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Writing Behavior Reports

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©Animal Behavior Associates, Inc. May not be used without express permission

How To Write a BehaviorReport

Suzanne Hetts, PhD, CAAB

Daniel Estep, PhD, CAAB

Nancy Williams, MA, ACAAB, RVT

This presentation represents copyrighted intellectual property andcannot be used in whole or in part for other purposes by anyone

other than the authors.






Needs For Reports• Private consult report to veterinarian

– Aggression

– Non-aggression

• Owner requested evaluation / riskassessment– AC violation – your testimony

– Divorce case

• Court ordered– Animal control

– Lawsuit – expert witness






Needs For Reports• Service dog

– Safety

– Appropriate training / selection

• Other agencies– Social services

– Nursing facilities, hospitals – therapydogs

– Doggie day cares, boarding kennels






Reports, You and Your Business• Good reports increase credibility

– Bad reports lose it

• Reports to veterinarians and otherreferral sources can build yourbusiness– Marketing tool

– Professional response

– Part of complete care






Report to Veterinarian• Veterinary input and feedback to the trainer

is vital in treatment of behavior cases

• Progress review keeps the veterinarianupdated on outcome

• Develop veterinary confidence in referralsto trainers and behaviorists.






Components of Good Reports• Structure of report and details will

depend on reason for it

• In general – at its most simple– Signalment including presenting problem

– What you did, what you saw

– What your conclusions/ concerns are

– Your recommendations

– Future follow-up plans






Report to Veterinarian• Thank you for your referral of

– Client Name and Pet’s Name

– Regarding – presenting problem• Destructiveness when alone

• Excessive barking

• Inability to get along with family pets

• Etc.

• In way that client or veterinarian described it-may be different from what is going on






Report to Veterinarian• Type of appointment and when

– In home consult

– Private training session

– Telephone consultation

• What you did– Behavioral interview – summary of

– Observations / interactions• Can provide detail if want

– If you read medical reports






Report to Veterinarian• Your findings

– Describe observations in what settings

– Your interpretation based on all the inputfrom the sources you’ve mentioned

• “behavioral diagnosis” or analysis

– Also can reference literature if needed

• Your recommendations– Summary of behavior modification or

training plan






Report to Veterinarian– Your concerns about the future

– Your predications about outcomes if youwant to make them

• I believe the problem will be easily resolvedbased on type of problem, this dog’scharacteristics and family commitment.

• I am concerned about the danger the dogrepresents to family members and others

• I am not confident the behavior can bemodified even with appropriate procedures






Report to Veterinarian• What you or owner might need from

veterinarian – you or owner

– Speak with you about meds

• Not “I believe Fido needs meds”

– Discuss further medical tests

• What did you observe that leads you to thinkmay have medical influence

• Frequency of urinations, limping






Report to Veterinarian• Not suggesting a medical diagnosis – “I think

Fido has hip dysplasia or needs a thyroidtest”

– Speak with you about diet

• Not “I think Fido needs a low protein diet”






Report to Veterinarian• What your follow-up plan is

– Next training meeting

– Phone or email follow-up

– Client initiated

• If they have questions, please contactyou

• Thanks again for the referral






Report to Veterinarian• Aggression problems

– Include statement of risk/warnings tofamily

• I told the Smiths that Fido should not bearound children unsupervised

• I told the Smiths that I do not think it is safefor Fido to greet visitors at the door unlesshe is leashed or muzzled.

• I am concerned about the safety of theSmith’s elderly father with Fido.






Report to Veterinarian• Can include copy of

recommendations to clients

• Can include business cards

• Make sure is on letterhead– Envelope too!

– Ask veterinarian delivery methodpreference

– email report (PDF), mail, fax, combo






Report to Veterinarian• Send within 1 week or less

– If later include any follow-up info

– Can do subsequent reports to keepveterinarian informed

– We usually didn’t unless – meds,medical condition






Be Objective• Descriptions

– Dog is chewing dry wall

– Dog growled when I made eye contact

• Use descriptions and facts as rationalefor interpretations– Based on the pattern of occurrence,

Fido’s age and the objects damaged, Ibelieve Fido’s destructiveness is due toplay behavior rather than separationanxiety.






