Date of intake:: 9/25/2025

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner Surrender

Previously lived with:: adults and teens

Behavior toward strangers:: tolerant.

Behavior toward children:: No experience.

Behavior toward dogs:: tolerant and he has no off-leash experience with unfamiliar dogs.

Behavior toward cats:: No experience.

Resource guarding:: No known reports of Resource guarding.

Bite history:: No known reports of a bite history.

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: Love is noted to have a high energy level in the prior home.

Other Notes:: Jumps up often, has general anxiety and destructive tendencies. He is reactive to strangers who approach his yard/home and on walks he is reactive to small animals and strangers that approach and he will occasionally bark, growl or lunge at them. He is unbothered by being disturbed while sleeping or when having his collar grabbed. He is fearful when startled and when his paws are touched. Has never been moved from furniture or been held/restrained. He is a social, affectionate, lovable, active and playful dog who enjoys spending his time wherever his people are when he's not resting in his crate. He allows his family to bathe and brush him, knows the cues sit, stay, in, is crate trained to do well in a standard large crate for up to 6 hours and is accustomed to going on 30min long walks 1-2 times a day. He gets nervous when being in a car but enjoys belly rubs, rope toys and beef flavored treats.

Date of assessment:: 10/1/2025

Summary:: 09/27/25: Love is taken to the behavior office for a handling assessment. He displays a low body, tucked tail, and is avoidant of the handlers. Due to love fearfulness, a handling assessment will not be conducted at this time. 09/26/25: Love is given more time to decompress due to his fearfulness.

Summary:: According to Love's previous owner(s), With familiar dogs he is tolerant, and he has no off-leash experience with unfamiliar dogs. History on-leash with unfamiliar dogs is not recorded.

Summary (6):: 10/02/25 Love's morning walk coincides with his morning walk prior (10/01). On the walk, he pulls towards other dogs with novel handlers as well as birds and plastic bags. Love maintains a loose frame while exuberantly pulling on lead. Upon returning to the block of the facility, some P.O approaches the handler with questions about dropping off strays and in the process, Love will lunge forward and hard bark at them. Love is moved away and taken back into the building. Love will enter the building quickly and is returned to kennel with no issue. 10/01/25 Love is in the front of his kennel vocalizing with a still frame and high wagging tail. Love appears conflicted as he is reluctant to be leashed but with coaxing will slowly approach the leash and allowing handling. Love is taken outside for a walk. As they exit the kennel room, Love begins to pull his way out of the building with a loose, wiggly frame. Love will hop his way outside exuberantly while panting. As he exits the building, Love will pull towards other dogs with novel handlers growing tense in frame while huffing. The handler uses directional leash pressure to keep Love at their side as the dogs will pass. Love will also pull towards birds on the walk as well as a plastic bag which startles him when he gets too close, prey bowing at the plastic bag. They commence their walk and as they return to the facility will attempt to pull towards other dogs on leash with novel handlers. As they enter the facility, Love will pull his way to the kennel room heavily panting, entering his kennel quickly.

Summary (7):: 09/28/25: Love is tense-bodied and grumbling in kennel as handler approaches. When handler unlocks the kennel door, he retreats to the back and will urinate while trembling. Handler kneels down and presents the lead at the front of kennel and Love will cautiously come forward and allow for slow leashing. He walks with a tense, trembling frame to the Canine Behavior Office. Handler sits on the couch and love slowly approaches, leaning his hind end into their legs. Handler lightly pets along his hind end, stopping intermittently to check his comfortability. Love begins to climb up onto the couch, licks handler's arms, and will lean his head on them. As one novel handler enters the room, Love will become tense and hard bark but does not show a response to other novel handlers entering. Love becomes increasingly looser throughout his time in the room and will nudge handler's hands and wiggle to solicit petting. He will slowly approach a novel handler as they kneel down and will sniff them but is wary and walks away. After his session, Love is returned to kennel safely. 9/27/25: Love is reported to be hard barking and growling at the back of his kennel with a hunched body and tucked tail. Upon approach, Love is exactly how he is described, shying away and hard barking/growling. Love's kennel is covered in feces and urine, and the handler has to step inside the kennel to leash Love. Love ducks, and growls but allows the leash to go over his head on the 2nd attempt, and walks out of kennel with a low body. Love is brought to the office and enters with a low body, tucked tail and stays near the handler shaking. Over time, Love will slowly lean into the handler, but the handler is unsure if he soliciting petting, so they do not pet him and allow him to sniff around first. Love after a bit, continues to shoulder swipe and anal swipe the handler, which the handler pets his rear slowly, and he begins to lean in. The handler will stop, consent check and Love will lean in with his shoulder, accepting petting along his back. Love is a bit weary of other staff that pass, backing away into the handler. Love is placed back into kennel after a bit of being in the room, and goes back without issue

