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Although many species of animals are used in AAA/AAT, HABIT only uses adult dogs, cats and rabbits. Consequently, medical and behavioral screening comments will be limited to those species. In addition, HABIT only utilizes owned animals. However, many of the following comments will also apply to animals from shelters. The primary obstacle to adequate medical and behavioral evaluation of shelter animals is the usual lack of any medical history and an opportunity to observe the animal’s behavior outside of a shelter setting.

Veterinary medical involvement is critical to the success of any program. For individual volunteers, you need to discuss the “job” you have in mind for your pet with your veterinarian. He or she will need to assess the health and suitability of your animal for the tasks it will be asked to perform.

HABIT has developed forms to record and document the four phases of our evaluation process. Others are free to utilize these forms if they remove the HABIT name. The four phases of evaluation are:

1. Medical evaluation by the pet’s veterinarian
2. Behavioral profile and history provided by the owner
3. Behavioral evaluation by an independent, qualified person
4. On-site monitoring

The medical evaluation is completed by the pet’s veterinarian. It includes places to record dates of vaccinations, diagnoses of diseases and conditions, and internal and external parasites. If also includes a place to record medical conditions that could influence placement (i.e., problems that might be complicated by certain types of visits). There is a limited list of zoonotic diseases on the HABIT Medical Evaluation Form. This list may need to be modified if the form is used in another region of the country.

The only vaccination required by HABIT is rabies, which is required by state law. Animals must be currently vaccinated for rabies. Although the other vaccinations are not required, most are an indication of a responsible owner. It is a tragedy for AAA/AAT programs as well as for the owner to lose an animal to a disease that could have been prevented through vaccination. External parasites (e.g., fleas and ticks) cannot be allowed in facilities and the veterinarian has new products for owners to use against these pests.

Medical evaluation should be done annually. HABIT provides its volunteers with a blank Medical Evaluation Form during the month prior to the month when rabies vaccination was given. In many areas, annual rabies vaccination is required and the volunteer can take the form in at the time of their annual visit for vaccination of their dogs and cats. In addition, many health regulatory authorities require that documentation of annual veterinary medical evaluation be on file in the facilities where AAA/AAT occurs.

The owner is asked to provide information on the animal by completing the Behavioral Profile and History form. This is where the owner can tell us about their pet. A critical question on this form is whether the animal has ever bitten anyone. If the answer is yes, the circumstances must be explored thoroughly. In some instances, the animal will be considered inappropriate for AAA/AAT because of liability concerns.

Once the Medical Evaluation and Behavioral Profile and History forms are received, the owner is contacted by a HABIT volunteer who is qualified to conduct a behavioral evaluation. This is usually a staff member of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. There is no charge for this evaluation.

The Behavioral Evaluation is done by an independent, qualified person – a person very familiar with the normal behavior of the species (i.e., dogs, cats, rabbits) and the types of tasks the animal will be performing. Our evaluation is based on one developed by Terry Ryan and Dr. Leo Bustad as published in Animals, Aging, and the Aged, University of Minnesota Press, 1980. The procedure was adopted for our use with permission of the authors.

The American Kennel Club has developed a similar evaluation procedure called The Canine Good Citizen Test. This evaluation is often conducted periodically by local kennel clubs and differs primarily from our test in that it is conducted with groups of people and their pets. Obviously, it is also restricted to dogs only. The Delta Society also has an evaluation process called Pet Partners. Pet Partners training is offered sporadically in various regions of the country.

As an example of how we evaluate animals, lets look at a typical evaluation of a dog. Comments on how cat evaluations differ follow.

Initial Observations

The evaluation actually begins when the evaluator approaches the owner and their dog. The evaluator is observing how the dog reacts to strangers. Does it step forward to greet the stranger? Does it move behind the owner and peak out at the stranger? We are not trying to identify dogs with specific personalities, but describe the personality of the dog. The dog’s personality is important in finding the best placement; making the best match between the dog and the facility.

Approach to the Dog

After the initial introductions, the evaluator will approach the dog, if it has not approached the evaluator. Often this is done with an outstretched hand (which could be perceived as a threat or greeting, depending on the dog), with the palm of the hand toward the evaluator (a less threatening position than if the dog was approached with the palm of the hand toward the dog which could be perceived as an attempt to grab the dog). The evaluator will look directly at the dog (which may be perceived as a sign of dominance by some dogs) and not speak (a somewhat unusual response since most dogs will expect strangers to greet them verbally).

Manners and Manageability

These evaluations are first done with the owner. Afterwards, the evaluator takes the dog out of the presence of the owner and repeats this set of tests and the ones following. Dogs must walk calmly on a leash. They do not have to be formally trained even though such dogs often do better in the program. Several dominance gestures (e.g., pressure on the top of the head, holding the muzzle or head, staring) are used to test the dog’s response to dominance signals. A strongly dominant dog may not be appropriate for AAA/AAT since the gestures that residents and clients use (e.g., petting) may be perceived by the dog as a challenge. Similarly, the strongly submissive dog may perceived the same gestures as threats and become fearful and even aggressive because of their fear.

