Keeping useful working dog training records

Record what happened

Write the date, location, relevant distractions and the behaviour requested. Replace labels such as stubborn with an observable description: returned after a second cue, or left the mat when the gate opened.

Keep the context

Note changes in surface, stock, equipment or handler. These details help explain why a familiar behaviour may differ in a new environment without assuming that learning has disappeared.

Use the record

Choose a specific next step and revisit it after several sessions. Keep medical observations for discussion with a veterinarian; a training log is not a diagnostic tool.

Record a useful comparison

Repeat a manageable exercise with one planned change, such as a different location, and note the result. Changing distance, surface, distraction and handler position simultaneously makes a setback harder to explain. Keep short clips with their original dates so a later review can compare the actual conditions rather than memory.

Sources & further reading

References for this guide. Rules and services can change; check the responsible organisation for current details.

• RSPCA — choosing dog training (opens in a new tab)

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