Building an analysis sheet for your dog: observations that help you improve

An analysis sheet lets you keep a clear record of what you observe and the comments you receive. It helps you understand your dog, prepare your questions and choose your next training goals.

The secret of a useful sheet? Precise criteria, concrete observations and room for uncertainty.

Beginner — Creating a simple sheet

1. Note the context before the observations

Start with the information that will let you reread your sheet a few months later:

Dog’s name, breed and variety, if any.
Sex, date of birth and age at the time of observation.
Date of the session.
Number and link of the standard used.
Context: training, observation at home or at a show.

Your practical tip: also say whether you are watching your dog standing, moving or on a video. You will know what your notes are based on.

2. Organise the sheet by region

Include a few headings that are easy to find:

General appearance and proportions.
Head and expression.
Body and topline.
Legs and feet.
Coat.
Gait.
Behaviour during presentation and examination.

The official standards describe these various aspects, among others, with an organisation and details specific to each breed. [1 ; 2]

Your practical tip: keep the headings of your standard where possible. You will find the relevant passage more easily.

3. Start with one quality and one question

You do not need to fill in the whole sheet in the first session.

Your practical tip: note one positive point you can explain and one point you want to understand better.

For example: “The ears seem to match the description” and “I can’t yet judge the length of the loin”.

A box left to complete is better than an invented conclusion.

Intermediate — Making your notes usable

1. Separate the criterion from your observation

For each heading, use three fields:

Standard’s criterion: what the text asks for.
My observation: what you see in your dog.
To check: what you cannot yet interpret.

Your practical tip: keep the nuances of the text. “Slightly”, “moderately” or “approximately” are part of the criterion.

2. Write facts rather than verdicts

“Bad movement” does not say what you observed.

“On two passes from the front, the right foot seems to turn outwards” gives a starting point for discussion.

Your practical tip: specify the view, the speed and whether the thing repeats when these matter. Use “seems” if the image or your observation does not allow a conclusion.

3. Add comparable images

A photo or video helps you find an observation again, especially several weeks after the session.

Your practical tip: keep a side-on photo, a front view, a rear view and a short video of the movement. Note the date and aim for similar conditions: flat ground, camera at the dog’s height and enough distance.

These images supplement your sheet; they do not replace examining the dog.

Advanced — Making the sheet a tool for progress

1. Separate your notes from the judge’s comments

Create two distinct spaces: “My analysis” and “Judge’s report”.

Your practical tip: copy the comments received faithfully, with the date, the show and the judge’s name. Then add your interpretation in a separate field.

You will be able to compare assessments without unintentionally turning an official comment into an approximate memory.

2. Avoid an improvised points total

A personal mark out of 100 can give an impression of precision without reflecting the judging at a show.

The FCI regulations define the grades from overall descriptions. For “Excellent”, they take into account, among other things, closeness to the standard, condition, harmony and temperament. [3, section 6]

Your practical tip: prefer simple entries: “observed”, “to confirm”, “not assessed”. Your sheet will remain a learning tool, without claiming to predict a grade.

3. Finish with a concrete action

A useful sheet leads to something you can do.

Your practical tip: choose a realistic goal: steadying the stand, finding a regular trot, preparing calmly for the examination or asking for an explanation of a criterion.

Add a review date. For a point of construction, the action may be to understand the observation better; training does not change the proportions of the skeleton.

Template sheet to fill in

Identity and context

Dog’s name: …
Breed and variety: …
Sex: …
Date of birth: …
Date and age at the time of observation: …
Context: …
Standard used — number, version and link: …
Associated photos or videos: …

Analysis — repeat for each heading

Heading: …
Precise criterion in the standard: …
My observation: …
Observation conditions: …
Quality identified: …
Point to check: …
Question to ask: …

Show feedback

Date and name of the show: …
Class: …
Judge: …
Grade and placing, if any: …
Judge’s comments, copied faithfully: …
What I understand from them: …
What remains to be clarified: …

Next step

My priority goal: …
Planned action: …
Date of next review: …
Progress observed: …

The reflex to keep

A good sheet distinguishes what the standard asks for, what you observe and what remains to be checked.

Fill it in gradually. A few precise notes will be more useful than a long list of judgements that are hard to explain.