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Shade Whitesel, Faculty (Foundations, Obedience)

shadesdogtraining@yahoo.com

Main info

Shade Whitesel (she/her) has been training and competing in dog sports since she was a kid. Always curious in how dogs learn, she has successfully competed in IGP/IPO/Schutzhund, AKC obedience and French Ring. Along the way, Shade has received a perfect score in the IPO tracking phase on two separate dogs, a perfect score in IPO obedience, placements at Nationals and Regionals in Schutzhund and numerous 1st in class in AKC. Shade currently competes with Talic, who just started his AKC obedience career with 3 High in Trials on his way to his CD.

Though Shade is owned by highly motivated working line German Shepherds and is known for her toy skills and marker cues classes, she especially enjoys teaching foundation skills to all manner of dogs and their people. Good training and learning starts at the beginning.

What started out as an experiment — competing at the National level in IPO without the use of an e-collar — has now turned into a firm commitment to the positive method, and the desire to teach other trainers and dogs how to be successful in all the things with as little aversives as possible.

Shade's personal website is http://www.shadesdogtraining.net/

Pronouns: Shade goes by she/her.

Shade Whitesel's current and upcoming courses

FE335 Spaces in Between

This is a class about preparing our dogs for the competition or seminar environment. Over and over I see dogs that are unprepared or rehearsing behavior we don't want at seminars, classes and trials. Over time this leads to more stress from both handler and dog and I want to help out with that!

OB340 Strike a Pose: Fabulous Positions

You enter your sport ring/field, dog heeling by your side. When the exercise comes, you leave them on a specific position and walk away. You cue each position change, and your dog executes them perfectly with paws steady. Full points!

FE130 Toys Class

Do you have a dog that chases the ball, yet won’t bring it back? Plays keep away with toys? Tugs but won’t let go? Bites you instead of the tug? Obsesses over toys, yet won’t listen to a single thing you say? Is your dog so high in drive for toys that they can’t think? Or do you just want to channel that prey drive right from the beginning and add the attitude your dog has for tugging or chasing toys to the obedience or agility ring?

Why choose us?

We offer a variety of online training solutions designed to help you and your furry friend achieve success

World Class Trainers

Learn from professionals with years of experience in canine behavior

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Proven methods

Science-backed positive reinforcement techniques that actually work

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Personalized approach

Programs tailored to your dog’s unique needs and personality

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Engaging lessons

Keep training exciting with interactive exercises and games

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FAQ

Explore the questions we get asked most often and find out everything you need for a smooth experience with us.

Our testimonials

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I'm addicted to the Fenzi Dog Sports Academy! I have never been dissatisfied with any course that I've taken at FDSA. My list of classes that I’ve taken there just gets longer and longer. Fantastic course material and fantastic Instructors! And the courses available just keep growing. After studying at FDSA, I will never take an on-line course somewhere else ..... unless, and only if, it has a full course description and a syllabus (like FDSA). Love FDSA's course syllabus! But, it's very unlikely that I will be interested in another on-line academy! I'm really pleased with the online auditing experience and will do so again. Thank you!

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I have struggled to find a trainer in my area that would consistently work with my reactive dog. We often got dumped in the summer, classes cancelled, or was told that we weren't part of the trainers focus. I thought that I would never be able to improve my training beyond reading and watching DVDs. I thought that I would never get personal feedback. I felt discouraged and excluded from the dog training community. I thought that I would always have mediocre training and a mediocre relationship with my dog. A friend recommended FDSA and I enrolled in "It's All Tricks" with Deborah Jones at Gold level. In 6 weeks my dog has become more confident than I've ever seen her. She is more motivated and eager to learn. Furthermore, my confidence as a trainer has improved. I finally feel like I have a resource that I can rely on. At FDSA it doesn't matter that my dog is reactive, we can finally work on exercises that would have been completely inaccessible before. Deb has been absolutely wonderful to work with. She provides kind, encouraging and constructive feedback with meaningful critique. This experience has been the epitome of what I have always dreamt that training my dog would be. I cannot be thankful enough to have discovered FDSA. It has given my dog and I a second chance at having a successful, meaningful relationship. I cannot wait to enroll in more classes. I wasn't so certain that online classes would be REALLY useful - I am blown away by how much one can learn and implement through the online system - certainly makes it possible to participate in novel learning experiences that would not otherwise be available!

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As a newbie to dog sports I find the Fenzi academy an incredible way to get the best instruction from a wealth of knowledgable instructors with no intimidation or sense that I can't participate in a class alongside excellent seasoned trainers.

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