Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 11:51 am Post subject: Keeping a training diary/log
Just wondering if anyone here keeps a training diary/log?
My trainer keeps slipping me fabulous nuggets of wisdom, and we do a few group classes where it really pounds home to me the things I need to work on and continue cementing. But then when it comes to our daily practice sessions, I find myself continuing to do much of the same thing I usually do.
I spent a fortune on a residential training course a few months ago and I have no doubt forgotten a lot of what I learnt that weekend.
I am thinking that we are now at the stage in our training where we both need to seriously knuckle down and get over the puppy basics which I seem to have stuck on "replay" and start having achievable aims which we can set timelines to and actually get somewhere.
I had high hopes we could enter a puppy test or two this summer, and it is increasingly clear that in the hands of a better trainer, Vegas would have already done a few, instead he's stuck with me and we're nowhere near ready.
So I think I am going to set up a training diary, Marie and I chatted about this on the Devon weekend a few months back and I swore black & blue that I would start one when we got home... and I didn't!! Marie, did you??
So, starting this weekend, we are going to have set exercises to complete each week... formal "homework" which I need to tick off as being completed.
Has anyone else used such a system, and did it work for you? If it wasn't a success for you, why not (e.g. can I learn from your mistakes)?
Cheers
Ness and Vegas-who-is-sulking-because-now-he-has-daily-homework-and-he's-not-allowed-out-to-play-until-he's-done-it-ALL!!
I have training diaries from my family that go back to 1919 and I have kept that up. It can be a pain, everytime you go out- you read what you did the previous time, what was good what was bad and decide what you are going to do, go home and write how it worked and what happened. All of this along with first aid bits,any illness and treatment etc.
What makes interesting reading is how they did things long ago and how training has changed.
I think it helps to keep one focused.
sherry
I've had spells of having a training diary since getting Luna and spells where I haven't. When I keep it we train 'properly' and we learn new things and we 'make progress', when I don't we learn new unplanned things that have just seemed to be a good idea to fit in with our life together at that point!!
I tend to plan to have training sessions when keeping a diary but just do them when it seems a good time and we're in the mood when I'm not!
This seems to work for me and Luna but we don't aim to win any shows or trials, just get along nicely together and be active. It is GREAT to look back at the diary for almost exactly a year ago now and see how much we have learnt together so I do recommend having a diary but also recommend 'forgetting' to keep it sometimes!!!!
(My dog is called Lunatic but sometimes I know exactly where she gets it from )
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2009 2:12 pm Post subject: Re: Keeping a training diary/log
Quote:
So I think I am going to set up a training diary, Marie and I chatted about this on the Devon weekend a few months back and I swore black & blue that I would start one when we got home... and I didn't!!Marie, did you??
Ummmmmmmmm after a fashion , also took notes when in devon . Not that it's done me any good
Now i don't suppose a small irish folk band have gottten in your way with this 'ere diary hey Ness ???
LOL well I have been a little "preoccupied" with that little-known folk band, what with following them all over Europe, poor Vegas has had hardly any training lately as I've been away so much!
(And embarrasingly, it showed at training last week )
Good to know there are others who keep diaries, Sherry how fabulous that you have them going back so far, what an amazing piece of family history!! I'm well jealous!
Off to go shopping for a suitable gundog-training-diary (maybe I will just buy a khaki green one? LOL) and have typed up a rough training plan for the next 4 weeks.
I am guessing it would be a good idea to run it past my trainer and see if he thinks we're spending time on the right things to concentrate on?
I keep one Ness... for much the same reason that I have all these wonderful set ups, scenarios etc to try and recreate from either training, from my trainer etc, but as soon as its just me and the dog, I find myself standing there wondering what to do... and we seem to do much of the same old thing...
I think it was Sherry (Blypark) who first suggested it to me, and have done one ever since.... Also, another thing is to make sure I don't over do it time wise, as the time does fly away when we are out, and all of a sudden I used to think, mmm, Chester is looking a bit knackered now, and realise I have been out far too long! So I not only keep a diary, but now also a time check!
Another thing I incorporate, is to not just do one thing, its done, and move on to something else, I now go back to previous exercises regularly, so everything is kept fresh in his mind.. I was guilty of having a list, working through it, yep, done, done, etc etc, and never going back to it, and when I eventually did, Chester used to look at me like I had just shown him a card trick! but I am sure you wouldn't do that Ness!
What a great idea . Not that I intend doing any Khaki stuff but it would be good to make notes for other training, to see what needs going over or more work on.
I don't know why I didn't think of doing this with the dogs, as I used to keep a training diary when I was Schooling someone elses horse. That was more so they could see what I had covered and how he was progressing but it was very useful for me at the time too.
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@ Ness
So I not only keep a diary, but now also a time check! 
