If animals could talk human language, I would talk to them about how their daily lives have been, and if they were in pain at all by anything in the past. I would talk to a dog, or a cat. But mostly a dog due to the fact that we don't know if they're in pain. Yes, aggression could be one way a dog could be in pain but that isn't always the answer. I would ask the dog if they liked being well, a dog. And what do they like. Or if they'd like anything changed around in their life at all. Plus, have them talk about their own problems.