Many trainers want to select their clients carefully. The clients should want to feel as if they are an elite group. I have steered away from this method, especially being in my second year of dog training. I want to be as open to as many people with dog problems as possible. Not only from a business perspective, but from a helping the dog perspective.
This becomes problematic though when you get a potential client who may not be up to doing the work. It's really not as simple as take the money and run. First of all, although I have never been asked to do it, I do offer a full refund of money if someone is not happy with the service. There are controls put in place with that (ie you must attend lessons, you must do the homework, you must state that you are unhappy at the first indication that you are unhappy) I have been lucky in that everyone has been honest and happy with the service......so far as I know.
As a trainer, the training relationship is very special with a dog. Especially if you are training a dog that comes in as a Board & Train situation with issues. You get very attached to that dog. So if a client isn't going to keep up the training, and ends up euthanizing the dog or giving the dog back to the shelter because they don't continue the work (not because it's the right thing to do); it can be fairly heartbreaking to the trainer. Quite frankly, that situation isn't worth any amount of money.
Any way, just some thoughts after speaking to potential and closed clients this week. The one client it seems I ran off, was not interested in training, just an evaluation. Those are always the sadest cases, and I really wish people would take the time to train their dog. It's irresponsible not to give that to your dog, just as you would food, water, shelter, exercise, and discipline.
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