[1tulip]

I don't know why... but I could never keep a paper & pencil, spiral or loose-leaf type notebook with my training notes. I kept losing them. I had to learn how to create a website while I was teaching and find that this has been the perfect way for me to keep track of stuff (almost any stuff) about my dogs. I can add photos if I want, not just sketches and text. Didn't cost me anything because it's one of those freeby sites... and since I'm deliberately paying nothing for it, it is most certainly search-engine minimized. Maybe the NSA can find it, but I doubt anyone else but I could. And that suits me just fine.

What has worked for you?

 

[Dave Kress]

We use a journal completed pretty much as they run
It's not that detailed but more of test diagram viewed weekly to keep us on balance

I know some that use a notebook and someone that does a spiral notebook
It's hard to get in the habit
Dk

 

[1tulip]

I do scribble notes down as we run, but put them on my website before the evening ends.

 

[DarrinGreene]

I keep 20 dogs in a spiral notebook..

 

[KwickLabs]

Everything goes into the Website.............February Training Journal (link).

 

[1tulip]

I keep 20 dogs in a spiral notebook..

I'm not sure what it is about a paper notebook. It's like I am never happy with the way it looks on the page. So I lose interest in keeping it. With any sort of digital form, I can cut/paste/move things around, whatever until I like the way it looks. Or I just find it relaxing to do it sitting at my desk rather than doing notes out in the weather, with gloved hands and then accidentally sitting on a soggy notebook in the truck...

I'll clean my office someday and toss out the old notebooks that have been barely used and set aside.

 

[Randy Bohn]

It's easier just to remember training from day to day....isn't it? Randy

 

[kcrumpy9]

I write it down very day in a journal. I notate the dogs attitude, effort and what we worked on.

 

[1tulip]

It's easier just to remember training from day to day....isn't it? Randy

I think in a way. On the other hand, I probably remember it the way I WANT to remember it... especially what I do. In my memory, I always do everything perfectly. (Just like when I'm in the gallery, I'm a better handler than anyone who comes to the line.) When I sit at my desk in the evening and look at my scribbles before putting it in digital form, I force myself to be honest.

 

[DarrinGreene]

It's easier just to remember training from day to day....isn't it? Randy

not when you only see them once a week

 

[DarrinGreene]

I'm not sure what it is about a paper notebook.

It's just the fastest and easiest thing for me to carry from client to client...

 

[yemison]

I use Microsoft OneNote to keep track of my progress, it's easy to make a separate tab/folder for each month or week. It's also really easy to insert aerial photos from google and draw on them to show what set ups the training group used that day. Also nice to have a page within my training notebook with links to helpful threads here, websites and tentatively keep track of upcoming events. I have had some issues using One Note on multiple computers but other than that I am quite happy with it.

 

[DoubleHaul]

I use Evernote

 

[Gary M]

Everything goes into the Website.............February Training Journal (link).

Wow! It takes a special kind of person to devote that much effort to training and documentation. I could never do that but nicely done!

 

[1tulip]

It is well done. KL is very disciplined and the saga makes us all fall in love with Pounce just a little bit.

 

[Breck]

No journals but wish I had the memory of several trainers I know who seem to remember everything about every dog. Comes up reminiscing about something that occurred months or years ago and not only do they remember the training setup and what their dogs did or didn't do but remember exactly what you and your dog did.

 

[Payce]

Have used both journals and computer. Find the journals easier to use and draw diagrams in. Either way it sure helps me stay focused and record any blunders

 

[1tulip]

No journals but wish I had the memory of several trainers I know who seem to remember everything about every dog. Comes up reminiscing about something that occurred months or years ago and not only do they remember the training setup and what their dogs did or didn't do but remember exactly what you and your dog did.

HA! You only THINK they are telling you what happened. And/or, they are remembering things the way they might have happened...

Our memories are funny things. We are both harder on ourselves, AND we view the past through rose colored glasses. And don't ever believe a dog-person after they've had a few, if you know what I mean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7YuWAVR4_c