Podcast · Learning

Fenzi Food For Thought

by Denise Fenzi · English · Learning

Catch me here telling stories, conversing with curious and warm-hearted friends, breaking down barriers in the training world, and of course, sharing my love for these amazing beings we share our lives with: the dogs! I'd love to hear from you! Instagram: @denisefenzi Dog training: @fenzi

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 34 min
Latest: 3 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

3 Oct 2026 · 25 min

Being Nice

It's not hard to be nice. You might find yourself being happier for it. Note: this is not a dog related topic so… Take it for what it is. Follow my training! Instagram

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

26 Sep 2026 · 20 min
Character Matters
Your character matters. If you have poor character in one area… You're a liar? Don't take responsibility for your actions? Mistreat others? I'd put money on the fact that you lack character in many areas. Which will call into question everything I might know about you - as it should. Celebrate those out there who recognize that character is important - and speak out appropriately. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
1 Aug 2026 · 22 min
The Advice Nobody Can Absorb
If you want to be impactful as a dog trainer, or even as an engaged pet parent who hopes to influence how others live with their dogs, consider whether your solutions, suggestions, and advice are matched to what the learner can actually absorb and implement. The best advice in the world is not useful if the person receiving it cannot understand it, manage it, or realistically fit it into their life. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
8 May 2026 · 17 min
The Best Training Isn't On Social Media
If you judge quality training from social media, and then come to conclusions about training that differs from your own, you will always miss the mark. You'll lose the opportunity to become educated about what truly represents the best training out there. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
1 May 2026 · 35 min
Let's Talk About Spay & Neuter
Should you spay or neuter your dog? I have no idea. But we can talk about it, and maybe that will help you make a decision. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
24 Apr 2026 · 34 min
When Choice or Structure Isn't Obvious
Which is better, choice or structure. It's not obvious. That's what this live is about. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
10 Apr 2026 · 53 min
Train the Dog in Front of You: Breed Tendencies vs. Individual Quirks
What does it mean to train the dog in front of you? Here I talk about Tye/Border Collie vs Xen/Belgian vs Brito/Terrier - Breed tendencies vs. individual quirks. In short, Tye is an odd duck, so I train him the way he prefers. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
3 Apr 2026 · 8 min
Your Dog Doesn't Need Intentional Aversives to Learn
Nope. You don't have to add intentional aversive so that your dog learns how to handle them. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
20 Mar 2026 · 27 min
Accepting Misunderstanding
Learn to let misunderstandings stand - once you know someone is listening to misunderstand, you can comfortably move on. Don't get pulled into stupid conversations. For all you know, you're arguing with a 15-year-old… or someone who is deeply unwell and incapable of doing better. Either way, those conversations never end well. Spend your energy elsewhere. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
13 Mar 2026 · 22 min
The Benefits of Management
Fearful dog? A little aggressive and forward? The vast majority of the time, you can manage the behavior and make everyone happy. Even better, often good management creates a situation where the dog feels safe and knows they will be left alone, and the problem behavior goes away. Don't make things worse by forcing it. Might work for a few months but… high risk with little payoff. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
20 Feb 2026 · 1 hr 6 min
The Dog Conversations We Avoid
Rehoming dogs. Behavioral euthanasia. And the parts of these conversations we usually avoid. If you want the honest story of the dog I rehomed… you're in the right place. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
9 Feb 2026 · 13 min
Trainers Behaving Badly
Trainers behaving badly. Force-free trainers behaving badly. Balanced trainers behaving badly. And what we do when people show up poorly…especially in public spaces. This isn't about sides. It's about responsibility, restraint, and how much damage a single person can do…or not do…depending on how we choose to respond. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
30 Jan 2026 · 42 min
The Least Aversive Option
If you use an aversive in training, is the goal to use the least aversive option, or the least aversive option that gets the job done and fits within your entire system of training? I talk about that here. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
28 Nov 2025 · 47 min
The Art of Choice in Dog Training
Sometimes I'll take choice away if I think it's the right thing for the dogs. Sometimes I'll give choice. And sometimes I'll just stop working on a problem altogether… It depends. That's what this live is about - choices I make for Tye, depending on the circumstance. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
24 Nov 2025 · 45 min
Are Dogs Really More Anxious Today? …And Other Things We Can't Actually Know
If we make a blanket statement like, "dogs are more anxious today than they used to be", or "more dogs are being euthanized then were in the past"… How do you know that? And if it is true, how are you isolating the variables that might be contributing, in order to conclude that the one you've identified is the relevant one? Because often we make statements which rely on a foundation that is not knowable, or at least least unknown at this time. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
13 Nov 2025 · 34 min
Punishment in Training: Does Safety Justify It?
