Guest Presentations - Kathy Sdao, Guest Instructor

Main info

Kathy Sdao (she/her) is an applied animal behaviorist. She’s been a full-time animal trainer for thirty years, first with marine mammals and now with dogs and their people. At the University of Hawaii, she received a master’s degree as part of a research team which trained dolphins to solve complex cognitive puzzles. She then worked for the United States Navy to train dolphins for open-ocean tasks. Next, Kathy worked as a marine-mammal trainer at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium in Tacoma Washington. After leaving the zoo world, Kathy created Tacoma’s first dog daycare.

Since 1998, Kathy has owned Bright Spot Dog Training. Services include consulting with families about their challenging dogs and mentoring professional trainers who want to maximize the power of positive-reinforcement training. Kathy is proud to be an original faculty member for Karen Pryor’s ClickerExpos and has taught at thirty-eight of these popular conferences. Kathy has traveled extensively across the United States, Canada and Europe, and to Australia, Israel, Japan and Mexico. In 2012, she published her first book, Plenty in Life Is Free: Reflections on Dogs, Training and Finding Grace.

www.kathysdao.com

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Science-backed positive reinforcement techniques that actually work

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Our testimonials

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This class model has been so helpful, regardless of level of participation. I feel I learned so much from the lecture materials and the participants' videos/feedback. Feedback was specific and easy to follow. I can see so much change already in my and my dog's performance, and in our relationship. I can't wait for the next class!

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This is the first online class I have taken. Although I took it at the bronze level, I was amazed at how much I got out of it and couldn't wait to try the exercises and share them with my training partners. As an inexperienced handler with little competition experience, I was nervous. There was no need to worry. Denise accepts her students, canine and human, right where they are. She is very clear that you don’t have to keep up, make comparisons or master it all in the 6 week session. Her feedback is prompt, frequent and right to the point. As she discusses areas that need work, she is encouraging and reinforcing. I always felt like wagging my tail and working harder after every interchange. Getting to know and watch the other students is fun and instructive. I am looking forward to taking classes regularly through the Fenzi Academy. And I highly recommend that you go for the gold!

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Since I am generally a hands-on learner, I was skeptical how much I would like learning through an on-line course. I have to say that the method used by Fenzi Academy is very effective. The videos are very helpful, both the instructor and student videos. And all questions were timely answered with professionalism and sensitivity. I couldn't have been more pleased with the courses I have taken!

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