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For those who have a dog out with a pro, particularly if you're some distance away and not working with him/her regularly, how do you keep tabs on how your dog is doing and what progress is being made?
How do you receive your training progress reports?
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None of the above. :wink:
First, I don't get a bill much less a status report. I just send money every month. If it is not enough, he'll tell me so. I know what he charges so, I'm generally on the money.
I get called about once a week but sometimes we don't talk dogs on the call.
I'll call him weekly and if the conversation turns to training, I may ask about mine.
Yes, I trust my Pro but if he ever called me and told me that my dogs was ready to be picked up, I would be angry! :evil: I already have a dog at home.
I don't feel I need to see a written status report, I evaluate the progress by ribbons in hand.
Luckly, I am only 120 miles from my dog so I try to see and handle him as much as I can. If I see something in training, I'll ask him about it then.
First, I don't get a bill much less a status report. I just send money every month. If it is not enough, he'll tell me so. I know what he charges so, I'm generally on the money.
I get called about once a week but sometimes we don't talk dogs on the call.
I'll call him weekly and if the conversation turns to training, I may ask about mine.
Yes, I trust my Pro but if he ever called me and told me that my dogs was ready to be picked up, I would be angry! :evil: I already have a dog at home.
I don't feel I need to see a written status report, I evaluate the progress by ribbons in hand.
Luckly, I am only 120 miles from my dog so I try to see and handle him as much as I can. If I see something in training, I'll ask him about it then.
I don't get scheduled updates, unlike Franco I do get regular bills. I usually talk to him once or twice a month in months where I don't get to train with them and not in trial season. The conversation usually goes something like- How is Blew Doing? The answer is usually one of two things- good or real good. That is all I need to hear. We'll talk some about summer trip, trial schedules, etc. without any status update on my dog. I trust that I will be told if we run into problems. Also both the pro and the dog get report cards about 12-15 times a year. 95% of the trials we run the pro will call me on his way home with results if I'm not at the trial. So during trial seasons in spring and fall we talk more frequently. I probably call him less than 1/2 the times we talk.
At certain stages in a dogs career not much changes from month to month so the updates aren't as necessary for me. I like more frequent updates with a puppy or if we have issues being worked on. I do feel like I can call anytime and my call is always returned promptly. I stay involved enough to know myself how things are going without scheduled updates.
Gene
At certain stages in a dogs career not much changes from month to month so the updates aren't as necessary for me. I like more frequent updates with a puppy or if we have issues being worked on. I do feel like I can call anytime and my call is always returned promptly. I stay involved enough to know myself how things are going without scheduled updates.
Gene
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I speak with my pro every two weeks, more during the trial season. They call me or I call them. One uses a lot of email, the other thinks the internet is a fad. One emails bills and newsletters, one mails them. I don't care either way, just as long as my dogs are being well cared for, that they are happy, and are being trained - in that order.
One young dog trainer I know scribbles a line or two at the bottom of a bill.... something like "doing well." The more that's written, the worse the report is.... But, I still had conversations with him.
One young dog trainer I know scribbles a line or two at the bottom of a bill.... something like "doing well." The more that's written, the worse the report is.... But, I still had conversations with him.
I keep in touch on a monthly basis throughout the year. We also talk at trials, when I visit to train, etc.
No written updates unless I send an email, he uses the PHONE!!! No notes on the bill.
I trust my pro and have come to accept that he does NOT sugarcoat anything (I won't be spending $$$ on a dog that won't be trial competitive). He tells it the way it is, which at times is not the way I want to hear it.
As he told me a while back, frequent calls to me probably means things aren't going well. And the one phone call I had last year when we washed one of my prospects!!!!!!
Tom
No written updates unless I send an email, he uses the PHONE!!! No notes on the bill.
I trust my pro and have come to accept that he does NOT sugarcoat anything (I won't be spending $$$ on a dog that won't be trial competitive). He tells it the way it is, which at times is not the way I want to hear it.
As he told me a while back, frequent calls to me probably means things aren't going well. And the one phone call I had last year when we washed one of my prospects!!!!!!
Tom
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9,443 Posts
I proabably talk more to my Pro now that Bullet is home than I do when he is down for winter training! 
On a given trial weekend we will talk about 10-15 times - I tell him how Bullet did and pick his brain about what I can improve on and then we talk about the dogs on his truck and how they did that given day at the trial he is at.
The weeks in between trials we talk 2-3 times - usually to discuss the training I'm doing with Bullet, the bumps in the road and the plan to smooth things out and to progress. We also talk about the dogs on his truck - like to keep tabs on them just for fun, he has a couple I really like!
When he is down for winter training we talk about 2-3 a month unless I'm really missing Bullet - he is good about calling me too, especially if Bullet has progressed on a training aspect that I'm interested in.
I get a written bill each month, but I could care less either way - he could just tell me what I owe him and I'd write the check - its pretty much a set amount month to month.
I probably talk more to my Pro than most, but Mark is good with humoring my need to know what's going on....oh yeah he has email, but normally he doesn't reply and just calls me instead.
FOM
On a given trial weekend we will talk about 10-15 times - I tell him how Bullet did and pick his brain about what I can improve on and then we talk about the dogs on his truck and how they did that given day at the trial he is at.The weeks in between trials we talk 2-3 times - usually to discuss the training I'm doing with Bullet, the bumps in the road and the plan to smooth things out and to progress. We also talk about the dogs on his truck - like to keep tabs on them just for fun, he has a couple I really like!
When he is down for winter training we talk about 2-3 a month unless I'm really missing Bullet - he is good about calling me too, especially if Bullet has progressed on a training aspect that I'm interested in.
I get a written bill each month, but I could care less either way - he could just tell me what I owe him and I'd write the check - its pretty much a set amount month to month.
I probably talk more to my Pro than most, but Mark is good with humoring my need to know what's going on....oh yeah he has email, but normally he doesn't reply and just calls me instead.
FOM
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I always did.Mr Booty said:
SM
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I live a little over an hour away so it's easy to get over to see/train my dogs during the off season. When they go on the road for the trial season or summer training, my pro will call after each trial and we'll talk about how the one running did. He updates me on the younger ones at that time, too. They also carry a laptop & broadband card :?: or whatever it's called and e-mail a generic update to clients every couple of weeks or so.
I told him from the get-go that I fret and need to be kept informed. In my business I have to keep in constant contact with clients and I only expect the same. So far, no problem. Besides, I ply them with cookies and an occasional dish of chile colorado or homemade enchiladas. Works every time!
Suzanne B.
I told him from the get-go that I fret and need to be kept informed. In my business I have to keep in constant contact with clients and I only expect the same. So far, no problem. Besides, I ply them with cookies and an occasional dish of chile colorado or homemade enchiladas. Works every time!
Suzanne B.
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Thanks to those who voted, and especially to those who posted explanations.
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I usually call my pro once every two weeks if I do not see him at a trial. If there are any specific problems that pop up between my calls the he will call me.
I am hoping that my work schedule slows down a bit so that i can get out to train with him at least once a week and then I can see it in real time... :wink:
I am hoping that my work schedule slows down a bit so that i can get out to train with him at least once a week and then I can see it in real time... :wink:
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