One client per month: how to write training log rows
Write one row per client or facility per month with that month's total hours, plus the month, the client's last name, the type of service, the type of training and your role.
If some of those hours were hands-on and some assisting, use two rows. Do not use acronyms, and only the month and year of the date are reviewed.
Turn a month of sessions into rows in five steps
Do this once a month from your diary or booking system, or keep the rows in the training log on this site as you go.
- List the month's sessions by client. Group every session by client or facility.
- Split each client's time by kind. Hands-on time in one pile, assisting time in another.
- Total each pile. One number of hours per client per kind of hours.
- Write one row per pile. Month and year, client or facility, type of service, type of training, hours.
- Read it back for acronyms. Spell out club names, titles and methods in full.
The fields a row needs
| Field | What to write |
|---|---|
| Date | Any day in the month; only the month and year are reviewed. |
| Client or facility | The client's last name is enough, or the facility's name. |
| Type of service | Private lesson, group class, volunteering at a shelter, working as a vet tech, or similar. |
| Type of training | Basic manners, dog sports, obedience, handling, house training, socialization, or similar. |
| Hands-on hours | The month's hands-on hours for this client, or 0. |
| Assisting hours | The month's assisting hours for this client, or 0. |
Since 2025 the log can be uploaded with a template inside the online application, which fills in the log, and the rows can be edited afterwards. The template file sits inside the application. The CSV from this site puts its first columns in the order above so you can copy or map them across, but check the template's own columns before you paste.
Worked example: six sessions become three rows
| Date | Client | Session |
|---|---|---|
| 2 May | Garcia | 1 h private lesson |
| 9 May | Garcia | 1 h private lesson |
| 16 May | Garcia | 1.5 h private lesson |
| 23 May | Garcia | 1 h private lesson |
| 12 May | Lee | 2 h private lesson |
| 26 May | Lee | 1 h shadowing a colleague on the Lee case, not instructing |
| Month | Client | Role | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | Garcia | Hands-on, leading | 4.5 |
| May 2026 | Lee | Hands-on, leading | 2 |
| May 2026 | Lee | Assisting or related work | 1 |
Two rows this site's row checks would flag: "Garcia and Lee" (one client or facility per row. split this row if it covers more than one.) and a row whose type of training reads "CGC prep" (spell out cgc: the log instructions say not to use acronyms.).
Common mistakes
- One row per session instead of one per client per month.
- Two clients on one row, such as a couple who each own a dog you train separately.
- Hands-on and assisting hours in the same row.
- Acronyms for titles, clubs or methods.
Log your own hours
The log keeps one row per client per month with the role and the hours, flags rows that will not be accepted, and the progress page totals hands-on and assisting hours inside the three year window. Everything stays in this browser.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have two rows for the same client in the same month?
Yes, when one is hands-on and one is assisting. Two rows of the same kind for the same client and month are better combined into one.
What do I write for a group class?
The class or the facility as the client, group class as the type of service, and the month's hours for that class.
Can I submit my log as a spreadsheet?
Since 2025 the application accepts an upload from its own template, or rows typed in directly. Keep your rows in a spreadsheet or this log so you can copy them into either.
Sources
Last reviewed 27 September 2026 against:
- CPDT-KA Online Training Log Instructions, Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, 2025 edition, template upload or direct entry, read 27 September 2026. Used for: One client for one month per row, separate rows, no acronyms, the fields and the template upload.
- Dog trainer certification, Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers, web page listing the 2026 handbook, read 27 September 2026. Used for: Where the log instructions and handbook are published.
This guide is our own summary of the published documents, not legal advice and not a finding about your eligibility; the credentialing authority decides. If it disagrees with the current documents, the documents win. Trainer Hours is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) or any other certifying body. CPDT-KA and CBCC-KA are marks of their owners.