Frequently  asked  Questions

The camp hashtag is #fdsacamp and we’d love to have you post to social media both leading up to and during training camp.

Please be respectful of other students however, and don’t post video of them working their dogs without permission. We also ask that you do not post videos of the instructors lectures or videos with sound of instructors coaching working teams (even if its you and your dog). This is  to prevent advice from being taken out of context and applied inappropriately. 

The venue opens Friday morning at 7:30 am and all other days will be 8:15 am.

Check-in is available on Thursday evening, as well as each morning before the conference begins.

On Thursday, registration will be at the host hotel (Holiday Inn Express) from 7:00 – 9:00 pm.  Please come by the lobby area to say hello and pick up your welcome package to beat the rush on  Friday morning. 

Conference Check-in will also be available at the Williamette Event Center Lobby on Friday morning between 7:45 – 8:30 am.

For those participants that are not doing the full camp, check-in will be available on  Saturday & Sunday from 8:30 – 8:45 am. 

There is plenty of parking available in the two main parking lots. The first is off the main road  (Timber Street) and is parking in front of the Williamette Event Center. The second lot is accessed off of Dogwood street and is behind the Event Center in the same area as the RVs. We would appreciate it if the second lot could please be reserved for people traveling with their dogs. 

Please abide by the 15 minute rule in any loading/unloading areas. 

Do not drive or park on any grass areas.

Join your instructors and fellow students for a social evening! Taco Fiesta night will be Friday evening from 6-9pm in the Expo Center.  Everyone is welcome, but you will need to have pre-registered to eat.  Food will be served beginning at 6:30pm.

A cash bar will be available for alcoholic and other beverages.

we have been made aware there was a Canine Influenza outbreak at this location three weeks ago at the Golden Retriever Nationals.

The Oregon Veterinary Medical Association released a statement on the situation:

“We suggest caution rather than worry. Periodic outbreaks of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) can occur in a dog population. At least nine different bacteria and viruses have been linked as causes of CIRDC, which is transmitted by respiratory droplets. Infection with more than one bacterial or viral agent is common. Symptoms include coughing, sneezing, nasal and/or eye discharge, and lethargy. If your dog shows these symptoms, please check with your veterinarian.” 

You can read the full statement here.

The American Veterinary Medical Association also has this useful information on the disease available here.

In response, we are putting in place a number of precautions to help keep our dogs safe:  

Crating: 

• We are allowing extra areas for crating to spread out dogs.  Agility dogs may crate out in the warm-up arena as that would be most convenient. 
• We have allocated the rear parking lot for participants that have dogs that may prefer to crate out of their vehicle.  Fingers crossed for cooperative weather!

Working Dogs:

• Staff and volunteers will be wiping down equipment as appropriate between dogs.
• All rings will have separate entrance and exit areas to minimize dog contact.
• If multiple dogs will be working at once, we are ensuring there will be lots of room in the various halls to spread out.
• Participants are also encouraged to bring as much of your own gear as possible to work your labs.  We will have platforms, pivot bowls etc but if you have those on your own it makes the most sense to use your own gear.   You must have your own toys to participate in any lab using those as we won’t share those between dogs.  

In General:

• Hand sanitizer and wipes will be available and everyone is encouraged to use them. Volunteers and staff will utilize them between interactions with dogs. 
• There will be a strict no-contact policy for the dogs. 
• If your dog is not working in a particular lab, we request you do not bring them into that session to minimize the number of dogs in a given space at any one time.
• We have a zero tolerance for sick dogs participating. If your dog is coughing or appears ill you will be required to remove the dog from the venue. 

We’ll also be reviewing all policies during the welcome speech on Friday morning, to ensure everyone is aware of the precautions in place.

There are about 110 dogs total registered for camp, and a maximum of 10 working dogs in any one lab, so there should be ample space to stay separated if we all stay aware. 

If working participants are truly uncomfortable attending with their dogs, we hope they will choose to attend and audit. Since we are outside the refund period, any working students who choose to leave their dogs at home will be offered a free bronze class for future use at FDSA.  We hope that helps, let us know if you have further questions.

A refund will be issued if requested on or before August 1, 2023. Refunds and/or substitutions requested after August 1, 2023 up to and including September 15, 2023 will be conditional on a suitable replacement from the waiting list or an approved substitute registering for the same type of spot. Cancellations or approved substitutions are refunded in the full amount, less a 25% processing fee.

All requests must be done by email to help@fenziacademy.com. No refunds or substitutions will be considered after September 15, 2023. There are no exceptions to this policy.

A refund will be issued if requested on or before September 15, 2023. Cancellations or approved substitutions are subject to a refund minus a $75 processing fee.

All requests must be done by email to help@fenziacademy.com.  No refunds or substitutions will be considered after September 15, 2023.  There are no exceptions to this policy. 

All dog and handler working teams must pre-select their labs during registration.  Teams will select and participate in one morning and one afternoon working lab each day. 

Handlers will audit the other sessions when they are not working a dog. We strongly suggest that working spot registrations review all the lab selections before registration.  Working spot selections are space limited so options will decrease as spots fill. Additional lab spots may be available once general registration has filled.

