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Match-Up II

The Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) offers this unique resource as part of our commitment to help as many of our four-legged friends find homes as possible. ARL is very proud to offer Match-Up II, an evaluation and rehoming tool to all animal shelters in order to assist them in rehoming dogs in their care.

Match-Up II was developed at The Center for Shelter Dogs (CSD), formally a program of ARL. While CSD has recently relocated to Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, the ARL has retained Match-Up II and will continue to grow and support this great behavioral evaluation tool for animal shelters and rescues. More than just a behavior evaluation Match-Up II takes all behavioral information about each dog, intake history, evaluation and shelter behavior into account. This is all done online and will give you a triage report to best help rehome dogs. Designed to help shelters get a better understanding about the individual personality and needs of their dogs, Match-Up II lets you conduct the behavior evaluation with ease, calculate automatic personality and triage scores, and generate outcome reports with recommended training programs for specific problem behaviors.

Register today as a single Match-Up II user and get immediate access to all of the benefits mentioned above.

 

Click here to begin using Match-Up II

How to Use Match-Up II Online

 


Tools

Glossary of Terms

Approach Person/ Doll/ Dog

Dog approaching
Approach Person/ Doll/ Dog

The dog moves toward person, doll or dog reducing the distance between the dog and person, doll or dog. In the run and freeze, if the dog runs with person, consider this an approach. If the dog moves toward any person in the room, consider this an approach. View video clip.

Back Away

Backaway
Back Away

Dog intentionally increases distance from the stimulus while facing the stimulus, or walks away and then turns toward the stimulus and watches it. This behavior is often accompanied by fearful body postures such as tucked tail, crouches, cower, or ears back. Does not include a dog which walks away due to disinterest or interest in another stimulus. View video clip

Bark

Bark
Bark

A canine vocalization usually accompanied by an open mouth often occurring when dog is seeking attention, excited by stimuli or when anxious.

View video clip

Bite

Bite
Bite

Contact by teeth to skin or clothing with intention to threaten or harm.

Bring Toy Back

Bring Toy
Bring Toy Back

Dog picks up toy in mouth and carries it toward the person.

View video clip

Cower

Cower
Cower

Extreme lowering of body so that it is touching the ground or almost touching the ground, associated with other fearful/submissive body postures such as ears back and low or tucked tail.

Crouch

Crouch
Crouch

Slight lowering of body associated with other fearful/submissive body postures such as ears back and low or tucked tail.

View video clip

Doesn’t Recover

doesn't recover
Doesn’t Recover

A dog that shows extreme fear (cower, run away, trembles) continues to show the behaviors for 30 seconds or more (stops cowering, staying away or trembling) while stimulus is present (without changing distance, intensity, etc.).

Drop Toy No Command

Drop Toy No Command
Drop Toy No Command

Dog releases toy from mouth near person without being asked.

View video clip

Ears Back

Ears back
Ears Back

Dog flattens ears toward back of head.

Eat Food

eat foodEat Food

Dog puts food in mouth and swallows.

Eat Food Faster

eat food faster
Eat Food Faster

Dog takes bigger bites of food and/or takes more frequent mouthfuls.

Fearful of Cane

Fearful of Cane
Fearful of Cane

Fear response (moving/running away, ears back, tail low/tucked) while looking at cane.

View video clip

Grabs Clothes

Grabs Clothes
Grabs Clothes

Holds clothes of person in mouth.

View video clip

Grabs Leash

Grabs Leash

Grabs Leash

Dog takes leash in mouth.

Growl

Growl
Growl

Low-frequency vocalization.

View video clip

Head Whip

Head Whip
Head Whip

Quick turning of head toward provocation. No snap or bite.

Hide

Hide
Hide

Dog shields body by moving behind or under a person or object.

View video clip

Inhibited Bite

Inhibited Bite
Inhibited Bite

Bite which produces no wound or a superficial wound (scratch or abrasion) with minimal damage and no muscle bruising. If to rubber hand, contact by teeth is brief.

View video clip

Jump Up

Jump Up
Jump Up

Dog jumps on person, doll, or dog and touches the other individual with paws. A dog that jumps up but does not touch is a dog that jumps up but not on person/doll/dog.

Lick Person

Lick Person
Lick Person

Dog touches person, doll or dog with tongue.

View video clip

Lie Down/Lie on Side

Lie Down Lie on Side
Lie Down/Lie on Side

Dog places body on the ground either with chest and belly down or side down.

View video clip

Lip Lick

Lip Lick
Lip Lick

Dog licks lips. Although this behavior usually occurs related to a stimulus that the dog is mildly afraid of (1 on the personality fear score), some dogs lick their lips before eating (for example, on the wet food or pig’s ear sub-tests) This type of lip lick should not be scored as fear. View video clip

Mount

Mount
Mount

Dog jumps up and grasps body part of person or doll with front legs. Sometimes accompanied by hip thrusting.

