Behavior Logs

Let's take a behavior baseline!

Taking a behavior baseline matters because it tells you what is actually happening before you change anything. Without that starting point, it is easy to rely on memory, frustration, or hope and misjudge whether the dog is improving. A good baseline gives you a valid before-and-after comparison, lets you see whether a plan is working, and tells you when the plan needs to be adjusted rather than continued blindly.

Logs are the easiest way to build that baseline. They help you spot patterns you might otherwise miss: recurring triggers, time-of-day effects, who was present, how often the behavior happened, how long it lasted, and how quickly the dog recovered. Tracking change over time is important too because behavior problems are often affected by antecedents and trigger stacking, so a dog may react “out of nowhere” when several stressors have piled up.

There are several options for taking a log. You can do it by hand, by phone or by spreadsheet. Our favorite option is by using a spreadsheet -- we have included a handy template for you!