Hi Everyone! How was your weekend? Post your training and trialing brags here! I've been busy teaching my Backyard Training Matters group in the Clean Run Learning Center, so I spent my Saturday working on my classroom demo for week 2, which involves setting a course and running it a few times with my Whippet, Parker. So, that was fun. I spent Mother's Day with my human family and didn't do anything doggy at all! We're playing BINGO as the May Challenge in our group, and Charlotte and Bluebell have already won Bingo not once but THREE TIMES! CONGRATULATIONS, CHARLOTTE AND BLUEBELL! I'm hoping they are going to get BLACKOUT and complete the entire card! I hope you all will give it a go, too. Look here to find the thread to get started: https://www.skool.com/backyard-dog-training-matters-2491/may-challenge-coming-soon?p=7a5f0753 If you've got a moment and would like to help support this group, please consider checking out the dog-related items I recommend in my new Amazon storefront. As an Amazon Associate, I may earn a commission from your purchases. I only recommend things I use and like. Here's my store: https://a.co/d/0dQ03ItK See you in SKOOL!

How was your weekend? Did you train or trial? Tell us about it! Don't forget that our Bingo group challenge is still going strong. Just visit the Skool group and check out the pinned threads for more info. One of our group members is planning to do the challenge with some friends at a picnic. I'd be happy to help facilitate group efforts or team entries if you are interested. Just message or post in the group. I'd love to bring in some more members and get more conversation happening! Speaking of conversation, I would love it if you would reply to this post in the group! You can brag, report back on your weekend of training, or just include a picture of your dog (or dogs). And tell me what you would like to see in this group to make it worth participating in! Shameless plug: Did you know I created two super niche coloring books? In one, you'll spend a day at an agility trial with some adorable gnomes and their talented dogs. In the other, you can answer the question that I know you've been pondering: what if a dragon was your veterinarian??? :) Check out both books on my author page on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/brennafender And please tell your friends, neighbors, and random strangers about them too :) Have a great week! Brenna PS: Attached are some photos from one of my coloring books: "Dog Agility Coloring Book & Story, Which Gnome & Dog Will Win Today?"

Did you do anything doggy this weekend? I didn't do anything official; on Saturday, I just worked on socializing my puppy by having some family drop by and watch him pretend to be a show dog :) On Sunday, I took the show on the road by taking him to my parents' house to check out their pool. I brought my Whippet, who used to do a lot of dock diving, and he did a bunch of jumping in. My Chihuahua, who is suffering from liver failure, wanted to come too, so he did as well. You can see a silly video I made from our visit at the link below. Tell us what you did this weekend! https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RBh4o-J1IFA

The spring session of Backyard Training Matters, A Weekly Training Group, is up for sale on Clean Run! Join now and you can weigh in on what types of things my courses should focus on this session! I made this Backyard Dog Training Matters Skool group originally as a place to continue the conversations and connections formed in my Clean Run training group that meets twice a year. Many of my repeat students are in this Skool now, so I wanted to let them, and everyone else, know that the course is open. I'd love to see anyone who'd like to work on their agility skills consider joining us for 6-weeks of agility training and fun! Thank you in advance for your patience in reading about my course. There's, of course, no pressure on you to register for the course. This Skool group will remain open and free of charge -- it is separate from Backyard Training Matters in the Clean Run Learning Center. I just want to tell you about what I'm doing that's available. If you'd like to share it with your friends, I'd be super happy for you to do that! Here's my spiel for those who don't know me and don't know about this Clean Run course: ***I may not be well known as an agility competitor, but I'm an expert in designing small-space agility training courses (I've written two great-selling books on this topic!), I've got a great eye for handling analysis, and I know how to create a positive and supportive coaching environment.*** If you train agility skills frequently at home, you will find that you make much faster progress toward your agility goals than if you only train once a week at class. *Don't have a lot of space? *Don't know what to train? *Don't have the motivation or support you need to get to work? Backyard Training Matters with ME -- Brenna Fender -- can help! This weekly training group is a unique opportunity to improve your skills in a supportive, friendly environment—all while training in your backyard! Each lesson takes a variety of challenges from upper-level agility courses and replicates some of these challenges in an approximately 40' x 40' space.

Hello Backyard Dog Training Matters Friends! Let's celebrate together! I know we've talked some in the group about what we have done this weekend, but let's just BRAG IT UP! What successes have you experienced during the last few weeks? Dog stuff, life stuff, if you're happy about it, share it with us! I'm working on another challenge for the group. It's been suggested to me that we try a scavenger hunt or bingo card, and I think that would be totally fun! It would still be dog-training related; you'd be, for example, doing a sit in front of something blue, or paws up on something red, or doing a trick at a public park... stuff like that. If you'd like to play, let me know if 1. you'd be okay with taking a picture of each of the things to prove that you've done it (maybe just a picture of you and the dog at the park, for example, to make that easier), or if that would be an impediment and you'd rather just take everyone's word for it and 2. if you'd prefer certificates of completion for everyone, or you don't care about that and you just want to play. I'd also like to remind you that if you need a gift for a dog friend or professional, please consider my coloring books on Amazon! I've created two: "Dog Agility Coloring Book & Story: Which Gnome & Dog Will Win Today?" and "When a Dragon is Your Veterinarian" and you can find them both through my author profile at https://www.amazon.com/author/brennafender. Let's hear about your training and trialing successes! Have a great week!