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

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!

Is there a February challenge that I missed?!

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

Hi Everyone! I hope you are okay with all the crazy weather! Here's some news: *This is the last week of the Parkour challenge! I've got one more dog's entry to finish. and then I think all of my dogs will have titles in All Dogs Parkour! I'm very appreciative of @Kristine Hammar giving us the opportunity to be led step-by-step through the creation of a Parkour entry, plus free registration in All Dogs Parkour. There's still time for you to enter! Check out the pinned posts. *I'm working on a February challenge that fits in a small space (in case your yard is snowy) and that maybe can be shot in one take or otherwise doesn't require you to label anything, since that's been a problem for some of you. *Skool is a growing platform, and with that growth comes a bunch of jerks who want to try to sell you stuff you don't want or need. I've changed the membership questions to try to keep them out. You can check those out in the attachment. You don't have to answer them, of course. You're already in! But if a spammer reaches out to you by messenger, please report them and block them. There will be 3 dots in your chat message that give you the chance to do that. Also please let me know about them and I'll remove them from the group. Please invite your friends who are real dog people to join this group! The link to see the group is https://www.skool.com/backyard-dog-training-matters-2491. *That said, I'm using this group to announce my dog-related offerings because it's my group and I pay for it :) Please remember that I have dog-sport-related coloring books on sale on Amazon and my author page is available with a new "easy to use" url: https://www.amazon.com/author/brennafender. If you'd go to that link and click "follow," that would raise my profile on Amazon, and it would really help me out. Thanks! *I also have a class for sale on Clean Run! It's a cool, unique course: Semi-Private Lessons: Individualized Help for Your Agility Needs. I hope you'll check that out! https://www.cleanrun.com/product/semi_private_lessons_individualized_help_for_your_agility_needs/index.cfm