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Behaviour incidents

Last updated September 21, 2026

A trainer taking reactive or aggression cases needs a formal record: what happened, when, and how bad it was. Not a note in a diary.

Why a scale

The Dunbar bite scale separates “the dog snapped and made no contact” from “the dog bit and broke skin”. Owners describe both with the same word, and they mean entirely different things about prognosis.

Recording one is not an accusation

Levels one and two are ordinary in reactive work. What matters is that the record is consistent and made at the time, not reconstructed later.

Level three and above

The dog is flagged for a vet-behaviourist referral, and stays flagged. The highest level ever recorded is the one that counts for planning, however many quiet sessions have followed.

1
Record it the same dayMemory reshapes these faster than you would think.
2
Note the antecedentWhat happened immediately before is the most useful field on the form.
3
Say what you didAnd whether the owner was told.
4
Follow up a level threeReferral advised, and the referral screen tracks it.

FAQ

Does recording this expose me?
The opposite, usually. Insurers and courts look far more kindly on a contemporaneous record than on a recollection. Ask your own insurer what they expect.

Do I tell the owner every time?
Levels one and two are a training conversation. Anything with contact should be reported and recorded as reported.