Each session contains the required experience level for a working team.  

Novice is defined as having introductory experience with the topic. Example: Nosework and Agility – you would not take a working spot if your dog has never taken part in the sport or never taken a class.

All sessions are open seating for people not working a dog.  Audit registrations are not required to pre-select their sessions during registration.   

Yes, there is limited crating room available for extra dogs for either working or audit spots.  You must indicate this during your registration. The fee is $30 per dog for the entire camp. This fee will be donated to help fund the FDSA scholarship programs.  Please note this option is limited, so register early before it sells out.

You may work separate dogs in separate labs but cannot split working time in a single lab.  If you need crating space, then you are subject to the extra dog fee as above.

Only you can answer this question. Will your dog be comfortable and well behaved in a moderately crowded space?  While we have limited enrollments to avoid excessive crowding, other dogs and people will be nearby.  If you are working through uncontrolled reactivity or aggression, this is not a suitable environment.  It’s not fair to your dog, and it’s not fair to other dogs who need to feel safe to perform their best.  

Your dog will likely need to spend a fair amount of time in a crate.  The crating space will be a high traffic area.  Can your dog handle being crated for hours on end in a separate area without your presence and without making excessive noise?  Barking and whining can be a huge problem.  It is stressful for the other dogs crated near your dog, and it is highly disruptive to both speakers and participants. If your dog cannot settle comfortably in a crate for several hours, your dog is not a good candidate for this event.  

This conference lasts three days. Is your dog mentally mature enough to work several times over a weekend?  Even a highly seasoned dog is going to be taxed by this.  Before enrolling, ask yourself if attending this conference with your dog is in their best interest. 

Visit www.lcfairexpo.com for more information about the facility and surrounding area.

Pre-purchased lunch options are available as part of registration ($23/day). Please keep in mind that lunch is only one hour when deciding between purchasing lunch or opting to go elsewhere.

Friday: Mediterranean Cafe

• Grilled Chicken Breast (gf/df)
• Greek Herb Meatballs (df)
• Falafel (vegan/gf)
• Olive | Feta | Tomato | Cucumber | Romaine | Garlic Hmmus (vegan / gf)
• Balsamic Vinegar (vegan / gf) | Tzatziki Sauce (v/gf)
• Pita / Flatbread
• Green Apple + Pecan Salad with mixed leafy greens + Champagne vinaigrette (vegan/gf)
• Sweet Treat Trio selection of cookies, brownies, bars
• Ice Water + Iced Tea or Lemonade 

Saturday: Mr. Potato Head (DIY Hot Potato)

• Salt-crusted Russet Baked Potatoes (vegan/gf)
• Brocoli | Shredded Cheddar | Applewood-smoked Bacon | Scallions | Sour Cream | Whipped Butter 
• 3 Bean Vegetable Chili (vegan/gf)
• Garden Salad with buttermilk ranch (v/gf) + Champagne Vinaigrette (vegan/gf)
• House-made Cornbread with butter & honey
• Cookies + Brownies
• Ice Water + Iced Tea 0r Lemonade

Sunday: Mamma Mia – DIY Pasta Bar

• Sliced Herbed Chicken Breast (gf/df)
• Italian Meatballs
• Penne Pasta 
• Alfredo Sauce | Marinara Sauce | Bolognese
• Shredded Parmesan | Crushed Red Pepper
• Garden Salad with buttermilk ranch (v/gf) + Champagne Vinaigrette (vegan/gf)
• Focaccia Bread + Butter
• Sweet Treat Trio – selection of cookies, brownies, bars
• Ice Water + Iced Tea or Lemonade

Yes! To book an RV space or find more info, please visit the Lynn County Fairgrounds website: www.lcfairexpo.com/rv-reservations

International airport near Albany, OR

• 83 miles: Portland, OR (PDX / KPDX) Portland International Airport

Domestic airports near Albany, OR

• 40 miles: Eugene, OR (EUG / KEUG) Eugene Airport
• 83 miles: Portland, OR (PDX / KPDX) Portland International Airport
• 123 miles: Redmond, OR (RDM / KRDM) Roberts Field

Local airports near Albany, OR

• 16 miles: Corvallis, OR (CVO / KCVO) Corvallis Municipal Airport
• 24 miles: Salem, OR (SLE / KSLE) McNary Field
• 49 miles: McMinnville, OR (QMC) McMinnville Municipal Airport
• 50 miles: Aurora, OR (FVO) Aurora State
• 52 miles: Creswell, OR (XXS) Hobby Field
• 68 miles: Newport, OR (ONP / KONP) Newport Municipal Airport

Click here to see more

In-season female dogs are required to wear panties and will be crated in a separate area — run order may also be impacted. Females in heat may be asked to run last in each session. 

Please notify both the session steward/volunteer for each session when checking in, and notify help@fenziacademy.com as soon as possible, so separate crating can be provided. 

There are 21 CEUs from CCPDT and 21 credits from IAABC available to trainers for this event.

Please bring your member number with you to camp if you are part of one of the above organizations and have it with you when you check in to pick up your badge.