What to Avoid• Anthropomorphism

– Fido seems not to know the differencebetween right and wrong and is trying tohide the “evidence” from his owner.

• “Pseudo-science”– Dogs with high prey drive will often

chase children

– Fido’s herding instinct is motivating hisbehavior.






Be Clear• Facts –

– what you saw, what you were told

• Interpretations

– Conclusions based on facts

– Provide basis /rationale

• Speculation/ Opinion

– Qualify

– In my experience

– In my opinion






Review Sample Reports toVeterinarian






Evaluation Reports• Need for precise language

• If involves aggression, write asthough it will appear in court

• Client’s name

• Signalment– Breed, age, sex, reproductive status

• Been asked (by whom) to render anopinion about --






Evaluation Reports– Fido’s behavior at the bus stop when a

child was bitten

– The likelihood Fido initiated thealtercation with the neighbor’s dog

– The advisability of keeping Fido in thehome

– Whether rescue or shelter should acceptdog






Evaluation Reports• May provide summary of history and

occurrences of aggressive episodes

– Time line, chronology of episodes

– Total number of episodes

– What owners have done

• What you did

• What documents/materials youreviewed






Evaluation Reports• Discuss points we covered in Risk

Assessment class

– Dog factors

– Environmental factors

– Victim factors

– Family factors






Evaluation Reports• Can discuss

– How generalized the behavior

– Degree of warning

– Bite intensity

– Ease of inhibition

– Ease of interruption

– Consistency / predictability






Evaluation Reports• Suggest reason/ motivation for

behavior– Fearful / defensive

– Pain elicited

– Guarding food

– Personal space

– Redirected behavior

• May want to say what it isn’t and why






Evaluation Reports

• Suggest contributing factors

– Inadequate socialization

– Breed tendencies

– History of physical punishment

– Pain

– Genetic predisposition

• Behavior of littermates






Evaluation Reports• Recommendations / Conclusions

– Rationale for

– Experience/ opinion

– Data based study with results relevant tothis situation

– Knowledge of animal behavior






Review Sample Report 3Review Sample Report to OwnerReview Sample Report to Shelter

Copyright 2009. Animal Behavior Associates, Inc. All rights reserved. Not to be reprinted or copiedwithout written permission.

HOW TO WRITE A BEHAVIOR REPORTTele-Webcast Course from

Animal Behavior Associates, Inc.Instructors:

Daniel Estep, Ph.D., CAABSuzanne Hetts, Ph.D., CAAB

Nancy Williams, M.A., RVT, ACAAB

Course Outline

I. What situations call for a behavior report?A. Private consultation report to veterinarianB. Owner requested evaluation/risk assessmentC. Court ordered evaluationD. Service animalsE. Other agencies

II. The value of good reportsIII. Reports to veterinarians or others following a referred consult

A. Why do them?B. Components of good referral reports

1. Client’s name, signalment and presenting problem2. What you did and what you saw, including potential medical

symptoms3. Your conclusions and concerns4. Your recommendations5. Plan for future follow-ups with client6. Be objective and clear7. What to avoid8. Updates to veterinarian on animal’s progress

IV. Evaluation reportsA. Why do them?B. Components of good evaluation reports

1. Client’s name, case number & legal description if available2. Signalment3. Who requested report or how you came to do it4. Who you are and your credentials (may not be necessary)5. Basis for the report6. Summary of history of animal7. Summary of history of problem8. What you did and what you saw9. Suggestions of causes and/or motivations10. Suggestions of contributing factors11. Conclusions and recommendations

V. Review of sample reportsVI. Case study of referred case and reportVII. Critique of student reports


Sample Report to VeterinarianBehavior problem other than aggression

[LETTERHEAD]

DATE

VETERINARIAN’S NAMEHOSPITAL NAMEADDRESS

Dear Dr. ****,

Thank you for your referral of your client [NAME] concerning her cat [NAME] and herurination outside the litterbox. I conducted a telephone consultation with [CLIENT’SNAME] today, Wednesday, November 28, 200*. Based on the behavioral interview, Ithink there are several possible reasons why [PET’S NAME] is not using the boxconsistently. These include a leaky pipe above the litterbox, increased harassment from S(other cat), characteristics of the boxes [PET’S NAME] may not like, and [PET’SNAME] not feeling well prior to being on thyroid medication.

