Part 1 from last year. Some notes about the system I was using at the time. And another short post about computer and paper records. Training records can help a trainer monitor progress over time and be more efficient in training sessions.
I’ve been reworking some of my record keeping system and that’s prompted some questions.
Record keeping can help you work towards your goals.
What is your goal for record keeping?
Are you working towards specific training goals with your dog? Accomplishing behaviors xyz, training for a type of competition or a more abstract goal “be more confident?” This will help guide you on what to record.
What will be helpful later?
It can be overwhelming and impossible to track every single detail of a session. What data points or information will help you monitor your progress towards your goal/s?
- If you are working on scent tracking, temperature would be relevant to be sure your dog can work in different conditions. For pet dogs training walking and staying, temperature is not very relevant.
- If you typically train in the same location, you may want to note location only when it’s different than your usual place. Same for other variables like who is training in the session, what reinforcers are being used, and distractions in the environment.
- Ending points are useful to record so that you can start your next session a little easier than where you left off
- If other challenge areas come up, make a note on a ‘to do’ list.
Can you find the information later?
This is where computer records can be helpful! It’s much faster to search for sessions of a specific behavior when you can use a computer search rather than digging through pieces of paper. At the same time, think about how you will be measuring progress. Maybe you want more of a chart to mark off or date when certain smaller goals are met (and then you can find corresponding journal pages if you need additional details). Maybe you just need to record number of repetitions or notes about training locations. Make your important information easy to find.