Welcome to the Canine Handler Fitness Podcast, the show that meets dog sport handlers exactly where they are—whether you're just getting started or chasing world-level performance.
Hosted by Liz Joyce, leading expert in dog handler fitness. Each bite-sized episode dives into the real physical demands of dog handling, offering practical, compassionate, and performance-driven tips to help you move better, feel stronger, and fuel your performance.
We break down the nuances of handler fitness needs, uncover what's holding you back, and build your foundation brick by brick—always with tools you can use right away. Expect short, sharp episodes packed with insight, motivation, and real-world action steps.
Because here, fitness isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s about giving every handler the tools they need to be strong, mobile, fast, agile, and ready for the ring.
Are You Building the Handler Your Dog Needs This Winter?
What do you want your body to be able to do next spring that it can't quite do right now?
Summer is a great time to use your fitness. Run your dogs. Trial. Hike. Travel. Get outside. Have fun and let all that work you've done actually buy you something.
But fall and winter can have a different job.
This is build time.
In this episode, we're talking about why the quieter months are such a valuable opportunity to dig into a routine and actually change your physical capacity before next season.
I'm also getting into one of the least flashy but most valuable things many handlers could build this winter: a bigger aerobic engine. We'll talk about Zone 2 training, why easy aerobic work matters even in a sport built around short bursts of effort, and how better conditioning can give you more reserve for long training days, multiple runs and recovery between harder efforts.
Plus, if running is something you'd like to build this fall, my Couch to 5K course through Fenzi Dog Sports Academy is open now. I'll help you build your running gradually, with running progressions plus the strength and injury prevention work to support it.
Fall is where we build the handler your dog is going to compete with next year.
COURSE LINK:
https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/43371 (https://www.fenzidogsportsacademy.com/index.php/courses/43371)
Everything I talk about on this podcast is built into the Canine Handler Fitness app. Start your free 7-day trial and put these ideas into practice.
LINK TO SIGN UP:
https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W (https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W)
caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co (http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co)
24 Sept 2026
Working Out But Not Getting Better?
If you're working out consistently but still not getting faster, stronger or more athletic, you may not need to work harder. You may need your workouts to have clearer jobs.
In this episode, I'm bringing you inside a recent coaching call with a handler who was already doing A LOT right. She was strong, fit, consistent and training six days a week.
The problem wasn't effort.
Her legs were constantly tired, her progress had stalled, and the things she wanted most, more speed, athleticism and better agility performance, weren't necessarily what her training week was set up to build.
So we reorganized it.
I'm walking you through why I separated speed training from conditioning, where I added recovery without reducing her overall training, why strength and athleticism aren't exactly the same thing, and how one small piece of movement prep can change what someone gets out of the work they're already doing.
Because every workout can be hard. Every workout can make you sweat. Every workout can make you tired.
But what is each workout actually there to build?
A good training week isn't the one that makes you the most tired. It's the one that moves you forward.
Ready to stop guessing and start training with intention? Start your free 7-day trial of Canine Handler Fitness today.
LINK TO SIGN UP:
https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W (https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W)
caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co (http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co)
17 Sept 2026
What If You Were Faster Than Your Agility Course Required?
If you’re already running as fast as you possibly can to make a handling position, what happens when you suddenly need another gear?
In this episode, we’re talking about speed reserve, physical capacity, and why getting faster isn’t about outrunning your dog. It’s about making the speed your sport requires a smaller percentage of what your body can do.
We’ll talk about the signs that agility may be getting too close to your current ceiling, what happens when you get a faster dog, and one of my favorite client stories: after a couple months of strength and speed training, she was suddenly getting so far ahead of her dog that she started wondering if the course spacing had changed.
The course hadn’t changed. She had.
Plus, Sprint Lab enrollment closes September 21. If you want to spend the next eight weeks building more speed, horsepower and options on course, this is your last chance to join us.
LINK TO SIGN UP:
https://liz-joyce-fitnes.kit.com/7f672deda0 (https://liz-joyce-fitnes.kit.com/7f672deda0)
liz-joyce-fitnes.kit.com (http://liz-joyce-fitnes.kit.com)
If today's episode resonated with you, come train alongside us. Start your free 7-day trial and discover what purposeful training feels like.
LINK TO SIGN UP:
https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W (https://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co/f0/K1N57cOD2W)
caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co (http://caninehandlerfitness.apprabbit.co)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
6 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 48 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
84
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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