Date of intake:: 9/25/2025

Summary:: able to walk him and get him into the kennel with no complications.

Date of initial:: 9/26/2025

Summary:: very nervous and tense at first, visibly shaking, tail tucked. did not accept treats. Able to examin

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

Recommendations:: No cats,Place with a New Hope partner

Recommendations comments:: No Cats: Due to Love displaying high prey drive while in our care, we recommend he be placed in a home without Cats. Place with a New Hope partner: Love came into the care center as an owner surrender due to moving and not being able to care for him anymore. His prior home says He is a social, affectionate, lovable, active and playful dog who enjoys spending his time wherever his people are when he's not resting in his crate. He allows his family to bathe and brush him, knows the cues sit, stay, in, is crate trained. they say he enjoys belly rubs, rope toys and beef flavored treats.Love has shown the ability to warm up with familiar handlers, leaning in for petting, soliciting attention, and loosening up during one-on-one interactions. Love displays significant reactivity that was mention in his prior home and has shown in care, including lunging and hard barking at novel people and dogs, as well as overstimulation when encountering animals and environmental triggers on walks. In-kennel, he has presented with trembling, urination, growling, and hard barking, and he requires coaxing to be leashed. Love is available for rescue through one of our new hope partners.

Potential challenges: : Destructive behavior,Basic manners/poor impulse control,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Kennel presence

Potential challenges comments:: Destructive Behavior: Love has a history of destructive tendencies in the home, which may stem from boredom, anxiety, or lack of structure. Training should focus on increasing mental and physical enrichment, providing consistent routines, and teaching alternative behaviors through positive reinforcement to redirect energy appropriately. Please see the handout on Destructive Behavior. Basic Manners / Poor Impulse Control: Love frequently jumps up, indicating excitement and poor impulse control. Training should include teaching alternative greeting behaviors like “sit” and reinforcing calm interactions. Consistent boundaries and redirection will help improve social manners. Please see the handout on Basic Manners / Poor Impulse Control Kennel Presence / Fearful / Potential for Defensive Aggression: In the prior home love is noted to be fearful when startled and when his paws are touched. Has never been moved from furniture or been held/restrained. Love displays fear and defensive behavior in the kennel, including hard barking, growling, a hunched posture, and a tucked tail. He also shies away when approached. Training should focus on building trust through slow, predictable interactions, desensitization to handler presence, and reinforcing calm behavior with high-value rewards. Avoiding forced contact and allowing him to opt into interactions will help reduce fear responses. Please see the handout on Fearful / Potential for Defensive Aggression Anxiety: Love is reported to have generalized anxiety, which may manifest as heightened sensitivity to environmental changes and stressors. Training should include confidence-building exercises, calming enrichment, and a predictable daily routine to help him feel more secure. Please see the handout on generalized anxiety. On-Leash Reactivity / Barrier Frustration: Love reacts to strangers and small animals by barking, growling, or lunging, both at home and on walks. Training should focus on desensitization and counter-conditioning to triggers, using focus cues and rewarding calm behavior. Managing exposure and increasing distance from triggers will support emotional regulation and reduce reactivity. Please see the handout On-Leash Reactivity / Barrier Frustration.