Date of intake:: 7/10/2026

Spay/Neuter status:: No

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray, No known history

Other Notes:: *Previous assessments can be given upon request*

Date of assessment:: 8/24/2026

Summary:: =Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Mild Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Highly social Call over: Approaches handler readily Sociability comments: Takes treats with hard pressure, seeking treats Soft handling: Accepts contact Exuberant handling: Tolerates contact Comments: Wiggly body and wagging tail, head whips Arousal Jog comments: Handler takes one step and Cruz jumps up high and begins to bite the leash almost catching the handler's hand. The handler tosses treats and uses squeaky sounds to distract him Knock Knock comments: Did not conduct Toy Toy comments: Did not conduct

Summary:: Due to entering the facility as a stray, there is no prior dog-to-dog history recorded. 7/28/26: Cruz is introduced to a novel neutered male and flags to the fence with a forward leaning tense body and hackles raised, standing tall with a mid level wagging tail. He begins muzzle punching the fence and alarm barking, continuing to fixate and pull towards the other dog while being pulled away.

Summary (6):: 8/26/26: Cruz is reported to become overaroused after being petted once; he jumps to bite the leash right after 8/24/26: As handler approaches the kennel, Cruz is at the front with a neutral body and widened eyes. He is then easily leashed using a treat lure, and he is removed from the kennel. He has a mild pull forward out of the room and is then taken for a street walk. Cruz would sniff multiple spots and relieve himself. A dog was not far away from the handler and Cruz would continue to pull forward and ignore the dog as they crossed the street. Shortly after, Cruz is brought back inside for his assessment. Once the assessment was over, Cruz was then re-leashed and then returned back to the kennel, where he would continue to pull forward. He is then placed into his kennel with ease. 8/8/26: Cruz is at the front of the kennel with a soft body upon approach. He is easily leashed and pulls mildly out of the kennel. Cruz is taken out to the street where he walks with a loose leash just ahead of the handler. Handler tries to engage with Cruz, calling to him to do check ins. Occasionally, Cruz will respond, taking a treat gently from the handler. Other times, he ignores the handler when called. Cruz relieves himself a few times before he is walked back towards the shelter. He is then taken back upstairs and is returned without issue. 7/30/26: Cruz is at the front of his kennel with neutral body when handler approaches. He is leashed with a treat lure and taken out of the kennel. He sits next to handler in elevator and walks through the hallways with no reactivity towards other pop-up crates or staff members. Cruz pulls hard towards the gates and immediately relieves himself. Cruz continues walking slightly ahead of the handler with mild tension. Cruz doesn't react towards people passerby. When he sees another dog he will stare at them with neutral body but easily redirected with recall and quickly disengages. Cruz is social and responsive; he follows cue "sit", allows petting and receptive to treats (takes with hard pressure). Once walk is done Cruz is taken to the Canine Behavior office for the reassessment (see notes). During return handler is able to pre-clip the leash and bring Cruz back into his kennel with no issues.

Summary (7):: 7/28/26: Cruz is at the front of his kennel door alert barking at the handle. They present a treat and, as he eats with hard pressure, the handler leashes Cruz and brings him out. During the elevator ride, Cruz sits in front of the handler; they toss a treat and he eats it. Cruz is brought to the yard for playgroup (see dog-dog notes). After the interaction, Cruz sniffs the yard with a loose body; the handlers pet him, but he's mostly aloof. Upon entry, the handler brings Cruz inside; during the elevator ride, he pays no mind to the other handler present. The handler clips their leash and returns Cruz to his kennel. 7/25/26: Cruz is at the front of his kennel, jumping on the kennel door and barking at the handler. When the handler attempts to leash him, Cruz bites and releases the leash a few times; the handler lures Cruz with a treat and leashes him with ease. Cruz walks with mild leash tension on the street; he doesn't react to people and a dog passing by. Cruz is mostly aloof, but eats tossed treats. when walking back inside, Cruz barks and pulls towards a dog nearby; the handler quickly pulls him away. Upon entry, the handler clips their leash and returns Cruz to his kennel with ease. 7/14/26: Cruz is lying down splayed out on his side in kennel. Handler unlocks the kennel and Cruz approaches with a soft body and soft wagging tail. As the door opens and the leash is presented, he comes forward. Handler tries to leash him. He backs up and starts to bark repeatedly towards the handler with his mouth pursed forward. His tail is tense and wagging. When treats are offered, he does not take them. Cruz is eventually leashed slowly and he exits the kennel. Cruz is taken to the street and walks with a loose leash. He relieves himself a few times before he is walked back to the shelter. Cruz is brought inside and taken to the assessment office. He passes by an uncovered pop-up crate and stares with a tense body. He plants and handler has to apply leash tension to coax him forward. Cruz is brought into the office. He does not approach the assessor. He seeks exit. As the assessor approaches with a collar, Cruz whale eyes and huffs at the assessor. As high value is offered to Cruz, he whale eyes the assessor and begins to bark repeatedly. The assessment is then ended due to this behavior. Cruz is then returned to kennel without issue.

Date of intake:: 7/10/2026

Summary:: Timid and barking

Date of initial:: 7/11/2026

Summary:: Very tense, staring and hard bark at front of kennel

ENERGY LEVEL:: We have no history on Cruz so we cannot be certain of their behavior in a home environment. However, they will need daily mental and physical activity to stay engaged and exercised. We recommend long-lasting chews, food puzzles, and hide-and-seek games, in addition to physical exercise, to positively direct their energy and enthusiasm.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Recommend no dog parks,Place with a New Hope partner

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to the fearful behavior observed while in care, we recommend an adult only home. Recommend No Dog Parks: Due to the concerning behaviors that Cruz has shown during playgroup (see DOG-DOG SUMMARY), we feel that he should not visit dog parks. The Behavior Department recommends that he be socialized in a more controlled setting until his behavior towards other dogs can be further addressed. Reward-based, force-free training can be utilized to help Cruz associate dogs with things he enjoys like toys or treats. We recommend placement with a New Hope rescue partner who is able to provide an experienced, adult-only foster home. Force-free, reward based training and/or consultation with a professional trainer/behaviorist is highly recommended.

Potential challenges: : Mouthiness/poor bite inhibition,Fearful,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Leash-biting

Potential challenges comments:: Mouthiness: Cruz has been observed to take treats with a hard mouth. We recommend giving treats with a flat hand and to use force-free, reward-based training methods to teach Cruz to take treats with a softer mouth. Please see handout on Mouthiness. Fearful: Cruz was observed to be tense and fearful during their assessment. Noted to begin alert barking and growling when the handler attempted to offer him a treat. They should never be forced to approach anything that they are uncomfortable with or submit to petting or handling. It should always be their choice to approach a new person or thing. Cruz would do best in an initially calm and quiet home environment and should be given time to acclimate to their new surroundings. Please see handout on Decompression Period. On Leash Reactivity: Cruz has been observed to become tense and fixate on other dogs in pop up crates. This behavior is not easy to redirect. Cruz will need positive reinforcement, reward based training to teach them to look at you rather than other dogs. We recommend a front clip harness to help manage this behavior. Please see handout on On Leash Reactivity and Barrier Frustration. Leash Biting: Cruz has been observed to bite and tug the leash into kennel during leashing. During his assessment, Cruz was observed to jump up and bite the leash. This behavior was able to be redireted using treats. We recommend walking them with a toy to dissuade them from grabbing the leash. Positive reinforcement, force-free training is advised to teach them to focus on you rather than grabbing the leash. Please see handout on Leash Manners.