Esteban’s response to goals document from Dogwood.
GOALS-GOALS-GOALS
Brand New Year and time again to review your goals for the New Year!!!
Please complete a separate goal document for each dog that you are training.
Your name: Esteban “Clutch City” Fernandezlopez
Dog’s Age: 1
Venues where this dog is showing/training: AKC, USDAA
What are your short term goals (6-12 months) for you and this dog in each venue?
1. Become the greatest agility dog ever.
2. Never lose to a border collie.
3. Make Debby rue the day she quit golden retrievers.
What are your long term goals (12+ months) for you and this dog in each venue?
1. Force Debby to acknowledge my agility greatness in a full page ad in the Houston Chronicle.
Identify the top 5 skill-based goals that you need to work on in each venue to achieve your short term goals.
1. Running contacts.
2. Weave pole entries.
3. Develop a filing system for our blue ribbons.
4. Victory dancing.
5. Fake modesty.
How many times a week do you train this dog in each venue and how long is the average training session? Briefly describe how you plan your training sessions and whether you do this before/after you get your dog. Include in this description the type of notes you make regarding your training session and when you make your notes.
5 minutes daily, because that’s all a great trainer needs to get the job done.
How much time in each training session do you work on building drive? Self-control? Proofing/distraction work? Briefly describe how you work on each of these training areas.
Self-control is for handlers too scared to run a really fast dog.
How many new locations do you visit when training and how often do you go to a new location? When you do visit an away from home location to train, what type of locations do you frequent? For example, do you train at churches, parks, schools, etc? When you are training at a location, what part of the property do you utilize during your training session?
We train wherever there’s a large audience, and we sign autographs after each
session.
Do you video tape your training sessions? If so, how do you use the video information to plan/improve your next training session?
Spectators tape us for posterity, competitors tape us to copy our skills. I will view our sessions on youtube to improve our victory celebrations.
Do you video tape your runs (if you are showing)? If so, how do you use the video
information to plan your training sessions and/or enhance future showing experiences?
I have signed a 3 year, 2 million dollar deal with ESPN to record all of our trials
and air them on ESPN2 at 2 am.
If you are showing, do you make notes about what happened during your runs? If so, briefly describe the type of notes you make.
I make mental notes only, because I am very smart and highly educated.
What educational materials (books, magazines, DVD’s, etc.) do you read about the
sports you are interested in? How do you use this information during your training and/or showing?
I like to read about other handling and training methods for my own amusement.
If you are showing, how do you train/prepare mentally for competition?
I visualize myself winning. Repeatedly.
Describe a ‘typical’ 24-hour period for your dog. What he does, where he is, where he eats, sleeps, plays, etc.
When she is not eating food prepared by our gourmet chef, she is getting a
massage. She also has a personal trainer and her own gym. She has 8 luxury crates and her own swimming pool and an old Nintendo system. Her favorite game is Duck Hunt.
Review the information you have written above and assess whether your short term and long term goals are realistic in relationship to the amount of time you spend training each week, the number of new locations you visit each week, and your dog’s structure and routine at home. Briefly write your assessment below.
I must be careful not to obtain another border collie, or it will be difficult to never lose to another border collie, as I am awesome.
How can members of the Dogwood Staff most effectively help you achieve your goals?
Videotape for me. Provide food, beverages, and back rubs. Cheer when I win.
On the flip side – I finally started getting out there are training rather than getting hung up on the documentation process. It would have been fun to have every 2×2 session on tape. But I was finding that I was neglecting training because I felt I needed to get caught up on filming and editing and posting. So here we are – many MANY sessions in, and on FOUR STRAIGHT POLES!!!
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