Clean Run Magazine - June 2008 - 26

falling into a pattern that is undermining the behavior you are trying to shape. And if you cannot identify the problem, it is very easy to hand your training log to your instructor or agility pals to get an unbiased opinion. I do not use this type of record keeping all the time, but I always use it when I have run into a training problem, and it has always helped me figure out the solution. In either of these forms of record keeping, there is one bit of information that must always be included: your plan for the next training session. Whether you have scribbled a general note or counted exactly how many rewards your dog has been given, it is important to end each session by thinking of what you’d like to start with and work on during your next session and write it down. This will be the most helpful thing you do in your record keeping, even if it is the only type of record keeping you use. I highly recommend using a video camera to help you keep a training log. After all, it’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words. I video as much of my training as possible and review it once a week or so. I also like to videotape every run at a trial and review it before my next run so I can make immediate adjustments to my training and handling. Video does not replace written records, but it is a great help in augmenting them to help identify problems, solve problems, and keep your training efficient and fun. Moe Stenfel Moe, who teaches using operant conditioning for both handler and dog, instructs at Power Paws Agility in San Jose, California (www.powerpawsagility.com). She can be contacted for seminars, lectures, or video consultation at RxBehave@comcast.net. Written and video training logs can be a huge help for progressing toward your goals. Many people can’t organize their training sessions because they can’t remember what to work on. To help with that, try keeping course maps on which you have circled problem areas and made some short notes directly on the map after each run. The maps can be three-hole punched and put into a binder, or you can use plastic page protectors so that you can take the map or exercise outside with you. You can also include any exercises or notes from your weekly agility class. Another way to help you remember what to work on would be to keep an error log. It can be a simple list of all the obstacles on one sheet and you make a notation of anything that goes wrong on those obstacles either during training or trialing. Include dates of the trial or training. You can spot trends easily using this method so you can immediately address them in your training sessions. You can get very elaborate and put the error log into an electronic spreadsheet, or you can just keep a paper log that you take to trials or your weekly training class. The main thing is to start out simple and easy so you will use it to help plan what to work on in your training sessions. Keep a log of every training session (or at a minimum, every other training session) to start. I am a firm believer in videotaping both training and trialing. And now with the low cost of good camcorders, videotaping should be included in every serious trainer’s toolbox. Taping a training session takes the pressure off you because you can go back and see the actual success rates as well as use it to work on your mechanical skills. Even if you plan to video your training sessions, do keep an electronic or paper log. At a minimum, list a single skill or behavior that you are working on in that training session on a single sheet of paper. Include date, location, length/time of each session, and success rate. Other things people keep track of in their logs are time of day, distractions present, any special props or equipment, a review of that session, and what to work on next session. At first, you will feel that you are spending tons of time recording things, getting organized, setting the camera up, writing things down, and so on. Don’t worry it gets easier the more you practice this new skill of record keeping. D Brenna Fender is a freelance writer with an undergraduate degree in mass communications and a masters degree in elementary education. She lives with her husband, two young children, a Vizsla, a Whippet, and a cat. The dogs are collectively titled in agility, obedience, conformation, hunting, rally, and lure coursing. The cat, husband, and children are lacking in this regard. Contact Brenna at BrennaFender@gmail.com. “It’s official: my entire crew loves this toy!” © DoghoUse arts The Crunch ‘N’ Tug “Most dogs love to crunch on an empty water bottle, others love the feel of a fleecy exterior. This toy has both. I love it because once you remove the water bottle, it folds flat for easy packing. Plus the bungee makes tugging easy on my back (and I’m sure on my dog’s body as well!).” Susan Garrett Twister, Buzz, Decaff & Encore www.dogdreamstoys.com 26 Clean Run | June 08

http://www.powerpawsagility.com http://www.dogdreamstoys.com

Clean Run Magazine - June 2008

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - June 2008