I recommended that [OWNER’S NAME] decrease the depth of the litter in several of thelitterboxes and switch to an unscented brand. In addition, I suggested moving two of theboxes to different locations. The soiled areas need to be deodorized with Anti-Icky-Poo™ and their surfaces made less attractive to [PET’S NAME] using upside downcarpet runners.

We also discussed ways to decrease any conflict between S. and [PET’S NAME] byplaying more with S., and giving private playtime to [PET’S NAME]. The boxes alsoneed to be cleaned on the weekends, which the family isn’t currently doing.

Because this was a telephone consultation, I emailed [CLIENT’S NAME] herrecommendations. Should you desire a copy, please either email or telephone our officeand we’ll be happy to email or mail you a copy.

[CLIENT’S NAME] will be calling for follow-up consultations to monitor [PET’SNAME] progress. Should you have any questions regarding this case or if I or Dr. Estepcan be of assistance to you or your other clients please don’t hesitate to contact us.Thanks again for your referral.

Sincerely,

Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D.Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist


Sample Report to VeterinarianAggression Problem

LETTERHEAD

DATE

Dr. S**** T***NAME OF VETERINARY HOSPITALADDRESS

Dear Dr. T***,

Thank you for your referral of your clients NAMES concerning the threateningand aggressive behavior of their dog FIDO. I conducted an office consultation withCLIENT NAMES today, DATE. Based on that interview and observations of FIDO, Ibelieve that FIDO is a dangerous dog. FIDO was muzzled during the appointment, buthe attempted to bite both me and a veterinarian observing the appointment several times,even though we made no attempt to interact with him. This behavior was in response tominor stimuli, some of which were not directed at FIDO, such as OWNER raising hisarm and when I made eye contact with FIDO. FIDO’s aggression is therefore out ofproportion to the situation. Previous incidents indicate that when he does bite, he doesn’tbite just once and then stop, but bites multiple times. Because of his arousal level, hisuninhibited and repeated biting and the fact that he rarely gives warning before biting, Ido not believe his behavior can be successfully changed or modified. I recommended toOWNER NAMES that unfortunately I do not see any alternative other than euthanasia asit would not be ethical to attempt to place FIDO in another home, given his bite historyand his current behavior.

If you have any questions about these recommendations, or if we can be of help to any ofyour other clients, please don’t hesitate to call us.

Sincerely,


cc TRAINER WHO REFERREDRescue Group


Sample Report to OwnerAggression Problem

LETTERHEAD

DATE

OWNERS’ NAMESADDRESS

Dear F** and L**,

What follows is a summary of the factors we discussed during the evaluation of FIDO.

We discussed the following characteristics of FIDO’s behavior:1) In how many situations is the behavior displayed?

Is the aggression limited to one or two very specific situations such as growlingover food, or if disturbed on the couch, or does it appear in a relatively wide variety ofcontexts – if you touch him, try to take food away, get too near one of his possessions,etc.We determined FIDO’s aggression was generalized to a variety of situations, and to bothfamily and non-family members.

2) How much warning does FIDO give before he bites?Does he growl, stare, show his teeth, etc. so that there is enough time for you to

cease what you are doing that triggered the behavior, before FIDO bites. Or, does he bitewith little warning, give you little or no opportunity to avoid being bitten.We determined that FIDO often gives little warning – just lunges and bites. He maysometimes get a ‘certain look’ about him, but this precedes the bite by only a fewseconds.

