Assess three dogs for adoption readiness

What is going on

Three dogs in the adoption block have completed their 48-hour settling period: a young kelpie cross that pulls hard on the lead, a middle-aged staffy cross surrendered because of resource guarding around food, and a senior greyhound transferred from the rehoming partner. None can be listed for adoption until a behavioural assessment is completed and reviewed. The Senior Behaviour Trainer wants each assessment recorded on the standard template with a second worker present, scores and observations entered in the Animal Register and, where needed, an enrichment and handling plan that the kennel team can follow from the kennel card.

Your brief

Conduct and document a structured behavioural assessment for each dog, recommend an outcome pathway with clear reasons, and produce enrichment and handling plans that improve welfare and set up successful adoptions.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

• Read the Behavioural Assessment Report Template and the Animal Welfare Policy, and confirm each dog's health status and medications in the Animal Register before assessing.
• Plan the assessment environment and the role of your second worker, including the stop rules for escalating fear or aggression.
• Complete the template for each dog, scoring every observation area and describing the specific behaviours you saw rather than summarising with a score alone.
• Interpret each assessment and recommend one outcome pathway with reasons an adopter could understand, paying particular attention to the resource guarding history.
• Write an enrichment and handling plan for any dog needing conditions or a behaviour modification program, with daily activities, training goals and a review date.
• Enter the scores, recommendations and plans in the Animal Register and update the kennel card handling notes.
• Brief the kennel supervisor and draft an adoption profile paragraph for each dog recommended for listing.

What someone in this role would produce

• Three completed behavioural assessment reports
• Enrichment and handling plans
• Animal Register updates
• Adoption profile paragraphs