instructors were and how it related to their relationships with their dogs, and that's how I got sucked in to FOUR classes! LOL

And if you DO join, and want the links to the lurkers FB pages (closed group, you have to take a screenshot showing you are enrolled in order to be approved), for any of the classes, let me know - the master list is in the alumni group page.


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## bixx (Sep 8, 2015)

ok thanks for the info! i am also interested in the play class. i was thinking that there seems to be an overlap between shaping and life skills. anyway, i have till next week to decide on this..thanks again!!!


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## bixx (Sep 8, 2015)

hah, i just checked that hypergreeting video! funny that it's a golden retriever! hehehe.


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## rabernet (Feb 24, 2015)

You might also find the pinned post and the comments here a great testimonial to her classes too. 

https://www.facebook.com/FenziDogSportsAcademy?fref=nf


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