17/06/2026
🚦🐾 Traffic Light Welfare Check for Working Dogs
Whether your dog participates in Animal-Assisted Interventions or works as an Assistance Dog, monitoring their welfare should be an ongoing part of your routine.
It is easy to focus on training, behaviour, and performance, but welfare is about much more than whether a dog can do the job. It is about how they are feeling while doing it.
Our Traffic Light Welfare Check is a simple tool to help handlers assess their dog's emotional wellbeing, enthusiasm, stress levels, and overall comfort.
🟢 Green Zone – Your dog appears relaxed, engaged, and happy to participate.
🟡 Amber Zone – Your dog may be showing early signs of stress, fatigue, or reduced enthusiasm. Time to monitor more closely and consider additional recovery opportunities.
🔴 Red Zone – Your dog's welfare may be compromised. Immediate action is needed to reduce demands, provide support, and reassess participation.
For Therapy Dogs, this may mean monitoring how they cope with repeated interactions, handling, and busy environments.
For Assistance Dogs, it may involve recognising when the demands of public access, task work, travel, and constant vigilance are beginning to take a toll.
Remember, a good working dog is not simply one that performs well. A truly successful working dog is one whose welfare is protected throughout their entire career.
❤️ Welfare first. Always.
