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Lesson Journals: This part of the case study provides descriptive details of the how the applicant,
as a professional dog trainer, implemented the training program, and the students’ (client and dog)
progression on a lesson-by-lesson basis. The term learning progression, for the case study, refers
to the purposeful sequencing of what you taught for each lesson, including a detailed description
of what the students should know, and what the students should be able to do at a specific stage
of the training program.
• Lesson number: The lesson number identifies the numerical sequence of each lessons
provided during the training program. The first lesson is #1, the second lesson is #2, etc.
• Lesson time: Identifies how much actual hands-on training was conducted with the client
and dog. Private lessons afford the most hands-on training time with client and dog. Group
classes divide the trainer’s attention amongst other clients requiring observation of multiple
clients with their dogs, and Board and Train incorporate multiple mini lessons conducted
through the day. Other dog training programs may have varied hands-on training times as
well. Do not include travel time, waiting time, time that was dedicated to setting up or taking
down the training scenario, breaks and down time where no hands-on training was being
conducted or where trainer diverted attention to another client other than the case study
client’s dog during the lesson.
• Lesson Instruction Method (refer to Training Program Instruction Method): Identify all
training methods used during this lesson. Methods will be identified as private lessons,
group classes, overnight boarding, or other type of method with a description. More than
one type of instruction method can be used during a lesson.
• Lesson Instruction Location and Environment (refer to Training Program Instruction
Location and Environment): Identify all training locations with a brief description used
during this lesson. The locations will identify the physical location of where the training will
be conducted. Do not provide the actual street address of the location, but rather the type
of location such as the client’s home, your training facility, an open field, a place of business,
etc. The environments selected will address factors such as indoor, outdoor, public areas,
kennel environment or other distractors such as other people, dogs, sounds, etc. Dog
training programs may be a combination of more than one environment or distractor.
• Lesson Goals and Objectives: Each lesson is a short-term goal and objective that are the
building blocks of reaching the overall goals and objectives that were identified in A. History.
o Lesson goals address (1) behavior, skill or commands the trainer plans on teaching,
(2) why these are important at this stage of the training program, (3) what techniques
(such as calming exercises, desensitization, trust building, socialization, confidence
building, games, etc.) will be applied by the applicant as the professional dog trainer,
and (4) how these techniques will be used as a means of reaching the objectives.