3) How intense is the behavior?Are the bites inhibited – merely touching you, perhaps not leaving a mark, or only

a minor wound such as a red mark or a bruise. Or, does the bite result in injury.We determined that FIDO’s biting has been somewhat inhibited when directed at eitherof you, but that he has broken skin. The bite to the trainer required four stitches. Basedon my observations of his behavior during the consultation, I believe he would haveinjured both Dr. B**** and me when he attempted to bite us had he not been muzzled.

4) How easy is it to get FIDO to inhibit the behavior?If you say “NO”, or some other word of discipline, can FIDO be prevented from

biting, or stopped if he is biting? Or once he starts into an attack is it hard for him tostop.We determined that it was not possible to stop FIDO once he becomes aroused and startsto bite. He doesn’t listen to you, and you also reported that even after he was separated


by a baby gate from J***, your trainer, that he continued to try to get to her through thebaby gate.

5) Is the intensity of his behavior correlated with the intensity of the stimulus whichtriggers it?

Is FIDO delivering intense bites in response to relatively harmless stimuli?We determined that FIDO’s reactions were completely out of proportion to the situation.J***’s bite required four stitches, in response to merely attempting to put a Gentle Leaderon FIDO. His biting attempts toward us during the appointment were in reaction toinnocuous stimuli – F*** raising his arm, me making eye contact with FIDO.

The characteristics of FIDO’s behavior on all of these elements combine to form a poorprognosis for resolution. I understand your attachment and love for FIDO but I do notbelieve his behavior is modifiable and that he can be safely kept as a companion animal.I do not believe his problems resulted from your treatment of him. Even if you were‘permissive’ in your relationship with him, that alone cannot account for the existence ornature of his aggression. I feel it much more likely that he did not receive adequatesocialization as a puppy, that he was likely neglected in his first home, and perhapsinappropriately punished with interactive, physical punishment from his owners. It islikely that this combined with some genetic tendencies for a low aggression threshold, toproduce the existing behavior.

I know how upset you are about having to make a decision for euthanasia for FIDO, but Ido believe it is the right one for all concerned. Ultimately, more and more restrictionswould have to be placed on FIDO’s behavior and his quality of life would then suffer aswell. Let me know if I can provide additional information.

Sincerely,


cc TRAINER WHO REFERREDRESCUE GROUP


Sample Report to VeterinarianAggression Problem

[Written on ABA letterhead]

June 3, 20XX

Dr. A.Veterinary Clinic NameAddress

Dear Dr. A.,

Thank you for the referral of your clients J. and E. Smith regarding the aggressivebehavior of their dog Fido. I conducted an in-home consultation with J. and E. on JuneX, 20XX. Based on that interview and observations of Fido, I think the aggression in thepast was motivated by fear. I believe it is possible that Fido could become aggressive totheir son O., although there is no sign of it at present. I warned them of this possibility.

I recommended that J. and E. and their family never leave Fido and O. alone together andthat they begin to desensitize Fido to being touched, hugged and manipulated by O. Irecommended specific procedures that may help in this process. I also recommended thatthey begin to teach O. how to touch Fido. I scheduled follow-up telephone consultationsto monitor progress. A copy of my recommendations is enclosed.

If you have any questions about our recommendations or if I or my associate, Dr.Suzanne Hetts, can be of help to you or your clients, please don’t hesitate to contact us.Thanks again for your referral.

Sincerely,

Daniel Q. Estep, Ph.D.Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist


Sample Evaluation Reportfor a Shelter

[Written on ABA letterhead]

Animal Behavior Associates, Inc.4994 South Independence WayLittleton, CO 80123-1906303-932-9095 Fax [email protected]

November XX, 200X

Ms. E.A.ABC Shelter123 ABC AvenueDenver, CO 80101

Dear Ms. A.,

As per your request, I am providing you with this written evaluation of the dogFido that is a resident of the ABC Shelter. I am basing this evaluation on an interview Ihad with you and your associate Mr. C. on November XX, 200X and behavioralobservations of Fido made at the same time. My partner, Dr. Suzanne Hetts, also tookpart in Fido’s evaluation and has provided input and observations concerning hisbehavior. I also made use of Fido’s medical records you made available to me. I am alsobasing my conclusions on my review of the animal behavior literature. This included S.Hetts, Pet Behavior Protocols, What to Say, What to Do, When to Refer, 1999, AAHAPress and P.L. Borchelt & V.L. Voith, Aggressive behavior in Dogs and Cats, In Voith,V.L. & Borchelt, P.L. (eds) Readings in Companion Animal Behavior, 1996, pp. 217-229, Veterinary Learning Systems.