Interacting with the Dog

This is play time and should be enjoyed by the dog and the evaluator. During this time, the evaluator may throw a ball. If the dog retrieves it, fine. If the dog does not retrieve it, fine. Again, we are simply trying to describe the dog’s personality. Other games may be played during this time during which the dog will be touched all over its body. Any sensitive areas are noted. Also during this session, the evaluator will see if the dog will allow itself to be placed on its back. This is an indirect measure of submissiveness. The dog is not forced on its back if it resists.

Stability

Toward the end of the play session, and when the dog does not expect it, a loud noise will be created. It is important to see how the dog responds because loud, unexpected noises may occur in the facilities where the dog is visiting. Similarly, at some point a toe or ear is pinched (the toe is not used it the dog has already exhibited sensitivity in this area). This is not a severe pinch but is designed to see how the dog will respond if accidently stepped on. Although it is the owner’s responsibility to protect their pet during visits, accidents can happen.

Temperament Profile

The evaluator completes the temperament profile. Again, we are not looking for a specific profile but are describing the dog’s temperament as an aid to placement.

After the evaluation, the evaluator summarizes their findings including any problem areas that need to be discussed with the owner. One frequently encountered problem is pulling on the leash. Depending on the severity of the problem, obedience training may be recommended followed by reevaluation. Another frequent problem is the dog and that is unsure of itself and nervous because of all of the new stimuli it encountered during the evaluation. Such dogs may become fearful and aggressive, and at the very least will not enjoy the visits. Suggestions on socialization may be given with reevaluation several months later. It has been our experience that these tests can identify the dominantly aggressive or potentially submissively aggressive dog, neither of which are appropriate for AAA/AAT.

Although most behavioral evaluations are done at the UTCVM, they are not done in the clinic area. Dogs and cats sense the clinical setting and may become nervous. Dogs are walked in the hallways away from the clinic where they encounter the same physical setting they are likely to encounter in a facility (e.g., tile and carpeted floors, elevators, stairs, etc.). They are also likely to encounter other strangers which gives the evaluator a chance to observe their response. Finally, the dog and evaluator enter a room, usually a lounge or conference room, with little semblance to the clinic. This is where the Manners and Manageability, Interacting and Stability tests are done.

The Behavioral Evaluation of cats is similar to dogs but may take longer to administer. Typically, the dog evaluation can be done in about 30 minutes. Cat evaluations may take closer to 45 minutes because after the cat is taken from the owner and released in the evaluation room, most cats will insist on exploring the room before they are ready to pay attention to the evaluator.

During visits, cats enter the facilities in carriers or in the arms of the owner. They are not released unless they are in a closed room (e.g., a individual visit in a client’s room) and such a procedure is approved by the facility and the HABIT head volunteer. The same criteria are applied to rabbits.

The HABIT program utilizes only adult animals. “Adult” is defined as a dog or cat that is at least nine months of age and we prefer them to be one year of age. Although puppies and kittens are very endearing and most people enjoy seeing them, there are three reasons why we restrict our animal volunteers to adults only. First, puppies and kittens usually have very brief medical histories, it any at all. They may be incubating diseases that could be transmissible to people or diseases that could become a risk to their lives because of the stress of visits. Further, rabies vaccination is not required by some states until the animal is at least three months of age. For legal reasons alone, dogs and cats that have not been vaccinated for rabies should not be used in AAA/AAT. Second, it is difficult to adequately evaluate the personality of a puppy or kitten. Their personalities are still forming and their response to perceived challenges and threats cannot be adequately evaluated. Third, young puppies and kittens do not have the body resources for the stress of some visits. Even a car ride to the site may exhaust some. Disease and behavioral problems can result from such stress that can jeopardize the health, and even life, of these little ones, which is against one of the basic tenets of the HABIT program – the animal must not be harmed and hopefully enjoys the visits as much as the owner.

Some of these same concerns should be considered when using animals from shelters. Rarely is there any medical history on these animals and vaccination, even if done at the shelter, will not necessarily be effective by the time visits occur, especially if the animal has had no previous vaccinations. Also, animals in shelters are already under stress, no matter how good the shelter is, because of the strange surroundings, new food, etc. This can increase the possibility of the animal shedding organisms that could be transmissible to humans. Further, because of the stress of the shelter environment, it can be difficult to adequately assess the personality of the animal. Some may be more aggressive or more submissive, frightened or nervous in the shelter setting.

After the animal has passed the behavioral evaluation and the Medical Evaluation Form and Behavioral Profile and History Form has been reviewed for any potential problems, the animal is approved for an initial visit. Prior to the initial visit by the animal, the owner has already visited the facility for their orientation. On the initial visit of the animal, the owner is accompanied by an experienced HABIT volunteer who gives tips on how to maximize the positive interactions. This initial visit is intentionally short, perhaps only 10-15 minutes. We want the animal to leave while it is still having fun. If the first visit goes well, subsequent visits will be lengthened slowly to a maximum of 45-60 minutes. Most animals will not maintain their attention, even if they are enjoying the visits, beyond this length of time.

Assessment of the new volunteer and their pet in the facility (on-site monitoring) is the final step. Many volunteers feel comfortable being on their own after this first supervised visit with their pet. However, others may be coached longer. Experienced volunteers are available to assist new volunteers even after this final step and the volunteer has a specific facility staff contact to go to if they have questions or problems.