With experience, you’ll quickly learn not to take people at their word. It isn’t that clients try to lie to you, it’s simply that they don’t know better or make the assumption that some details about their dog’s lives don’t apply to their dog’s behavior issues.

Asking the right questions can help you dig up the information that could be critical to the success of your training program.

These are five questions I strongly recommend you ask every new dog training client no matter why they reached out to your for training help.

1. How much and how often does your dog eat?

And be SPECIFIC! Don’t be afraid to ask to see the food container and the measuring scoop.

If your client says “one cup of food twice a day” don’t assume one measuring cup. I’ve had clients show me their “cup” for measuring dog food and it turned out to be a 20oz plastic cup from a restaurant. No wonder the dog was picky about working for food! It was being over served free food twice a day.

2. What medications is your dog currently taking or has taken in the past?

Some people might look at you funny when you ask this question because they’re bringing you in to address a behavior, not a medical issue.

What they aren’t considering is that often behavior issues are triggered by medical issues.

Asking this question is helpful because:

• You might discover medications or health issues that could be negatively impacting the dog’s behavior.
• You could discover that the dog has taken pain medication related to a traumatic event such as an attack from another animal.
• It will help you open up the conversation around health issues that the dog may have experienced in the past or is currently experiencing.

3. Has your dog ever growled, snipped, or bitten anyone for any reason?

This question is meant to open up a can of worms.

I always recommend asking this question no matter who you’re working with or why they are bringing in a professional dog trainer. Your priority should be safety!

Some people have brought me into work on their dog’s “obedience,” but come to find out – they have a dog that resource guards the couch and has snapped at people over it. Some people call this behavior “disobedient” and believe obedience training will solve their problems.

One particular situation comes to mind. A young couple brought me in to work on their dog’s recall and leash skills. Seemed simple enough! After a few questions and a thorough new client questionnaire, I discovered they had been court ordered to hire a dog trainer because it had gotten out and attacked their neighbors dog.

You just never know what you might uncover when you ask the right questions. The couple simply did not grasp the severity of the issue at hand and had unsuspectingly downplayed their needs.

This question is meant to dig up the details around why someone is bringing you in for help. You don’t want them to make assumptions on what behavior is most important to work on – that’s your job as a professional dog trainer.

4. How does your dog respond to new people in the home?

This might seem like an obvious question to ask future clients, but I rarely see dog trainers asking it. As a dog trainer, you’ll be entering many homes for private lesson training and safety should be a top priority.

Asking this questions can help you prepare and open up the conversation around how you’d like the owner to handle the dog before and during your entrance into the home. Come up with a policy you ask all dog owners to follow to avoid singling people out and making them feel judged for their dog’s behavior – and set yourself up to be successful!

5. What would you like to accomplish through training with us?

Making assumptions about why someone might be hiring you will not set you up to be successful. Every client has their own reasons for taking the steps to hire a dog trainer.

Each client will have a different definition and vision of what success looks like and this question helps you all be on the same page. Knowing what they determine to be the goal of their dog training program will help you adjust their expectations and create a better plan to reach their goals.

Asking clients this question can also help you learn more about what they care about. You can then turn around and use this information in your marketing to attract clients that value your services for the right reasons. Learning about the way they see your services and their relationships with their dog can help you better position yourself in the marketplace.