As I understand from you, Fido is a 5 year old, neutered male mixed breed dog.From what I learned from you and Mr. C. and the medical records, Fido came to ABCShelter in 2005, relinquished by his owner. He was housed at the shelter until 2008,when he was fostered with two different families between 2008 and 2009. When he washoused at the shelter he was reported to have bitten several people. The number of bitesand circumstances are unknown. He was also reported to have bitten both the husbandand wife who last fostered him. It is this aggressive behavior that is the subject of theevaluation. It appears that Fido becomes aggressive when people touch him or attempt totouch him. He is reported to be unpredictable when he is aggressive and unpredictablewith different people.

When Mr. C. brought Fido into the office area where we evaluated him, heappeared anxious and excited and only mildly friendly to me and Suzanne. He was very


friendly and relaxed around Mr. C. and tolerated petting and handling from him. We satand talked for about an hour and a half with Fido around us. He showed no signs ofthreat or aggression during that meeting except when he approached several times bySuzanne and touched with a feather on a string and a plastic “arm” in attempts to pet him.He growled, snarled and snapped at the hand and the feather but did not actually bite.

Later, Suzanne used tasty food treats and lured Fido to her, where he took thetreats from her hand and showed more friendly and relaxed behavior.

Dogs can become aggressive to people for many different reasons. A person,even one to whom the dog has previously shown friendly behavior can be injured if a dogbecomes highly fearful of that person in what is termed fear motivated aggression. It iscommon for animals to become fearfully aggressive to people that touch the animal ifthat touching produces or has produced pain in the past. From the medical recordsprovided to me, it appears that Fido has had a history of pain in his hips and theaggression could have originated as a response to the pain. Even if the pain no longeroccurs, the fear developed as a result of the pain can persist. This is the likeliestexplanation for Fido’s behavior.

As Suzanne and I explained to you, we do not think that Fido is a good candidatefor adoption at least at this time. We think that the risk to other people that come intocontact with Fido is small, if they don’t try to touch or handle him, but the risk is muchhigher if people attempt to handle him. Since this is likely to happen in an adoptionhome, it makes him unsafe for adoption. We also believe that it is possible to decreasehis aggressiveness and make him safer around other people with the proper behaviormodification. We have recommended a plan for changing his behavior which is attachedto this evaluation. It is possible that this could make him safe enough to interact withpeople in a structured shelter or sanctuary environment.

If you have any questions about my evaluation please don’t hesitate to call me.

Sincerely,

Daniel Q. Estep, Ph.D.Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist


Sample Report 3Report for Legal Case

LETTERHEAD

DATE

TO:

From: Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D, Certified Applied Animal BehavioristAnimal Behavior Associates, Inc. (include signature)

RE: Owner’s name, and/or pet’s name and or legal case #

I have been asked to render an opinion regarding [Joe Smith’s] dog [Fido] and hisbehavior [DESCRIBE SITUATION]. Specifically, should [Joe Smith] have known,based on [specifics of the case - Fido’s previous aggressive episode toward another dog,that Fido would be likely to show aggression toward a person during the incident inquestion. ]

In rendering this opinion I have reviewed [what documents] and [performed an in-personevaluation of Fido which I will describe – if you evaluated the dog] . I have spoken with[NAMES]. I have also reviewed the relevant literature, as cited below, and relied on myscientific education in animal behavior as well as my experience since 1981 working withproblem behaviors in companion dogs and cats.

