Minilesson 9: Outlining Your Ideas

Outlining is the most formal method of organizing your idea. Outlining uses a very particular structure for organizing your idea. A writer will outline after he has done most of his other prewriting. Formal outlines distinguish between a central idea and a supporting idea. Formal outlines use Roman numerals for major points, indented capital letters for details, and Arabic numbers for more precise details.

I.                    Introductory Paragraph: Training a Labrador retriever is easy if you follow these steps.

A.      Start training when the dog is a puppy.

B.      Train in small increments of time.

C.      Be patient.

D.      Reward your puppy for doing the correct thing,

II.                  Body Paragraph: Begin the training when your Lab is just a puppy.

A.      Puppyhood is the best time to start training a dog.

1.       Six weeks is an okay time to start.

2.       You will have to begin with quick and easy things like knowing his name and “come.”

B.      12 weeks is an optimal time to train your Lab.

1.       Puppies are ready at twelve weeks.

2.       Reno went to duck camp in Mississippi at twelve weeks.

III.                Body Paragraph: The training should begin in small increments of time and work up to longer times.

A.      Start with five or fewer minutes with commands like “Come Reno” or “Outside.”

B.      Work up to longer training sessions like “fetch” and “stay.”

1.       The longest session should never be over thirty minutes.

2.       You can include several short sessions in a day.

IV.                Body Paragraph: Be patient with your puppy.

A.      Training takes time.

B.      Sometimes the dog might act like he’s forgotten previous sessions.

C.      You will have to repeat sessions.

D.      Don’t continue if your dog doesn’t act like he’s into it.

V.                  Body Paragraph: Reward your dog for a job well-done.

A.      Give treats when your dog performs well.

1.       They make small training treats.

2.       Keep them in your pocket.

B.      Petting and saying “good job” are also rewards.

C.      Don’t yell or hit your dog if he doesn’t do it correctly.

VI.                Conclusion: Training your Lab will be rewarding for both you and your dog if you begin early, do just a little at a time, be patient, and reward your dog.