Puppy Preparations V Trainer Preparations

(Puppy Talk – Preparation and Puppy Proofing!

After choosing Maisie, the wait now begins!  We have weeks to wait before we pick her up, and although our breeder is very good at sending photos and video clips, she is already growing fast and I feel like I’m missing out on her development.  However, our time is being put to good use as we start puppy proofing the house and garden!  We’ve even started a list!

1. Buy a mountain of cable and wire tiding materials for main living area
2. Clean and put up the stair gate out.  (Apparently, puppies aren’t allowed to climb stairs!)
3. Assess the garden and mend fences
4. Buy a whole new back gate ensuring it reaches the ground… buy lock for gate!
5. Buy chew toys, training pads, um and err about whether to use a crate or not
6. Research local vets and get bombarded with internet quotes, for pet insurance
7. Look at harnesses… and realise we have no idea how big she will actually be when we get her… so decided not to get one yet.

I remember when we were expecting our son, I was scanning the shelves of a local pharmacy, with an even longer list, when I bumped into an old friend, who already had two children.  She promptly looked at my list and announced, “you won’t need half of that stuff!” My somewhat hormonal/defensive response was; “This is my child, I’ll buy what I want!” she was of course right, I didn’t need the ton of cotton wool balls or the sensitive baby shampoo, (he had no hair for 6 months!) And while flippantly blame the baby hormones, in retrospect my response actually came from my values, which is to say, I believe that when advice is given, it should always be given with positive intentions or not at all.

Trainers Talk – Preparing for your new Training role

Whether you are a seasoned professional or this is your first venture in the role of Trainer, similar activities will ensure your new role is a success. Companies vary a great deal when dealing with new employees, some will focus on the paperwork, policies and procedures ensuring your fully aware of ‘what not to do’ when you arrive, most of which is complete common sense, but apparently needs saying;

• Don’t waste time searching for non-related work items on the internet
• Don’t use other people’s passwords
• Don’t ware flip flops and a tutu during office hours!

Better companies will focus on what you actually need to know to feel confident that you’ve made the right choice, and will also cover what is expected from you.  If they don’t supply this info, you should a) go research it, and b) consider making it part of the on-boarding process once your established in your role, as ultimately you may well be involved in the induction process, and having this information up front will enable people to integrate more quickly and confidently into the company. 

So, what information would be useful prior to starting a new training role?

1. Brief overview of background to the company
2. Overview of the key people on the site you’ll be working at
3. What the function of company is and the departments within it
4. Your job description as discussed in interview
5. What your first day looks like
6. And specifically for Trainers… what training already takes place, info about the training team etc.

So, whether you're preparing for a puppy or a new training role, the best advice I can offer is to keep in mind that the idea is to be prepared, not to be competent.  If you are at least armed with enough information to ask the right questions to the right people you’re on your way to success!

There needs to be some flexibility thou to meet with the unknown such as: personality types, (barking dogs V shy dogs), what if it's not quite the job that was offered (non-shedding puppy V fur ball that malts as soon as you look at it), or unexpected projects (house training taking longer than expected....I really hope that one doesn’t transfer from puppy to Trainer!  Good luck!

(Nikie Forster is Director of Curious Lighthouse Learning Consultancy, where she specialises in enabling Trainers and Facilitators to enhance their performance, whether they are at the very start of their journey or experienced professionals ~ including facilitating people with potential to create a career in training.  Interested ~ check out www.curiouslighthouse.co.uk)

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