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Owner guide · Follow-up
How to plan a follow-up lesson
Get the most from a follow-up training lesson: rank the problems, film short clips at home, bring the right gear and rewards, and leave with a clear next plan.
Why follow-up lessons matter
The go-home lesson hands the skills over; the follow-up fixes what only shows up after you have lived with them. Most owners discover a couple of small handling habits, a trigger nobody saw during the stay, or a skill that works in the yard but not on the street. One focused lesson can sort these out before they become habits.
If your dog did the two-week Advanced program, the second scheduled coaching lesson plays this role. Foundation families can book a private session, which at Dogtown start from $94 per session. Either way, preparation decides how much you get from the hour.
Which problems to list first
Rank by impact, not by annoyance. A dog that bolts out the front door is a safety issue and goes to the top even if it happens once a week. Pulling on every walk affects your daily life and comes next. A dog that grabs socks is irritating but can usually wait.
Limit the list to three. A lesson that tries to cover eight problems touches each one too lightly to change anything.
| Priority | Examples | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Safety | Door dashing, recall failures near roads, guarding, any growling or snapping | Risk to your dog or others |
| 2. Daily life | Pulling, jumping on guests, night waking, barking at the window | Affects every day |
| 3. Polish | Slow sits, sock stealing, place breaking after ten minutes | Useful, but can wait |
Filming at home
Trainers learn more from thirty seconds of video than from ten minutes of description, because the problem is often in something you would not think to mention: where you stand, when you reward, what happened two seconds before. Film the moment itself, such as the doorbell, the walk past the neighbor’s dog or the evening zoomies.
Prop the phone up or ask someone else to film, so your hands are free. Keep clips under a minute and include a few seconds before the behavior starts. Send them ahead if you can, so the trainer arrives with ideas.
- Film from far enough back to show you and your dog
- Include the trigger in the frame if possible
- Do not stage a dangerous situation just to film it
What to bring and how to use the hour
Bring your log or notes, the go-home plan, the leash, harness or collar you use daily, a pouch of the rewards your dog actually works for, and a mat if place is on the list. Bring the family members who walk the dog, since the trainer can adjust each person’s handling.
Spend most of the time practicing, not talking. Ask the trainer to watch you do the skill, then coach you through a better version. Before you finish, write down two or three priorities and exactly what to practice, and ask when to check in again. Our guide to keeping a training log helps you track the next stretch.
Mistakes that waste a follow-up
Arriving with no notes and trying to remember what went wrong. Spending the hour on a new problem instead of the ones you came for. Leaving without written next steps. And waiting too long: the best time for a follow-up is usually a few weeks after the stay, when you have real experience but before small slips set into habits.
If something new and worrying appears, such as fear or aggression, do not wait for a scheduled lesson. Contact your trainer and your vet promptly; our page on handling regression explains when to call.
How to do it
Step by step
- 01
List and rank the problems
Write down what is going wrong, then rank by safety, daily-life impact and polish, keeping the top three.
- 02
Film short clips
Record two or three clips under a minute each that show the problem and the moments leading up to it.
- 03
Send a summary ahead
Email or message the trainer three lines on your top problems, with the clips attached if possible.
- 04
Pack the kit
Bring your log, the go-home notes, your daily equipment, real rewards and a mat if needed.
- 05
Practice during the lesson
Ask the trainer to watch you handle your dog and coach each person who walks it.
- 06
Leave with written priorities
Write two or three focus areas and the exact exercises before you go, and agree when to check in again.
The two programs
FAQs
Related questions
When should I book a follow-up?
Should the lesson be at home or at the facility?
Can the whole family come?
More questions? Read the full board & train FAQ
Next step
Tell us about your dog.
Send the enquiry and we reply within one hour on business days to set up a short assessment with Gabby. The evaluation is free.
- 01Send the enquiryReply within the hour on business days
- 02Assessment & evaluationPick Foundation or Advanced
- 03Train & go homeDaily updates, go-home coaching
