Animal Humane NM

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Behavior Services

SAFER™

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE WILL RECEIVE ANIMALS MONDAY - SATURDAY FROM 10:00 AM TO 4:00 PM, WITH RECEIVING CLOSED ON SUNDAYS.

ADOPTIONS WILL BE OPEN FROM 10 AM TO 6 PM DAILY, BOTH ADOPTIONS AND RECEIVING CLOSED FROM NOON TO 1:00 PM WEEKDAYS FOR LUNCH.

The ASPCA SAFER™ is a six-item aggression assessment utilized by Animal Humane to evaluate the behavioral health of dogs. All dogs six months and older receive this basic testing. It is one tool along with relinquishment surveys, veterinary examinations and observations from staff and volunteers that help determine adoptability.

SAFER™ (Safety Assessment for Evaluating Rehoming) was developed by Dr. Emily Weiss originally for the Kansas Humane Society of Wichita. Dr. Weiss’ research focused specifically on developing a set of assessment items that would better predict service dog potential in dogs selected from shelters. The SAFER™ assessment identifies dogs’ 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.

Shelters that employ SAFER™ or other research-based behavior assessments report fewer aggression complaints, more adoptions and better interactions with the public.

SAFER^TM Test Steps

Item 1: Look

Determines if the dog can accept mild head restraint and eye contact as well as the dog's behavior in social interactions with people when lightly restrained and receiving soft, yet direct, eye contact.

Item 2: Sensitivity

Determines the dog's touch sensitivity as well as fearfulness in new experiences.

Item 3: Tag

Determines the dog's response to movement and sound stimuli and identifies dogs with potential status-seeking or fear aggression issues.

Item 4: Squeeze

Determines the dog's sensitivity response, bite inhibition and acceptance of being held or touched in a mildly controlled and unpleasant manner.

Item 5: Food Behavior

Determines dog's behavior when interacted with while eating and identifies dogs with potential food aggression issues.

Item 6: Toy Behavior

Determines dog's behavior when interacted with while engaged with toys and identifies dogs with potential possession aggression issues.

Item 7: Dog-to Dog Behavior (optional)

Determines dog's behavior when presented with another dog on leash and identifies dogs with potential dog-to-dog aggression issues or limited social skills.

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Dog-to-Dog Introductions

Bringing a new dog into your household can add fun and companionship. Take these steps in the beginning to make the best first impressions.

• Introduce your new dog on neutral territory with each dog being handled by a different person. Taking a short walk together with both dogs is a good idea.

• Keep both dogs on leashes that are loose. Tension can cause unease.

• Allow the dogs to sniff each other and talk in a happy tone while they’re interacting. After a few seconds of sniffing, gently pull the dogs away, reward with treats and repeat after a few seconds break.

• Monitor the dogs’ body language. Loose bodies, open mouths and play bows (elbows on the ground and hind end in the air) are good signs. Body stiffness, teeth-baring, growling or prolonged stares are signs of potential aggression. If this type of body language is seen, interrupt and keep future interactions briefer.

• Once at home, all toys, chews and any favorite items should be picked up to avoid squabbles.

• Each dog should have his own food and water bowls – and should be feed separately, ideally in separate rooms. Bowls should be picked up after mealtimes.

• Keep playtime and interactions short in the beginning to avoid overarousal which can lead to aggression.

• Confine the dogs separately when you are not at home or cannot supervise.

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