Level 3Experienced
Creating your progress notebook
Intermediate level — “I’m starting to understand”
A progress notebook helps you understand what is working and prepare for your next training session.
It also keeps a record of the small victories: a down-and-back without bouncing, an examination accepted calmly or a more relaxed wait. These steps forward deserve a place next to your show results.
A notebook, a note on your phone or a sheet in your app is all you need. Here are three tips for building a notebook you’ll want to fill in.
1. Always use the same sheet
After a show or a training session, go back to the same headings. You will be able to compare your observations more easily.
Keep the official result, the judge’s comments when provided and your own observations separate.
This distinction matters: the grade, the placing and the certificates are different parts of the judging. The FCI regulations describe them in sections 6 and 7.
Here is a sheet to copy:
MY PROGRESS NOTEBOOK
- Date and place: …
- Training or show: …
- Dog’s age: …
- Goal for the day: …
- If a show — judge and class: …
- Grade, placing and awards: …
- Judge’s exact comments: …
- Documents or photos kept: …
- What I observed: …
- Our success of the day: …
- The point to work on: …
- The next step: …
The practical tip: start with a few sentences. A short sheet filled in regularly will be more useful than a very detailed notebook abandoned after two outings.
2. Describe facts you can come back to
“He was great” expresses your pleasure, but it won’t help much in planning what comes next. Aim for a more precise observation:
“He trotted without jumping during the down-and-back, but turned round twice towards the dogs behind him.”
You can track four aspects:
| Aspect | What you can observe |
|---|---|
| Gaits | Steady trot, jumping, changes of speed |
| Stack | Position held, foot movements, need for help |
| Examination | Reaction to being approached, touched and having his teeth examined |
| Waiting | Ability to settle, restlessness, attention to the surroundings |
Add the context: noisy hall, unusual flooring, long wait or a session in a quiet place. A success at home may still need work in a busy environment.
The practical tip: separate what you saw from your interpretation. “He stepped back when the judge approached” is an observation; the reason for stepping back remains to be understood.
3. Turn each review into a small goal
Your notebook becomes useful when the last line tells you what to work on next.
For example:
Observation: my dog leaves his position when I stand up. Next step: help him stay standing while I straighten up gradually, in a quiet place.
Choose one goal at a time, at a difficulty suited to your dog. Also note what you can improve: speed, positioning, lead handling or precision of your movements.
Then re-read several sheets. Progress is confirmed when a success is repeated, then becomes possible in varied settings.
Keep your show documents with the notebook.
MyDogShow tip: results can take time to appear on LOF Select (the online service of the French stud book), sometimes several weeks: keep your documents in the meantime.
The practical tip: before each session, re-read only your last goal. After the session, note what has changed.
Your first step
Open a first page and complete:
“Today, my dog already knows how to…”
You will start your notebook with what you have already achieved, then build what comes next from there.