Pupdates & Adventure Album

Quick Answer

A Pupdate is a short, trainer-written note, told in your dog's voice, that tells you what was practiced, how it went, and which training stage your dog is working in: Teaching, Reinforcing, Proofing, or Maintenance. Your Adventure Album is a private Google Drive folder of matching photos and videos you can view, download, and keep. How often you get one depends on your program; board-and-train camps send one every day.

What a Pupdate Contains

You can't watch every session, and training that only lives at the facility rarely survives the ride home. A Pupdate closes that gap. Instead of a generic checklist, you get a plain-language account of what your dog did that day: which behavior, how it went, what rewards or tools were used, and one small thing to try before dinner.

Every Pupdate is written from your dog's point of view, on purpose. It reads like a note home, which makes the day easier to picture than a list of technical terms would be. A typical Pupdate covers what was practiced and at what grade level, how it went (wins, struggles, and how worked up or relaxed your dog was), the rewards or tools used, a short at-home tip, and a link to your dog's Adventure Album. You may also hear a Pupdate called a report card; it is the same note under a different name. A short sample of the format: "Today I held Place for 45 seconds while people walked by and only broke it once, when a squeaky toy went past. We're stretching toward 60 to 90 seconds this week. Can we practice before dinner?"

Why the Stage Is Named in Every Note

Every Pupdate ties back to the same underlying system: phasing. Your dog's plan draws on whichever feedback tools suit their behavior and technique, matched to how they learn and what they can currently handle. Naming the stage in each note, Teaching, Reinforcing, Proofing, or Maintenance, is how that phased approach reaches you as well as the trainer holding the leash.

Knowing the stage changes what you should do with the note. A Teaching-stage Pupdate calling for frequent rewards isn't the same instruction as a Maintenance-stage note asking you to hold a behavior with occasional reinforcement, and matching your at-home practice to the stage is what keeps your dog's training moving. The reward placement (where the treat or toy comes from) and the timing (when it arrives) matter for the same reason: reward late or from the wrong spot, and you can teach a slightly different behavior than the one the trainer intended.

How Often You Get One, by Program

How often you get a Pupdate depends on your program:

Foundation Camp, Behavior Camp, and Transform Camp: a Pupdate every day, for the full stay.
DaySchool and DayCamp: a same-day or end-of-day note with highlights from that day's reps.
Group Classes: a periodic recap after class.
Private Lessons: a session summary plus homework.

A quieter rest-and-recovery day still gets a note, just a shorter one by design; that isn't a sign of lighter effort.

What Each Stage Looks Like in a Pupdate

Teaching

We introduce the new behavior with simple criteria and a high rate of reward, so your dog builds a fast, positive association with what's being asked. Pupdates from this stage will mention frequent treats or praise and a simple version of the cue, which is what early work is supposed to look like.

Reinforcing

Once the behavior is familiar, we practice it consistently so it becomes predictable rather than occasional. Rewards continue, but the goal shifts from teaching the shape of the behavior to making your dog reliably offer it.

Proofing

We add real-world variables: new locations, distractions, longer duration, and greater distance from the handler. A Proofing-stage Pupdate about Quiet, for example, might describe your dog staying calm around triggers that used to set off barking. This is where a behavior stops being something that only works in one room.

Maintenance

We hold the standard your dog has already reached, using occasional rewards and mixed routines so the behavior stays sharp without needing a treat every time. A Maintenance-stage note is often shorter, because the day's work is repetition of ground your dog has already covered.

Setting Up So Pupdates Arrive

Confirm your email and mobile number are current in the Parent Portal, and add our email address to your contacts so Pupdates don't land in spam. The Parent Portal Walkthrough & Guide covers full account setup if you haven't been through it yet.
Tell us about any allergies or food sensitivities so trainers choose rewards that are safe for your dog.
Most equipment mentioned in a Pupdate is ordinary: a flat or training collar, a standard leash or long line, a place cot, a treat pouch. Anything more specialized is introduced by a trainer, never as a first resort or as punishment, and explained in our Training Tools guide.

Your first Pupdate arrives after your dog's first training day, and every one after it carries a link to your dog's Adventure Album.

Finding Your Dog's Photos and Videos

Open your Pupdate email and tap the album link at the bottom. It opens your dog's campus folder, then your dog's own named subfolder.
Bookmark that subfolder once, and you'll have one-tap access every time after.
Can't find the email? Search your inbox for "Pupdate," "Partners Dog School," or "Partners Dogs." If it still doesn't surface, ask your trainer or the front desk at your campus to resend the link. Each campus, Scottsdale and Cave Creek, keeps one root album with a named subfolder for every dog inside it.

