Logging an Activity

Activity logging is the core of Heelr. Every time you interact with an animal -- whether it's a walk, a playgroup, enrichment, or a kennel observation -- you log it so others know what has already been done today.

Why Log Activities?

• Other volunteers and staff can see what the animal already did
• It prevents overstimulation from too many activities in a row
• It builds a history of what works for each animal over time
• It helps staff make better decisions about care plans

Quick Log

The fastest way to log an activity is the Quick Log modal. Tap the "Log Activity" button on any animal card or detail page.

Dog Activity Types

When logging for a dog, you'll choose from these tiles:

Tile	What It Covers
Walk	Walking the dog (yard, trail, neighborhood)
Playgroup	Group play session with other dogs
Training	Training session (commands, behavior work)
Enrichment	Mental enrichment (puzzle toys, snuffle mats, games)
Kennel	Kennel-related tasks (see sub-categories below)
Incident	Neutral observational record of a notable event

Kennel Sub-Categories

Tapping "Kennel" opens a second selection with three options:

Sub-Category	Description
Cleaning	Cleaning the dog's kennel
Feeding	Feeding the dog
Kennel Observation	Observing the dog's behavior in their kennel space

Cat & Other Activity Types

Cats and Other species have a simplified set of three activity types:

Type	Description
Interaction	Any direct interaction (play, handling, socialization)
Enrichment	Mental enrichment activities
Observation	Observing the animal's behavior without direct contact

note

Cats and Other species do not have behavior tracking features like mood capture, stress signals, or incident logging. These are dog-specific.

Logging Flow

1. Select the activity type (required) -- tap a tile
2. Fill in the details form -- what you see depends on the activity type
3. Submit -- the activity is saved and the dashboard updates immediately

The goal is 3 taps for a simple log: select the animal, pick the activity type, and submit. You can add more detail when you have time, but the minimum is just the activity type.

Details by Activity Type

Walk

• Potty (required) -- Did the dog go? Options: None, Pee, Poop, Both
• Mood (required) -- Calm, Excited, Anxious, Fearful, or Unknown
• Duration -- Optional; preset chips (15, 30, 45 min) or custom
• Observations (expandable):
  • Stool quality (if poop/both): Normal, Loose, Diarrhea, Bloody
  • Urine concern (if pee/both): Normal, Excessive, Straining, Blood
  • Vomit: Food or Bile
  • Stress signals
  • Medical concern toggle
  • Notes
• Kennel cleaning flag -- Optionally flag that the kennel needs cleaning

Training

• Focus (required) -- How well the dog focused: Low, Medium, High
• Mood (required) -- Calm, Excited, Anxious, Fearful, or Unknown
• Duration -- Optional
• Observations (expandable):
  • Treat interest: Eager, Neutral, Refused
  • Stress signals
  • Medical concern toggle
  • Notes

Feeding

• Appetite (required) -- Ate All, Ate Half, Nibbling, Refused
• Mood -- Optional
• Observations (expandable):
  • Vomit: Food or Bile
  • Medical concern toggle
  • Notes

Kennel Observation

• Approach (required) -- How the dog responds to your presence: Readily, Hesitant, Avoids
• Mood -- Optional
• Observations (expandable):
  • Stress sign: Pacing, Trembling, Frozen, Growl
  • Medical concern toggle
  • Notes

Kennel Cleaning, Playgroup, Enrichment

• Mood -- Optional
• Duration -- Optional
• Notes -- Optional

Incident

Incidents are neutral observational records. They do not change a dog's status, handling level, or trigger any automated workflow.

• Context (required) -- Where it happened: In Kennel, On Leash, Off Leash, Playgroup, Handling, Other
• What Happened (required) -- What occurred: Lunged, Snapped, Bit, Fight, Resource Guarding, Escape Attempt, Other
• Broke Skin -- Shown if Bit or Fight: Yes, No, Unknown
• Target (optional) -- Who/what was involved: Dog, Person, Cat, Object, None
• Notes (optional)

Staff-Only Activity Types

Behavior Support and Behavior Session logging is available on the Dog Detail page for staff and admin only. See Behavior Support for details.

Exit Behaviors

For activities that capture mood (Walk, Training, and optionally others), your selection maps to an exit behavior that's stored with the activity:

Mood Selection	Exit Behavior	What It Means
Calm	Calm	The dog left relaxed and settled. Ideal outcome.
Excited	Excited	The dog was energized but not stressed. Normal for active dogs after play.
Anxious	Overaroused	The dog showed signs of anxiety or stress.
Fearful	Overaroused	The dog was overstimulated or fearful. May need a longer cooldown.

Over time, exit behavior data reveals which activities work best for each dog.

Stress Signals

If you notice signs of stress during a walk, training session, or kennel interaction, you can check them off:

• Pacing -- Repetitive back-and-forth movement
• Trembling -- Visible shaking or trembling
• Frozen -- Suddenly going still and tense
• Growl -- Growling during the interaction

You don't need to check every box -- just note what you observe. This data helps staff identify patterns.

Medical Concerns

Any activity type with a details form includes a Medical Concern toggle. If you notice something that needs medical attention, flip the toggle and select the type:

• Injury / Cut
• Bite Wound
• Cough
• Vomiting
• Limping
• Other

Flagging a medical concern alerts staff to follow up.

Activity History

You can view the full activity history for any animal by visiting their detail page. Activities appear in reverse chronological order (newest first) with:

• Activity type and duration
• Who logged it
• When it was logged
• Exit behavior badge (if recorded)
• Behavior notes and stress indicators (expandable)

There's also a shelter-wide Activity History page where staff can filter activities by animal, user, or activity type.

Permissions

• All users (volunteers, mod squad, staff, admin) can log activities for animals they're permitted to handle
• Only staff and admin can edit or delete activities after they've been logged
• Only staff and admin can log behavior support activities and behavior sessions (dogs only)
• Activities are designed to be immutable -- once logged, the record is preserved for accuracy