How K9 Training Records Work
In PACKTRACK, exercises consist of 2 parts:
The exercise Details describe what will be done in the training. All handlers with dogs at the training event share the same exercise details. This saves time and reduces errors.
The Dog Completion is added when the exercise is over. This is where you describe how each of your dogs performed in that exercise. This information is specific to you and isn’t shared with other handlers.
Sometimes, the shared exercise Details need to be updated after handlers have already recorded how their dogs did in that exercise. This creates a problem since changing the exercise can impact the correctness of the dog completion record. For example, an exercise might define a drug detection activity with 0.1 grams of cocaine. A handler at this event completes the exercise by describing how his dog performed. He explicitly mentions the 0.1 grams in his narrative. If the exercise details are later updated to reflect the actual amount of cocaine (say 0.02 grams) then the handler’s completion record may no longer be accurate.
In the past, PACKTRACK hasn’t allowed changes to the exercise details if there are handlers who have completed it. This ensures that handler records aren’t modified or invalidated without their knowledge. Updating the exercise details required that you ask the handlers to first delete their completion records since they were written based on an outdated exercise description. That can be quite a hassle, especially if you’re only making a small change to the exercise details.
The New “Outdated Record” System
With this latest update, changing exercise details after handlers have completed the exercise is much simpler. A trainer or group leader can now modify the exercise details at any time. If a handler has completed the exercise then they will receive an email and site notification explaining that their completion record is now “outdated” and needs to be verified.
Clicking on an outdated exercise takes you to the completion record where the exercise detail changes are explained. You can now make updates to your completion based on the exercise changes or simply click Save to acknowledge and accept the modification. If there’s a problem with the exercise detail changes then the handler should not resave their completion record and instead discuss the exercise modifications with the person making the update.
Maintaining robust records that you can trust is core to PACKTRACK’s mission. This feature was targeted at making record modification easier without sacrificing record integrity. We thank you for your comments and feedback which ultimately led us to develop this functionality.