How shelters assess dog behavior significantly affects adoption success and euthanasia rates, with mounting evidence that many assessment tools are unreliable.
Shelter behavior assessment has enormous welfare stakes: dogs labeled aggressive on the basis of unreliable tests may be euthanized for behaviors that reflect acute stress rather than true temperament. The welfare harm operates in both directions — inaccurate assessments that miss genuine behavior problems can lead to failed adoptions and relinquishment, while overly punitive assessments condemn treatable dogs. The evidence supports moving toward multi-day, multi-context behavioral evaluations conducted after decompression periods, combined with structured observation during foster placement to assess true behavior in home environments before final adoption decisions.