View video clip

Mouthing

Mouthing
Mouthing

Teeth contact skin with no break often occurring with friendly signals.

Move Away With Pig’s Ear or Toy

Move Away with Pig Ears
Move Away With Pig’s Ear or Toy

The dog takes the ear or toy away in his mouth increasing the distance from the person.

View video clip

Nudge Person

Nudge person
Nudge Person

Dog pushes part of a person’s body with nose, muzzle or head.

Pause Eating

Pause Eating
Pause Eating

Dog stops eating but goes back to food and resumes eating.

Paw Person or Dog

Paw Person
Paw Person or Dog

Touches person or dog with paw, or moves paw in the area around either. Often used to solicit play.

View video clip

Piloerect

Pilo Erect
Piloerect

Raising of hair on back anywhere from neck to tail.

View video clip

Playful with Cane/Doll/Hand

Playful with Cane/Doll/Hand

Exhibits play behavior in response to cane/doll/hand (play bow, tug of war, tail wag).

View video clip

Play Bow

Play Bow
Play Bow

Lowering of body in front and raising the body behind, looking like a bow. Is a friendly invitation to play and is often associated with other friendly body postures (tail wag). Occasionally a dog will lower the whole body and not raise the hind quarters, this is still considered a play bow.

Play Growl

Play Growl
Play Growl

A growl not accompanied by stiffening of body usually associated with playing tug with an object.

View video clip

Reactive to Tethering

Reactive to Tethering
Reactive to Tethering

Shows fear response (crouch, ears back, tail low/tucked) or increased activity (jumping, pulling, pacing) after being tethered.

Recovers

Recovers
Recovers

A dog that shows extreme fear (cower, run away, trembles) discontinues to show the behaviors within 30 seconds (stops cowering, staying away or trembling) while stimulus is still present (without changing distance, intensity, etc.).

Doesn’t Recover

doesn't recover
Doesn’t Recover

A dog that shows extreme fear (cower, run away, trembles) continues to show the behaviors for 30 seconds or more (stops cowering, staying away or trembling) while stimulus is present (without changing distance, intensity, etc.).

Reluctant to Trade

Reluctant to Trade
Reluctant to Trade

Dog lies down and then rotates body so that back is on ground.

View video clip

Roll on Back

Roll on Back
Roll on Back

Dog lies down and then rotates body so that back is on ground.

View video clip

Run Away

Run Away
Run Away

Dog increases distance from person, doll or dog at a fast pace. This behavior is often accompanied by fearful body postures such as tucked tail, crouch, cower, or ears back. Does not include a dog which runs away due to disinterest or interest in another stimulus. View video clip

Show Teeth

Show Teeth
Show Teeth

Vertical retraction of lips to show teeth.

View video clip

Snap

Snap
Snap

Teeth snap in the air and do not touch skin.

View video clip

Sniff

Sniff
Sniff

Dog smells person, doll or dog.

View video clip

Soft Mouthing

Soft Mouth
Soft Mouthing

Contact of teeth causes no discomfort. View video clip

View video clip

Stay Near Person 5+ Seconds

Stays Near Person for 5 seconds
Stay Near Person 5+ Seconds

Dog stays within 1 foot of person for 5 seconds or more.

Sniff (Also Known as “Freeze”)

Stiff
Sniff (Also Known as “Freeze”)

Head and body become still, usually accompanied by increase in muscle tone.

View video clip

Stops Eating

stops eating
Stops Eating

Dog stops eating and does not go back to food.

Trade Toy or Pig’s Ear

Trade Toy
Trade Toy or Pig’s Ear

Dog releases toy or pig’s ear from mouth immediately when offered treat either from hand or when tossed on ground.

View video clip

Tremble

Tremble
Tremble

Dog’s body quivers. Often accompanied by fearful body postures such as tucked tail, crouch or cower.

View video clip

Tuck Tail

Tail Tuck
Tuck Tail

Dog positions tail either flat against the back legs or under the body.

View video clip

Uninhibited or Hard Bite

Uninhibited Bite
Uninhibited or Hard Bite

Full thickness skin wound (puncture or laceration) or muscle bruising. If to rubber hand, contact by teeth is prolonged and can be accompanied by shaking.

View video clip

Wag Tail

Wag Tail
Wag Tail

Dog moves tail from side to side. View video clip

View video clip

Whine

Whine
Whine

High-frequency vocalization sometimes associated with attention-getting or in response to an unpleasant stimulus.

View video clip

Yelp

yelp
Yelp

High-frequency vocalization usually occurring in response to a painful or unpleasant stimulus.


Contact Us

If you have any questions or experience technical difficulties with the Match-Up II website, contact Laney Nee, ARL’s Shelter Behavior and Enrichment Manager, at lnee@arlboston.org.