Building a progress plan: moving forward with a clear heading

A progress plan lets you choose your priorities, organise exercises and check what works. It should stay adaptable: your dog sets the pace, and your observations guide what comes next.

Here are nine tips for building a plan that is useful for your show preparation.

Beginner — Choosing a direction

1. Start from what you can already do

Before planning exercises, watch a short session: movement, standing, and another person approaching.

Your exercise: note one success, one difficulty and one question to clear up.

For example: "Steady trot in a straight line; unsteady stand when I straighten up; need help preparing for the mouth examination."

This little review will give the plan a concrete direction.

2. Choose one main priority

Start with what will help you most to show calmly.

Your exercise: set an observable goal: "Keep the trot going on a there-and-back run" or "Stay standing for a few seconds while I change position".

Avoid choosing "getting Excellent" as a training goal. The grade is based on an assessment of the dog as a whole, according to the criteria in the rules.

3. Plan sessions that are easy to stick to

A plan has to fit into your everyday life.

Your exercise: plan a few short sessions during the week, with a single main theme per session. Stop while your dog is still keen and finish with an exercise he understands.

Duration and frequency are adjusted according to his reactions: your schedule is a guide, not an obligation to be fulfilled at all costs.

Intermediate — Organising the steps

1. Break each goal into small successes

"Accepting the examination" involves several things to learn: staying close to you, welcoming an approach and accepting different types of handling.

Your exercise: write the steps in order, from the easiest to the most demanding. Work on one type of handling at a time, gradually, with a suitable reward.

If your dog backs away or tenses up, simplify the step. For handling you aren't confident with, ask a trainer for a demonstration.

2. Change only one difficulty at a time

A stack held at home won't necessarily be as easy in a new place.

Your exercise: vary just one element: the duration, the distance, the place or the distractions. Keep the others as simple as possible.

For example, in a new environment, ask for a shorter stack. You can then raise the demand gradually.

3. Record the results of each session

Memory easily holds on to a very good session or a difficult one. A few notes let you see the trend.

Your exercise: use four fields:

Exercise worked on:
What went well:
Difficulty met:
Adjustment for next time:

Add a short video when it helps you see your handling or the gaits.

Advanced — Adjusting the plan

1. Plan reviews, not just exercises

A useful plan evolves with your progress.

Your exercise: at regular intervals, recreate a simple, comparable situation: same route, same request, similar conditions.

See whether the exercise becomes steadier, needs less help and whether your dog stays comfortable. A one-off success isn't enough to decide that something has been learned.

2. Prepare a short ring simulation

Once the separate exercises are understood, put them together gradually.

Your exercise: chain together a calm entrance, a movement, a stack and a short approach for the examination. Ask someone to film it and pick out one point to improve.

The examination and the assessment of movement must be possible: the FCI rules provide in particular for "Cannot be judged" where assessing them is impossible in the situations it describes.

3. Rewrite your priorities after a show

A show brings new observations. It doesn't mean rebuilding the whole plan on the basis of a single remark.

Your exercise: bring together how it felt, the videos you have and the judge's critique. Keep what is progressing and choose one precise change for what comes next.

Health and welfare should guide this preparation: the FCI rules make them a priority at shows.

Example of a four-week plan

This framework is a personal suggestion to adapt. A step may take several weeks.

Week 1 — Understanding the request

Priority: a simple exercise in a familiar environment. Goal: get easy successes and identify useful aids. Review: which request does your dog clearly understand?

Week 2 — Gaining consistency

Priority: repeat the exercise without making everything harder. Goal: achieve success again over several sessions. Review: what is still unsteady?

Week 3 — Changing the context slightly

Priority: introduce a different place or a mild distraction. Goal: keep an exercise within reach. Review: do you need to shorten the duration or bring the reward closer?

Week 4 — Doing a short simulation

Priority: put together a few exercises already understood. Goal: observe the sequence and your own handling. Review: which priority should you keep for the next cycle?

Your plan sheet

Main priority:
Starting point:
Observable goal:
Small steps planned:
Session slots:
Successes to note:
Signs that you need to simplify:
Review date:
Useful outside help:

The habit to keep

A precise goal, small steps and regular reviews.

Progress shows in exercises that are clearer, steadier and carried out calmly. Your plan should help you move forward together and stay flexible enough to follow your dog's needs.