This article appeared in the Victorian Herald Sun on the 30/03/09 to launch Meet Your Match at Animal Aid.

Colour-code for a match
Holly Ife
A NEW personality assessment for dogs will help match stray canines with compatible human companions.

The Animal Aid "Canine-ality" program is based on an evaluation of the animal and potential adopter, and results in a colour-coded system bringing suitable matches together.

A green-coded dog needs to be both physically and mentally engaged - the sub-categories include Life of the party, Go-getter and Free spirit.

An orange-coded dog is slightly lower maintenance while still enjoying regular activity and interaction -  including a Busy Bee, Wallflower or Goofball.

A purple-coded dog -  such as a Couch potato, Constant companion or Teacher's pet - has a laid-back attitude and enjoys a relaxed lifestyle.

The aim of the scheme is to reduce the number of dogs returned to Coldstream-based charity Animal Aid because they aren't a good fit with their owners.

"The goal of every adoption is to find a permanent loving home for our dogs," general manager Nell Thompson said.

"It helps our counsellors match the expectations and lifestyles of the adopters with the behaviours and canine-alities of the dogs."

The assessment of the dogs predicts how an individual dog is likely to behave in its new home.

The survey of the potential animal owner identifies what they are looking for in a pet, and what sort of animal will best suit their lifestyle.

Adopters are guided towards dogs from the colour-coded group that would best suit their household, and can use the more detailed sub-categories to help decide.