I always consider it a privilege to be invited into someone's home to help with their dog. During our initial conversation, I try to get as much information as possible, about the person or family, the dog, the problem(s) they are having, what they have tried so far and any training, class or private, they have done. I have found ta\hat most people give pretty good information, within the scope of their knowledge. I always have some basic ideas of how I plan to approach the situation; I am also prepared to throw them out and start over when I assess the situation, if necessary. I always assume that people who take the time to call and set up an appointment and pay me to come really want to solve a problem or problems.
Recently I worked with a family who had a 3-4 year old dog, medium sized, of a breed with which I was not familiar. When we spoke on the phone, the woman told me that if she couldn't get the dog under control, she would be finding it a new home, even though the thought made her sad.
We had a good lesson. The whole family took turns, one at a time, working on the "come" command as well as walking on a leash without pulling. I did not see the extreme energy level that she spoke of on the phone. She took a few notes and got the family's buy-in on working daily with the dog.
When we spoke in my follow-up call, she said they were doing well.
A few weeks later she called to talk about the dog. She said the dog was still too hyper for her, and that she didn't have the time to run the dog several miles every morning, and was thinking she needed to give the dog to the breeder...what did I think? I told her that if the dog was not a good fit for her and her family, that was the best option, and certainly better than a shelter. She seemed very pleased with my answer, and wanted it affirmed several more times. At the end, she thanked me so much for all of my help!
Hindsight being what it is, I can't help but wonder if this was not what she wanted to do all along. Perhaps she didn't realize it, but she needed to work through a process to feel that she had done all that she could...I have no problem with that. In this case, that is what they needed from a dog trainer.
