Guide
How to write session reports clients actually read
A session report reminds clients what they learned and what to practice, and it shows the value of your work. Long, technical reports go unread. Here is how to write one that clients read on their phone and act on.
Updated
Send it the same day
Clients remember the session best in the hours after it. A report that arrives the same day or the next morning lands while they still remember the exercises, and it gets the week’s practice started.
Lead with what went well
Open with one or two specific wins: “Bella sat at the door five times in a row without a reminder.” Specific praise tells clients what success looks like, which “Great session!” doesn’t.
Use the client’s language
Write the way you would explain it at the door. Swap jargon for plain words, or explain a term the first time you use it. Keep each section to a few short sentences so the report reads easily on a phone.
Make the homework impossible to miss
Put the homework in its own section, with each exercise on its own line: what to do, where and how often. If the report and the homework sheet say the same thing, clients only need to look in one place.
End with the plan
Finish with the date of the next session and what you’ll work on. If anything needs preparing, such as a favorite toy or a different harness, say so here.
What to leave out
Your private observations belong in your own notes, not the report. Keep anything that reads like a diagnosis out too: if you think a vet should look at something, say that directly and simply.
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