Verbs, Not Labels: Better Dog Behavior Documentation + The News!
Better dog behavior documentation at your fingertipsNot a week goes by without me seeing something written about a shelter dog that makes me cringe. Well-intentioned staff members and volunteers, just trying to do their jobs, often write notes that actually hurt dogs' chances of finding a permanent home. Open-ended and subjective terms like "reactive," "aggressive," and "high-energy" have come to dominate shelter notes, confusing potential adopters, increasing length-of-stay, and stigmatizing great dogs. When I searched online, I could not find a single resource that gave animal shelters and rescues guidelines for documenting dog behavior in a fair, objective way. To solve this problem, we created our own resource. Check out the Documenting Common Dog Behaviors in Shelters Guide to help shelters and rescues to enter behavior notes the right way. Based on my work with hundreds of animal shelters and rescues, and reviewing thousands of the best and worst behavior notes out there, this document is informed by human services and social work documentation standards.
Inside, you'll discover easy-to-understand tips for shelter staff and volunteers at every level and give your the right language to replace problematic phrases like, "not good with cats," and "jumpy/mouthy" with objective, neutral language that is descriptive, not prescriptive. Download the Guide now and print it out for front-line staff to read and use. The News
I hope everyone is getting through this very hot summer and thinking about you all the time. Reach out and let me know how things are going in your neck of the woods! As always, thanks so much for subscribing and thanks for everything you do. Kristen |
