Be SMART when setting goals

SMART goals:

S = Specific
M = Measurable
A = Attainable
R = Realistic
T = Timely

Specific- Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to happen. Specifics help us to focus our efforts and clearly define what we are going to do. Specific is the What, Why, and How.

WHAT are you going to do?

WHY is this important to do at this time? What do you want to ultimately accomplish?

HOW are you going to do it? (By...)

Measurable - If you can't measure a goal, how will you know if you've reached it? There are usually several short-term or small measurements that can be built into the goal. Establish concrete criteria for measuring progress toward the attainment of each goal you set.

Attainable - Identify goals that are most important to you and begin to figure out ways you can make them come true. Goals you set which are too big, you quit before you get there. A goal needs to stretch you slightly so you have rewards along the way.

Realistic - This means "do-able." Devise a plan or a way of getting there which makes the goal realistic. Start where you are at the moment.

Timely - Set a time frame for the goal: for next week, in three months, by year’s end. Putting an end point on your goal gives you a clear target to work towards. Time must be measurable, attainable and realistic.

Record Keeping for Dog Training by Jane

I suck at record keeping for dog training so I asked my friend Jane how she does it. This is the comment she left for me.

Jane said...

A simple way to track progress:

1. Decide how you want to count the treats. I make piles of 15 treats. Other people use a cup to count, and put one treat in the cup for each treat they give to the dog.
2. Set the timer to 3 minutes.
3. Toss a treat for each click.
4. At the end of your 3-minute session, count how many treats you gave out.
5. Write it down, along with any comments about your session.
6. Divide the number by 3, and that’s your rate of reinforcement. If you want to do shorter sessions, that’s fine too. Just do the math.
7. Chart it out on a spreadsheet or piece of graph paper.

What’s interesting is that you can actually see whether you’re making progress or not. When I was doing this with one of Finn’s exercises, I thought we were making progress, but then I looked at my graph and could see that we weren’t. So then I had to change something. (I changed the session length and that seemed to work. In a duh moment, I realized he couldn’t sustain the behavior for 3 minutes!)

So that's simplified record keeping. For two dogs you'd need to be sure to figure out a counting system so that you can keep track of the treats given to each dog.
~Jane

Thank you, Jane. I will try counting during today's training.

Additonal goals

Here are more goals for me.

I will run Red in some form of agility this year (and do the training to get there.)

I will teach Red a fold back down.

I will get Blue certified to take a tracking test (and do the training to get there.)

I will reduce my waist line so I can run Red in agility (and do the working out to get there.)

+++++++++++++++

Here is my workout plan.

Every other day I will do a 30-minute program of high-intensity interval training. I'll take one dog along each time I go.

The plan is to:
* walk for 10 minutes at a brisk pace
* jog for 4 minutes
* run hard for 1 minute
* jog for 4 minutes
* run hard for 1 minute
* walk for 10 minutes

What does not kill me will make me stronger. -- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Maybe I'll start when the SNOW is gone. :-(

Dog training goals

My goals for Blue include basic social skills and team work.

I want her to sit, down and go to mat (and stay there) regardless of the distractions.

I want a rock solid come to front and either side, her to stay with me while working off lead, a supervised separation (so she'll allow a helper to hold her in agility class), and her to ignore other dogs even if they jog towards and then pass her with their handler.

I want to be able to leave her in a down stay while I walk the rally course.

I want Blue to be able to play with me and a toy anywhere.

I want Blue to be able to run with me (circle work) without herding me.

My goals for Red are fewer.

I want him to happily get into his car crate.