SAFERŪ scores correlate with probability of aggression as follows:
Dogs who score 1s and 2s are less likely than dogs who score 3s, 4s, or 5s to bite when handled in a mildly stressful or moderately awkward manner under ordinary living situations.
Dogs who score 3s may be safe and inhibit their bite. They could be made safer by putting them on a behavior modification program.
Dogs who score 4s may have serious fear or intolerance issues. These dogs should either receive behavior modification training and then be reassessed, or be adopted out only to experienced adopters ready to manage the dog's issues.
Dogs who score 5s in any of the first four assessment items have the highest probability of being a serious danger to staff, volunteers, and visitors to your facility. These dogs may or may not respond well to behavior modification. They should be handled only by the shelter's most experienced staff until their disposition is determined.
Dogs who score 4 or 5 on the Food Behavior item and 1s or 2s in all other assessment items may benefit from the Food Guarding and I Hold the Resources behavior modification protocols.
Dogs who score 4 or 5 on the Dog-to-Dog Behavior item and 1s or 2s in all other assessment items should be watched carefully during other interactions with dogs in your facility. These dogs may also benefit from the Reactivity toward Other Dogs protocol.
Scoring Example
The following video demonstrates a SAFER assessment from start to finish with a dog named Sally. Download the scores for Sally's assessment.
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