# Training Plan, Staying Organized/Focused



## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

Curious as to how everyone stays focused and organized in your current training plans and goals with your dogs?

My schedule is crazy busy right now and I'm realizing I need to be more organized in terms of planning time and focused in terms of what I am working on during that time. 

There are so many things that I want to do and work on with my dogs and sometimes I have a hard time organizing all of that.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

there is a huge laminated Wall Activities Month Calendar on Amazon.. I use that to plan out activities/ reminders with each individual for all the animals inside and out. ..everyone has a different color'd marker lol lol ... So every day I can look up at the day and know what I need to do and check them off before the day is over.. It's how I keep track and being accountable of being consistent with them. Writing it down in a calendar, journal is my suggestion.. give yourself notes to bring forward to the next date you will be working with it.


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## MrsBoats (May 20, 2010)

I have my Train 'Em Task cards (that I actually turned into a bona fide business) that I pull at random and they keep me on track and moving forward with both obedience and agility. I pull task card in the morning or the night before and I think about how I'm going to train those exercises.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Uh, I don't. Haha. Right now I've just dropped all classes and am working on basic focus and leash walking type stuff. Around the house I work on nosework, heeling, and beginning the formal retrieve because those are kind of the three main things I want to focus on. I try to hit each of those at least once a week, but I don't always get around to it. The only thing I'm working on consistently every day is the focus stuff.

Taking Fenzi classes or regular classes keeps me focused by showing me areas we need to work on in between classes. Watson struggled with jumps and the teeter in agility, so if I want to work on agility type stuff at home that's what we work on.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

I train Kris on Wednesday and Saturdays and have just started taking another Obedience class on Thursday nights. On Wednesday and Saturday I train with just 5 or 6 other dogs and it is not really a class. We just all work together helping each other on things like the Stand stay and do long sits and downs together. If I did not do this I never seem to fit in training during the day at home but as I don't want to have the worst dog, it makes me take the time to train at home.


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## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

I'm with Elrohwen - I don't really. 

I'm not in classes right now, my focus has been on training Molly, and we've had some big financial expenses that knocked us out for a while. It's very much a 'what I want, when I feel like it' deal right now. Weaves are something I've been working hard on, some silly pet tricks, but otherwise we're just here. Molly goes to classes starting in October. Kylie will go back whenever the more advanced classes roll around again. Until then I'm just floating.


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## petpeeve (Jun 10, 2010)

Not sure where you stand or exactly what you're working towards but here are a few ideas that might help you, perhaps ... 

Marie Sawford's _"Ring Ready"_. 
http://www.dogwise.com/ItemDetails.cfm?ID=DTO232

There are also these software programs, but I can't vouch for them personally. May be suitable for keeping track of things 'electronically', I don't know.
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Others/Home-Education/Dog-Obedience-Training-Journal.shtml
http://www.brothersoft.com/dog-obedience-training-journal-159901.html


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## Shep (May 16, 2013)

I write down (with pen and paper -- I'm prehistoric, I guess) what I want to work on in each training session. I always try to include something new -- some new proofing or some new twist to what we've been doing, and I try to do very few formal run-thrus of any obedience exercise. I break them down into small pieces, put out all kinds of distractions, do weird stuff that would never happen in the ring (like having the dog carry the dumbbell while heeling, or dropping him three times instead of once on the drop on recall). If I don't write this stuff down ahead of time, I forget to do it and fall into a rut of doing everything the same way all the time, which is boring. I think it's very important to plan what you're going to do, though you don't always have to stick rigidly to that plan. 

It's also important to try to anticipate what the dog might do and plan how you'll respond to it. Don't just wait for him to make a mistake and then stand there going, "Uhhhh, what do I do now?" Imagine what errors the dog might make and be ready to respond appropriately. This makes for much less confusion on the dog's part.


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

I have a Monthly/ Weekly calendar just for the dogs. This one to be specific (well the 2014 version of it, 2015 should be here any day now), they have all kinds of designs and colors. Its easy for me to carry around with us as well.  

And in my room I also have this .

I have to be able to keep track of everything since we do so much, I would never be able to remember everything! Jasper has a ton of different classes each week and month. Such as 2 different behaviorist, agility classes, flyball group, dock dog classes, herding training, Treibball, etc. As well as any and all competitions, and I am going to have to add Mason to that list soon.


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## Greater Swiss (Jun 7, 2011)

I really don't stay organized either....although I've found being in classes has helped a ton since there is usually "something" to work on for the next week. Caeda is really advanced on the obedience aspect for the agility class, but I do have to still work on her following my finger (she tends to stop watching where I'm pointing if she thinks she knows where I want her to go....)....so that gives me something to work on for the week. I had an introductory scent training class yesterday, with no dogs, and I've already given myself homework (get Caeda to stop pawing hard at something when she has found it). That is the only way I stay organized with ANY kind of training stuff. 
Not in classes, the only way I have ANY organization or focus whatsoever is if I see a "problem" in our everyday life.....pulls a little when walking, anti-countersurfing training isn't working any more, or even blowing off commands, then I have something to work on, so I do until it is fixed. Occasionally I'll find something fun I want to teach her and we incorporate it into every day life, like her "secrets" command (growling/mumbling).....took a session or two for her to get the idea, now we practice it at meal times and when we want to give her treats.


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## Eeyore (Jul 16, 2014)

I have general goals for every sport we do, that I peek at now and then. Not extremely structured, but it helps me think about what we need to work on at the moment. I also try to get variation through a week, so that it's not all obedience, or tracking on asphalt, or bikejoring. But I still do what I feel like, and donät follow a strict plan, that doesn't work for me.


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## kadylady (Sep 23, 2010)

Thank you all for the thoughts and suggestions. Lately my biggest struggle has been making the most of the little pockets of time that I have. I get that 10-15 minutes of time and then I'm struggling to come up with a plan on the fly, then later I'm like well I should have worked on this instead. So definitely planning ahead is needed, I think both the dogs and myself will benefit from that.

I like the idea of having a planner just specifically for the dogs training. I have a half size one to keep myself where I need to be but not enough room to write plans for the dogs. I like the one you posted Damon'sMom, looks like there's plenty of room to write in plans for 2 dogs and make a few notes. I've started an online journal to keep notes of the classes that I'm teaching and I try to make notes about the dogs training in there as well but I think being able to jot stuff down quick and right away would certainly help.

MrsBoats... Just ordered a pack of Novice Obedience cards! I love the card idea and had been eyeing them for a little while. Agility it is easier for me to keep on track because I'm always in a class or taking private lessons in between the class terms, so I've got more structure there. Now getting into obedience I have to be more responsible for the structure, so hopefully between the cards and the Fenzi classes that will help with that.

I think I'm going to sit down this weekend and write out our goals, short and long term, and the steps needed to get there, and then make a plan for the week and see how we do.


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