Hi All! Just a quick note to tell you that I've returned the group to "public" status so more people can see it and decide if they'd like to join us. If you get weird or unwanted private messages, please use the three dots to report and ban the users who reach out to you. If you have a problem with someone, please send me their name, and I'll report them to Skool directly. Please note that the March Challenge is pinned in the classroom and you can start at anytime. I hope you give it a try and submit your videos! If you have a moment, please consider visiting my Buy Me a Coffee page (https://buymeacoffee.com/brennafender) and check out the free and low-cost items in my ever-growing shop. You can also help support this group by sharing it with your friends. Here's the link: https://www.skool.com/backyard-dog-training-matters-2491/about I hope to see you in the group! Brenna

Hi Everyone! I just wanted to send out a quick note because today I wrote about behavior modification, including a quick summary of B.F. Skinner's theory, in my newsletter, "My Phone Booth Phase." It is not a newsletter about dog training, but this week I wanted to talk about how we modify behavior in animals and people. It's a free weekly mailer, but you don't have to subscribe to read the article. It's called No Drama Llama. You can find it here: https://myphoneboothphase.substack.com/p/no-drama-llama In other news, some of you asked about the February Challenge. I am going to do a March Challenge, but start it early. I hope to post it later this week. How are you all? What have you been working on and what's ahead for you? I helped a friend at a conformation show again this past weekend and poorly handled a little dog that really didn't want to hang out with me, but it was fun anyway. I also got to see Fetch competition at this AKC show and I'm excited about it! I started training my Whippet immediately and I need to see when he can make his debut. It seems so fun! Have you competed in Fetch? Thanks for being here! Brenna

How do you manage training multiple dogs? Do you train one and crate the others? Have you trained dogs to do stays or something while the others are training? Or something else? Currently, some of mine are fit-pitchers and I train less because of it.

Are you doing anything doggy this weekend? Training? Trialing? Hiking? Playing? What's going on for you? I've been evaluating runs for being in my new Semi-Private Lessons class over on Clean Run and I'm designing courses for that, but my own dogs only got a good ball playing session today. I'm not sure what tomorrow brings for us. I've been working with these flat rubber targets I just got from Clean Run, plus I very much need to finish one of my Whippet's Intermediate Trick Title. :) Hope you all are well and reasonably warm!

If you want to watch some agility on the tube, check it out right now! I just saw a fabulous run by a rough collie doing Jumpers with Weaves. I think the prelims are on for a good chunk of today. Some other sports are on as well, I think. Let me know if and what you are watching. Stay warm out there!