What to send on an intake video

Trainers cannot coach a myth. An intake video for residential or consult work exists to show the unpaid picture you actually live with — the door, the leash, the guest — so the month plan on how a residential month runs starts from facts. It is not a highlight reel, not a fake review, and not a reason to put anyone in danger for “good footage.”

I am Andrew Darov, a trainer from Russia who runs month-plus residential work. I am not a veterinarian. Paid work lives on work with me. Read board-and-train for the model questions; use this page for the media brief.

What should the clip show?

The problem, once, clearly. Whole dog in frame. Handler’s hands and leash visible if leash work is the issue. The real door or hallway, not a tidy substitute. Sound on if bark pitch or cue words matter. Light enough that coat color and tension are readable.

Show the picture you want changed. Do not stage a better dog for the camera.

US driveways and UK shared hallways both fail intake the same way: owners film only the “good” sit in the kitchen, then describe the crash in text. Text helps; the crash on video helps more — filmed with management so nobody gets hurt.

How do you shoot without making things worse?

1. Pick one primary picture per clip: door rush, on-leash lunge at a known distance, guest entry jump, crate protest. Label the file.
2. Frame: dog + handler + relevant furniture. Start recording a few seconds before the trigger if safe.
3. Duration: about 30–90 seconds of the event. Cut the five-minute preamble.
4. Safety: use gates, distance, and a second adult. Do not bait a fight or shove a fearful dog into panic for content. Severe aggression may be written description first — ask before you film.
5. Send a short note with goals, age, prior training, medical flags, and what success looks like at home. Pair with the phase map on how a residential month runs and the ask list on board-and-train.

If the dog’s body is the loud story — limp, collapse, sudden aggression — pause media production and use when to call the vet. Intake video is for learning pictures, not for delaying a clinic visit.

What are the usual failure modes?

• Staging a polite demo. The trainer needs the unpaid picture.
• Twenty-minute house tours. Short problem clips win.
• Baiting a bite for “proof.” Forbidden. Safety first.
• Fake testimonials as “intake samples.” Not on this site.
• No notes with the file. Context travels with the clip.
• Skipping board-and-train questions. Media does not replace methods, transfer, and red-flag checks.

Send clear, short, honest clips — then expect transfer and homework, not magic. For the stay shape, see how a residential month runs. For whether residential fits, see board-and-train. For paid work, use work with me.