SpokAnimal C.A.R.E

SAFER is a seven item assessment that identifies a dog’s comfort level with restraint and touch, reaction to new experiences including movement and sound stimuli, bite inhibition, behavior around food and toys, and arousal level toward other dogs.  By using SAFER, we are able to more accurately communicate to our adopters about what they should expect, and how to best manage a dog in their home.

• Look item: determine how the dog responds when lightly restrained and given soft yet direct eye contact from a stranger.

• Sensitivity item: determine the dog’s sensitivity to touch from a stranger; fearfulness toward new experiences may be noted as well.

• Tag item: determine the dog’s response to movement and sound stimuli; identify dogs with potential dominance aggression or fear aggression.

• Squeeze item: determine the dog’s sensitivity response, bite inhibition, acceptance of being held or touched, and what he chooses to do when given warning that something will happen a second time.

• Food Behavior item: identify food aggression and any behaviors which could benefit from behavior modification now to prevent future problems.

• Toy Behavior item: identify possible possession aggression and any behaviors which could benefit from behavior modification now to prevent future problems.

• Dog-to-Dog Behavior item: identify dog-to-dog aggression or potentially challenging behaviors to make known which dogs would benefit from behavior modification and “meet and greets” or need placement in a home without other dogs.

Dogs that score “1s” and “2s” on their assessment are at a lower probability of aggression than dogs that score “3s,” “4s” and “5s.” Dogs that score “3s” may be safe and inhibit their bite, but they could be made safer by putting them on a behavior modification program. Dogs that score “4s” may have serious fear or intolerance issues and should either receive behavior modification training and then be reassessed or only be adopted out to experienced adopters ready to manage the dog’s issues. Dogs whose behavior during one of the first four assessment items score a “5” have the highest probability to be a serious danger to staff, volunteers and visitors to the facility. These dogs may respond well to behavior modification or they may not.