Downloading and Saving

iPhone or iPad: install the Google Drive app, open your album link (tap Open in Drive if it loads in a browser), then tap the file you want, tap the ••• icon, choose Send a Copy, and Save Image or Save Video. To save several files at once, tap ••• in the Drive app, choose Select, pick your items, then Share and Save Images; large batches may need to go in smaller groups. To convert an iPhone HEIC photo to JPG, save it to the Files app, select it, tap Share, and choose Convert to JPEG.
Android: install the Google Drive app, open your album link, then tap and hold a photo or video and choose Download. To save several at once, long-press the first item, select the others, then tap Download; Drive may bundle them into a .zip. HEIC files convert with a third-party app such as Luma from the Google Play Store.
Desktop: open the album link in your browser, select the files you want (Shift-click for a range), then click the ⋮ menu or right-click and choose Download; Drive zips large batches automatically.

Albums are view-only on your end. Please don't upload files into the folder yourself; send anything you'd like added to your account to your trainer instead.

Managing Notifications

Pupdates arrive by email, and sometimes by text with a link. Your Parent Portal Notifications tile may also flag a new note. In the Parent Portal, go to Profile, then Notification Preferences, to adjust which email and SMS categories you receive. A few notices, like reservation changes or a health or safety issue, can't be turned off, because they're time-sensitive.

If Something Is Not Working

The link opens the campus root instead of your dog's folder: use the search bar inside that folder to find your dog's named subfolder, open it, then bookmark it so it's saved for next time.
The link won't open: try a different browser, confirm you're signed into the Google account you use for Drive, or copy the URL directly into your browser's address bar.
You're not receiving emails: check spam or junk first, then confirm your email address is correct in the Parent Portal, and add our email to your contacts.
A day's media looks thin or missing: not every training block produces a photo or video. Calm, low-key reps like a long Place stay often don't. Media gets added as it's captured; if something still looks off, ask your trainer.

Getting the Most From Each Update

Photos and video download to your own device, so the moment your dog held a stay through a distraction, or worked through a hard exposure calmly for the first time, doesn't stay locked in an inbox. Milestones stack up in a folder you control, long after the program that produced them has ended. Build a habit around each note instead of only reading it once:

Read the behavior, stage, and at-home tip first.
Watch the attached photo or video, if there is one, and note the reward placement and timing described.
Try one short rep at home, matched to your dog's stage: high-rate rewards for Teaching, steady practice for Reinforcing, a new location or added distraction for Proofing, occasional reward for Maintenance.

Match your rewards to the stage your dog is in, not the stage you wish they were in. A dog still in Teaching needs more frequent reinforcement than a Pupdate about a Maintenance-stage dog would suggest, and rewarding too sparingly too early is a common way progress stalls.

If you want to see more of a specific behavior, whether that's door greetings or a steadier heel start, tell your trainer directly. We'll try to capture it on camera when the moment is safe to film.

When to Ask a Question About a Pupdate

Most of what shows up in a Pupdate is exactly what it looks like: a normal training update. If a note or a video raises a real question, don't wait for the next one to ask it. Message your trainer directly, through the campus, or bring it up at your next class or lesson.

If a photo or video shows something that looks like pain, limping, unusual swelling, or a sudden behavior change unrelated to training, that's a veterinary question first. Contact your vet, then let your trainer know so the training plan can adjust once your dog is cleared.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often will I get a Pupdate?

It depends on your program. Foundation Camp, Behavior Camp, and Transform Camp send one daily. DaySchool and DayCamp send a same-day or end-of-day note. Group Classes get a periodic recap. Private Lessons include a session note and homework.

Can I share the Adventure Album link?

Yes, with family or caretakers you trust. We'd still recommend downloading your favorites, so you always have your own copy outside the shared link.

Can I request more videos of a specific behavior?

Tell your trainer what you'd like to see, like heel starts or door greetings. If it fits the plan and the moment is safe to film, we'll try to capture it.

What if my dog has a quiet, rest-and-recovery day?

Light days are built into the plan. Your Pupdate will note the recovery focus and what, if anything, to practice at home.

Do Pupdates include the exact cue and reward timing?

Yes. Look for the behavior name, the stage, and a short note on criteria and reward placement or timing, so you can mirror it at home.

Where do I find older photos?

In your dog's named subfolder inside your campus's Adventure Album. Download anything you want to keep, since your own device is the most reliable long-term copy.

Will every behavior have a video?

Not always. Some reps are best reinforced without a camera in the mix, and safety comes first. We keep the album representative of your dog's progress across the whole program.

If you haven't set up your account yet, the Parent Portal Walkthrough & Guide covers login, notifications, and profile setup from the start. For the equipment sometimes mentioned in a Pupdate, see our Training Tools guide. And if you're comparing programs to understand how Pupdate frequency changes day to day, DaySchool and DayCamp both explain their own training rhythm.

Pupdates come with every training program here; the day-by-day version, without an overnight stay, is DaySchool.