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Intro, and questions we should be asking clients.
Hello everyone! I’m new to this app so I guess I’ll introduce myself and my dog a bit. My name is Madison, or shorter version Maddi. What really sparked my interest in dog training was my 4-H dog obedience group. Me and my dog Panda, a female Rottweiler, spent 8 years doing obedience work together. We started in the classes when she was 8 months old, and I retired her from the classes and shows at the fair after 8 years due to her hips giving her issues. It was quite sad to know that my girl can’t go and do her favorite things anymore like she used to, but she has proved herself to me time and time again that she would do anything for me if I were to ask her to.
Anyways, I have a question, and anybody and everybody please feel free to give your input. Whenever you guys are taking on, or working with a new client what are some questions that you would ask the client about their dog? For example, stuff like bite history, allergies, and reactivity. Thank you all so much in advance, and I look forward to seeing all of the answers that you guys can come up with!
Thank you!
Madison.
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2 Replies
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Welcome, Madison! So glad you’ve posted to introduce yourself and for sharing your story about Panda.
I prefer to get the client to fill out a thorough intake form so I have everything in writing while also saving me some time, too. The more info you collect up front, the more efficient you can be at your first meeting, not to mention making the meetings safer (if any aggression is involved).
My intake asks about age/breed/when acquired/where acquired, etc. I ask about any previous training/methods used/equipment used, etc. Then behavioral info like bite history, behavior with people, kids, dogs, wildlife. I ask about resource guarding/noise sensitivity/alone-time sensitivity. Activity level/games and toys the dog likes/whether food puzzles and other enrichment are used/type of food dog eats/how he eats. Behavior at vet/physical or medical issues/meds the dogs takes, etc. And quite a bit more.
I still have more to fill in when it’s a complicated behavior case, but at least I have a solid background to work from. Hope that gives you a few ideas.
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Hi Maddi! I love the photo of you and Panda. Ah, these older dogs with all their history and love… it’s tough to watch them age and my heart goes out to you.
It really depends on the clients you are serving as to what you need to know from them. Then you have to balance wanting to know everything with giving them an 8 pg form (like I used to do a zillion years ago – don’t do that!)
There are certain questions you can ask that will help you stay safe (if you are meeting them in person, in the home) that you may not need if you are meeting virtually. You might ask something different for a new puppy than you would for an adult dog.
Think about how you’ll be gathering the information – an online form or a paper form? What are the bare essentials you need (age of dog, breed, how long in home, owner info)? Then you might have a different set of questions depending on why they are reaching out for help. In other words, you can develop a different form for:
- Group classes
- Puppy lessons
- Behavior issues
That way you can streamline the process a bit as you get clear on what you need to know before you see them, vs what you can ask as “follow up”.
I like a quick checklist for some of it – one on goals, one on problems. It normalizes the problems and by clicking a box they can let you know it’s ok to ask about it in a follow up.
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