Opinion Regarding Fido’s Behavior

There are several possible motivations for [Fido’s] behavior toward [other dog,]. Onepossibility is redirected aggression. There are reports in the materials I reviewed thatimmediately prior to [THE INCIDENT], Fido had seen a cat and attempted to chase it.This was most likely predatory behavior. Fido could easily have redirected this behaviorto [victim]. The animal control narrative states that [owner] did not recall Fido growling,barking or snarling. The lack of vocalizations would be consistent with predatorybehavior, which is usually silent (predators don’t generally warn prey of their approach).

Another possibility is territorial behavior, in which Fido was reacting to [victim] as aninterloper onto his territory. Because Fido ran a considerable distance toward [victim], itis clear that her behavior was not fear motivated.

Risks Associated With Intervening in “Dog Fights”

Ms. X was injured when she attempted to [describe situation, in this case intervene in dogfight]. [Give supporting evidence] - In [document], Ms. X is reported to have stated that


it was “clear that the [aggressing dog] was not intending to bite her, but she got in theway of the two dogs”.

[Discussion of victim behavior which in this case was relevant]. The danger inherent inputting oneself in between dogs that are fighting is common knowledge. All one has todo is “google” the phrase “breaking up dog fights”, and find numerous examples. [Giveexamples]Other options available to Ms. X were [DESCRIBE – wait for owners, grab somethingother than mouth/collar, etc. ]

Predicting Behavior

Other than [Fido’s] one aggressive episode toward [**], I have no clear informationdescribing [Fido’s] typical behavior toward other dogs. It is my understanding that[Fido] could be walked in the neighborhood and there is no evidence he displayedaggression toward other dogs at the veterinary hospital or other contexts in which hewould have encountered other dogs.

One of the predictors of future behavior is past behavior. [Fido] has no past history ofdisplaying aggression to people. Therefore there are no previous aggressive incidentstoward people that would predict the likelihood of future aggression to people. [Add anysupporting examples]

It is well known in the ethological literature that aggression is context specific. To quotefrom one reference – “….modern ethologists would accept that canid aggression, likeaggression in every other species, is likely to be context dependent, and that a dog whichresponds aggressively in one situation is not necessarily likely to do so in others”.(Serpell and Jagoe, 1995). One study found no association between biting behaviordirected at people and aggression to unfamiliar dogs (Goodloe and Borchelt, 1998) andanother found no statistically significant correlation between aggression toward peopleand aggression toward other dogs (Sherman et al., 1996).

In my 25 years of experience working with individual owners and their pets, I have seenhundreds of aggression problems in dogs. My experience, as well as that of otherbehaviorists, indicates aggression toward other dogs is not a good predictor of aggressionto people. I have seen many dogs that are aggressive to people, and not dogs and viceversa.

Management of Fido

Based on [Fido’s] previous aggressive encounter with another dog, [Mr. Smith] shouldhave known that Fido could be aggressive toward unfamiliar dogs and not allowed Fidoto be in a situation in which he could injure another dog.

Opinion Regarding Report from [**]


I did not find this report very relevant or specific to [Fido’s] behavior. While it is truefear motivated aggression accounts for many of the aggression problems seen incompanion dogs, [Mr. X] gave no evidence or justification why he believed Fido’sbehavior toward the [victim] to be fear related.

If [Mr. X] believed Fido’s behavior toward [victim] to be fear motivated, therecommendations regarding leadership roles are not relevant. Fear motivated behaviorhas nothing to do with leadership and social status. The report does not reflect a careful,ethological analysis of Fido’s behavior specific to the incident.

Literature Cited

Goodloe, L.P. and Borchelt, P.L., 1998. Companion dog temperament traits. Journal ofApplied Animal Welfare Science 1: (4) 303-338.

Serpell, J. and Jagoe, J.A. Early experience and the development of behaviour. Pps. 79-102 in J. Serpell, Ed. The Domestic Dog: its evolution, behaviour, and interactions withpeople. Cambridge Univ. Press, NY

Sherman, C.K., Reisner, I. R., Taliaferro, L.A. and K.A. Houpt, 1996. Characteristics,treatment, and outcome of 99 cases of aggression between dogs. Applied AnimalBehaviour Science 47: 91-108.

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