Does adding punishers to training make sense when safety is a consideration? Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
31 Oct 2025 · 19 min
The "Click" and Training the Dog in Front of You
Why do I both click and then use a location specific marker with Tye? I explain it here, with Xen making a cameo appearance to demonstrate! And then a few thoughts about training the dog in front of you, and why I train different dogs differently. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
24 Oct 2025 · 1 hr 14 min
Reading Stress in Dogs
Signs of stress all have normal variants that are not distress at all; remember that every time you're analyzing a dog for signs of stress! and… I talked a bit about my new dog Tye. He's making an incredible amount of progress; much faster than I could've predicted. That's genetics and resilience at work. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
19 Oct 2025 · 49 min
The Depth of Behavior Challenges
I've been noticing more honesty in the dog training world on IG lately… trainers from all camps admitting that some behavior issues aren't "fixed" but managed for life. I love seeing balance trainers share setbacks a year later, and force free trainers talking about acceptance and structure (management) rather than change. We also talked about the depth of behavior challenges… not just is your dog sound sensitive, but HOW sound sensitive? Experience matters in how we show up online—and in how much empathy we bring to tough cases. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online…
11 Oct 2025 · 33 min
About That Stress Inoculation...
Your dog lives such an stress-free life that you have to add more for their own good?! I talk a little bit about my dog's lives here today. Plenty of stress, whether I want it there or not. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
3 Oct 2025 · 55 min
From Sheep Crosses to Kindness in Communities
Today's live I covered a lot… I talked about crossing Barbados sheep with Dorper—a great combo! Sometimes the cross is better than either parent. Then I shifted to what it means to admin a Facebook group. When do you allow unkind comments? What if they're true? And that doodle hate? It's gross. I talked about that a lot. Being mean just because the group agrees doesn't make it okay. Not in the dog world. Not anywhere. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
26 Sep 2025 · 56 min
Why You Have A Dog Will Impact Your Training Choices
Why do you have a dog? Really. Think about it. So the choices you make with raising and training your dog lineup with that end goal? That's what this live is about. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
14 Sep 2025 · 26 min
Fences, Escapes, and Ruling Out Medical Concerns
Just a quick update on a few things I've mentioned lately in lives… How did all three dogs respond to the electric fence now that we're back on the property and the fence is back up? What was going on with Xen and his sudden crate/garage escaping drama — and why it's over now. And probably most important… what do we really mean when we say "rule out medical causes" before jumping into a training plan? Because it matters. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
7 Sep 2025 · 16 min
Rethinking Change in Dog Sports
Success in dog sports is an awesome way to show people that you can succeed without the intensional use of aversives. But success isn't going to lead to some huge change. That's not how to change works. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
30 Aug 2025 · 29 min
Pain & Behavioral Issues
Behavior problems… Can they stem from pain? Discomfort? What happens if you try to solve a behavior problem by applying a pain based correction yourself? This live pulls together several videos and lives that I've done over the past couple of weeks, talking about my own dogs. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
22 Aug 2025 · 37 min
Fallout in Dog Training
What is fallout, in the world of behavior? Can you see it in a short video clip? Does eating suggest a lack of fallout? I talk about these topics here. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
10 Aug 2025 · 49 min
Crating: Different Dogs, Different Issues.
Separation anxiety? Crate anxiety? Fear of missing out? Something else related but… Not even quite sure what it might be? Here I talk about my dogs, Ice and Xen. Different dogs with different issues, but the same way of thinking about problem-solving… If that interests you, take a listen. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
2 Aug 2025 · 58 min
How R+ Has Evolved Beyond the Training
Being a positive reinforcement extremist has nothing to do with how you train dogs. It's about how you treat people. This live dives into how R+ has evolved beyond training methods—shaping how we engage, communicate, and show up in the dog training community. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
26 Jul 2025 · 15 min
What is Good Training
In this live, I unpack common misconceptions about positive reinforcement training and explain why withholding reinforcement is still a form of clear communication. I share a personal story about my early shaping mistakes and describe how good modern training sets dogs up for success without guessing. This is a call for clarity, accuracy, and respect across all training approaches. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy
18 Jul 2025 · 16 min
Stress & Resilience
If developing resilience requires experiencing stress, does that mean humans need to stress their dogs intentionally? Nope. We're stressing our dogs all the time, whether we mean to or not. Follow my training! Instagram The High Drive Dog More online training! Fenzi Dog Sports Academy

About Fenzi Food For Thought

Fenzi Food For Thought is a English learning podcast from Denise Fenzi. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Denise Fenzi
Language: English
Category: Learning
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 34 min
Latest episode: 3 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1601526432

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