Documenting Behavior Observations
Like data collection, documentation is a challenge in animal shelters. In an environment that’s ever-changing, creating consistency takes planning, diligence, and collaboration. That said, accurate and timely behavior assessments can provide you with a wealth of useful programming information while keeping you up-to-date on animals in your care, making the extra work well worth the effort. Let’s talk about the do’s and don’ts of documenting behavior in an animal shelter.
What is a Behavior Observation?
Behavior observation is the process of systematically documenting animals’ behaviors, responses to stimuli, and interactions with people and other animals. By monitoring behavior changes during daily rounds, you’ll be able to assess the emotional and physical health of the animals in your care and provide timely intervention when necessary.
Principles of Good Documentation
Be objective: One of the biggest barriers to good documentation is subjectivity. We’ve talked about how animal shelters struggle with standardization when collecting data, and the same can be said for documenting behaviors. Utilize tools like the ASPCA’s Glossary of Behavior Terms to build a standardized library of terms and definitions to fit your shelter, ensuring that each staff member is using clear and accurate verbiage when describing behaviors.
Know what you’re measuring: Laurie Lawless, founder of Shelter Behavior Integrations, suggests focusing on any stereotypical behavior when documenting behavior observations. Staff should be trained to recognize unusual behaviors, like excessive barking, and should have clear terminology to describe this behavior. Tools like the Canine and Feline Arousal Scales, the Canine and Feline Fear Scales, the Feline Aggression Scale, and the Holistic Quality of Life Assessment (hQoL) are great to utilize as you define your measurements.
Utilize appropriate software: The software you choose can have a big impact on the insights you gain from documentation. Laurie recommends using tools that are easy and convenient for your staff, “ideally a phone or tablet with software where you can directly pull up each animal’s profile, make a memo with your concerns, identify the type of concern, and make a plan to address the concern.”
It’s easy to get caught up doing other stuff–like running playgroups and spending time with the animals in your care–but it’s worth it to stay on top of documentation to improve the lives of everyone in your shelter.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistakes happen, but it’s important to intervene when they become routine. Keep an eye out for these common documentation mistakes and intervene in a timely manner to avoid bad habits that could jeopardize the health and safety of the animals in your care.
Over-interpreting behaviors: Like we mentioned above, subjectivity is the enemy of good documentation. That said, it’s so easy to let our own interpretations creep their way into our observations. Train staff to describe only what they see, and not what they assume about the behaviors they’re documenting.
Ignoring context: When it comes to animal behavior, context is important. Ignoring context can lead to inaccurate assessments and inappropriate placements. A dog under stress may act differently than they would in a home, and all observations should acknowledge the context in which a behavior is occurring.
Incomplete notes: We get it, distractions happen. That said, be sure that staff circles back to complete their thoughts in a timely manner to avoid incomplete observations.
Looking for hands-on support? Laurie’s here to grant your wishes.
Learn to Perform Behavior Observations With Shelter Behavior Integrations
We’ve outlined some general principles for documenting behavior in an animal shelter, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. We’ll be discussing how to actually perform behavior observations in our next blog, so stay tuned! In the meantime, check out the Shelter Behavior Integrations website to learn how to access hands-on support. In addition to her online resources, Laurie Lawless offers a number of in-person services for shelters who need a hand with anything from starting a playgroup to combating compassion fatigue. Schedule a discovery call with Laurie to start accessing support today.
