Report Card For Owner Of Home schooled Dog

Name:     _________________________

Credentials: ____  Preschool- first puppy or dog. No previous experience.

                      ____   Kindergarten- attended a puppy kindergarten class.

                      ____   Eighth Grade- attended classes/worked with trainer.  

                      ____   High School- experienced with numerous dogs.

                      ____   Upper Ed- nose work, therapy, agility, Canine Good Citizen Test, etc .       

Attendance:  ____   Instructor has yet to make an appearance at class.

                ____   Number of days owner absent from school this week.

                    ____   Training is conducted daily or regularly with a plan.

Comportment:  ____  Owner content to let the student write his own lesson plan.

____  Faculty has control of student(s) behavior during lessons.

                   ____  Teacher has a good attitude and is patient.. 

                       ____  Instructor has high expectations for his dog

                      ____  Instructor enjoys learning and teaching new behaviors. 

                        ____ Teacher has and imparts good work ethic.

Core Manners: ____ Curriculum stresses Impulse Control- Sit before eating, doors, greeting, etc.

                   ____ Daily Primer on Basics- Name, Sit, Down, Leave It, Walk Politely, Recall.

              ____ Syllabus includes additional behavior modules for Bed, Touch, Stand, etc.

                        ____ Lesson Plan should include a trick or six- learning should be fun for student and teacher. .

                     ____ Canine pupil is calm as Instructor handles, grooms, brushes, gives him a vet check.

                        ____ Instructor adept at handling paws and trimming nails.

____ Canine pupil works well with others- teacher trains all human family members.

Individual Ed Plan: ____ Develop an IEP or Individual Education Plan for special needs students.

____ New puppies require extra time and effort for socializing, housebreaking, manners, etc

____ Teacher requires training tools for reactive, nervous or just plain unruly students.

____ If home classroom has multiple students give individual attention to each student.

Languages: ____ Educator is a skilled professor of ESL- English is a Second Language for a dog.

____ Trainer is fluent at recognizing and interpreting CBL, Canine Body language.

History: ____  Instructor has conducted thorough research of breed histories and tendencies.

              ____  Is Owner aware of known history of student behavior problems?

____  Before admission to home, did Teacher conduct an aptitude test- behavior with dogs, people, etc.

              ____ Did the student arrive at home campus with any medical history?

Physical Ed: ____ Owner figures his student has big back yard and can exercise himself.

                  ____  Pup stays fit by exerting himself in fence fighting.   

                    ____  Student enjoys at least one good walk per day.

                   ____  Teacher conducts structured recess in play sessions with other canine pupils.           

           ____  Can owner supplement his student’s exercise with retrieves, recall?

                  ____  Student takes his exercise in day care, with a dog walker, in a dog sport, etc. 

Home Ec: ____  Nutrition. Owner studies labels, feeds healthy food and treats. . 

                ____  Puppy Development. Owner understands the stages of how pups develop..

                ____ Health and Hygiene. Good Owner develops a good relationship with a veterinarian

              ____  Budget. Develop a financial plan for costs-vet care, feeding, emergencies, etc.

                ____  Community awareness. Never leave home w/o bags- always pick up after pup. 

Social Studies:  ____  Pup has been taught to greet visitors to his home politely.

                          ____  Dog calmly waits for permission to greet new people on walks.

                      ____ Student is taught to calmly wait for permission to greet a another dog.

                          ____  Rectify your Lesson Plan if pupil’s world view consists of the backyard fence.

                          ____ Teacher has provided innumerable field trips to varying locations.

                         ____  Owner supplements his dog’s studies by attending training classes.

                          ____  Owner hires personal trainer to co educate his pupil. 

                         ____  Socializing implies proper decorum and etiquette in public.

                         ____ Showing up in public without manners doesn’t count as socializing.

 Extracurricular:  ____  Canine student enjoys agility, nose work, swimming, hiking, etc.

                           ____ Budding scholar studies for therapy work.

____ Teacher uses support system such as private tutors, day care, dog walkers, etc.

(1). It is common for dog owners to receive report cards from dog professionals for services such as boarding, daycare, grooming, dog walking and pet sitting. Concerned owners can rest easy knowing their boarded pet is eating well, playing well with others, maintaining good housebreaking habits and so on. In some daycare facilities owners can view their dog interacting with other dogs via the internet. Of course, not all reports are positive. These reports judge a dog’s well being or the progress of training, socializing and handling conduct. As most dogs are home schooled, a dog’s education is the responsibility of his or her owner. How would your dog determine the quality of his education, if able to write a report card grading you, the teacher?