Body Language
Primary objective of reading body language is to avoid being injured or placing the animal in a stressful
situation.
Key to safe handling is to recognise stress signals and avoid escalation.
S.O.D.A:
Stop- Stop everything that you are doing or thinking about that is not related to the animal. Animals live
in the moment and we need to be there with them.
Observe- Observe the animal from outside of their kennel for 10-15 seconds.
Does the animal approach or retreat?
Describe to yourself what the animal is doing in objective observations.
Check the environment and medical history to find out if there is anything that can explain the
animal’s behaviour.
Decide- Decide what the best course of action based on the observations you just made.
Do not handle any animal that you do not feel comfortable handling. If you do not feel like you
can handle an animal, tell your supervisor.
Act- Base you action with the animal on your observations and decisions you have just made but be sure
to remain flexible.
If the animal’s behaviour changes you need to be ready to change your behaviour too.
Primary objective of reading body language is to avoid being injured or placing the animal in a stressful
situation.
Key to safe handling is to recognise stress signals and avoid escalation.
S.O.D.A:
Stop- Stop everything that you are doing or thinking about that is not related to the animal. Animals live
in the moment and we need to be there with them.
Observe- Observe the animal from outside of their kennel for 10-15 seconds.
Does the animal approach or retreat?
Describe to yourself what the animal is doing in objective observations.
Check the environment and medical history to find out if there is anything that can explain the
animal’s behaviour.
Decide- Decide what the best course of action based on the observations you just made.
Do not handle any animal that you do not feel comfortable handling. If you do not feel like you
can handle an animal, tell your supervisor.
Act- Base you action with the animal on your observations and decisions you have just made but be sure
to remain flexible.
If the animal’s behaviour changes you need to be ready to change your behaviour too.
