Pet Behaviour and Training Notes

Who this is for

A record of the behaviour itself rather than a training plan. Each line holds the day and time, what was going on, what the animal did, what you did and whether it helped. Written down at the time, it turns 'he has been odd lately' into something a vet or a trainer can work with.

Owners living with a behaviour they would like to understand, anyone asked by a vet or behaviourist to keep notes before an appointment, and households where several people see different parts of the picture.

What this helps you track

• What happened, and when — the date and the time of day
• What was going on at the time, and who or what was there
• What the animal actually did, described rather than interpreted
• What you did in response, and whether it helped
• The pattern across a fortnight, which no single incident shows

How to use it

1. Write the animal's name, the period the sheet covers and the vet or behaviourist you are working with at the top.
2. Add a line as soon after the event as you can, while the detail is still accurate.
3. Describe what happened rather than why you think it happened — 'barked at the window until the post had gone' rather than 'was jealous'.
4. Record the setting: where you were, who was there, what had just happened, what the weather or the noise was like.
5. Write what you did and how it went, using the last column for what you would try again.
6. Take the sheet to the appointment; it is the part of the history nobody can remember accurately.

Formats

• Printable PDF (A4 and US Letter)
• Fillable PDF with form fields
• Fill in online, saved in your browser

The printable is laid out inside a box that fits both A4 and US Letter, so the two files are identical and neither one is scaled. The fillable PDF has real form fields. The online version keeps what you enter in your own browser and builds the completed PDF on your device.

How to print

Download the A4 or US Letter file to match the paper in your printer, open it in a PDF reader and print at 100% — not "fit to page", which shrinks the writing space. Both files leave a 14 mm margin, which clears the unprintable edge on home printers. To print the online version with your entries in it, use the Print this sheet button, which prints only the sheet and none of the page around it. More on printing.

Questions

How is this different from a training log?

A training log records sessions on a skill and how they went. These notes record incidents as they happen, with the setting and what helped, which is what a vet or behaviourist asks for.

Does the sheet say what to do about a behaviour?

No. It has no advice and no method on it. Behaviour has medical causes as often as not, so anything that worries you belongs with your vet first.

How long do I keep notes for?

For as long as whoever asked for them wants, or until a pattern is obvious. There is no period printed on the sheet — write your own at the top.

Can several people write on the same sheet?

Yes, and it is worth it. Put initials in the notes so an account can be asked about later.

Can I keep it on screen?

The browser version saves in your own browser and downloads as a completed PDF, which is easy to email to a behaviourist before an appointment.