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Understand the moment
Write an observation someone else can use
A useful note is shorter than a confident story. It tells another adult what was observed, when the information was known and which question remains unanswered. It does not announce what the dog consented to.
Before: record the setting
Describe the event already known: a person sat down, a grooming tool appeared or the dog was resting on a rug. Do not add a theory about why the dog rolled over. VCA explains that the same body posture can occur with different motivations; a setting helps a professional ask better questions without pretending to reveal the answer.
During: describe what was seen
Use ordinary words for visible action and keep the parts of the body you did not observe unknown. A note can preserve a head turn or movement away. It cannot measure comfort from a photograph or calculate a safe handling plan. Never start or repeat contact in order to populate this field.
RSPCA: Understanding a dog's body languageVCA: Canine Communication - Interpreting Dog Language
After: preserve the actual ending
Record what happened after contact stopped only if that moment was observed. An unknown ending is not a relaxed ending. A dog leaving is not proof of a damaged relationship, and remaining nearby is not a certificate to resume touch. The note records a sequence rather than awarding a pass or fail.
Keep the question outside the record
Use the final question field for what you want to discuss, not as a place to enter a diagnosis. Private notes stay in this browser unless you download and share them. Save and download failures must stay visible. A complete record does not replace veterinary or qualified behavior advice, and a missing record must never delay it.
Original editorial record-keeping method, not a clinical assessment.