Date of intake:: 11/26/2025

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner Surrender, 2 Years

Previously lived with:: 2 adults 1 child 1 MMB

Behavior toward strangers:: owner states she will hard bark, prefers contact on her terms and warms up by 2 days

Behavior toward children:: she lived with a 10y/o and will hard bark, shy contact on her terms and playful

Behavior toward dogs:: she lived with another dog and was tolerant, friendly and playful

Behavior toward cats:: has not spent time around cats so behavior is unknown

Resource guarding:: has a tense body/hovers over treats, toys and food

Bite history:: no known bite history

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: Medium

Other Notes:: Is fearful of loud noises and will hard bark/growl, Isn't bothered when she is held/restrained, disturbed when sleeping or her collar is grabbed/touched, and will hard bark/growl when startled and its unknown when she is push/pulled off furniture or feet/paws are touched She is shy, prefers contact on her terms and likes to be in the living room. Loves bath time/water and allows family to bathe and brush and doesn't like her feet touched. Goes on walks 3-4x daily and has very little to mild pulling and loves going for car rides. She knows the cues for sit.

Date of assessment:: 11/30/2025

Summary:: 11/30/25: Due to Pepper's intense fearfulness in the care center, a handling assessment could not be conducted at this time.

Summary:: According to Pepper's previous owner(s), she lived with another dog and was tolerant, friendly and playful. Information with unfamiliar dog's on/off leash not specified. 12/03/25 Couldn't conduct due to the lack of staffing today. Will revisit at a later date.

Summary (4):: 12/6/25: Pepper displays the same behaviors as of (12/4). Please refer to those notes. 12/4/25: Pepper is standing at the front of her kennel with a loose and wiggly body as handler approaches. She is able to be leashed with ease and is taken to the behavior room. In the room, she is able to be transferred to a drag lead and would approach all the handlers with a loose and wiggly body and jump up to receive pets and treats. She would stare at the door with a tense body when sudden loud sounds would happen. She is able to return back to her kennel with no issues.

Summary (5):: 12/03/25: Pepper is standing at the front of her kennel with a neutral frame as the handler approaches. As the handler crouches down, Pepper will offer a play bow, loosening up. She leans into contact and allows the handler to clip her collar with the drag leash. She will scramble out of the room and pull moderately to the behavior office. Once in the behavior office, Pepper immediately turns around and begins to play bow at the handler, jumping up and slamming her hind end into their legs as she jumps and twirls around in front of them, soliciting contact. The handler crouches down to pet her and she will lift her back into their hands and rub her head along their hands. Pepper is returned to her kennel on the drag leash and unclipped with no issue. She is secured safely. 12/01/25: As the handler approaches the kennel, Pepper is at the front with a neutral frame. The handler offers her sausages which she will take readily. The handler puts the leash up to the outside of the door and feeds her sausages through it. They then toss a few sausages into the back of the kennel and place the slip leash on the inside of the kennel. She will approach to take sausages through the door and then the handler opens the door a bit wider to offer sausages inside the kennel through the leash loop. Pepper is able to be leashed as she eats sausages out of the handler's hand and will pull hard to the behavior office. Once in the office, Pepper takes a few minutes to warm up to the handler. She will slowly approach them and sniff their legs and then takes sausages off the floor in front of them. They work on treat and retreat for a while and then Pepper will lean her neck into the handler's hand. The handler pets her and checks for consent a few times. Pepper's collar is clipped and then she is free to roam around the room. She jumps onto the couch, pushing it towards the sink and then will get the zoomies around the room, bouncing into the handler's lap. When a familiar handler enters the room, Pepper will toggle between them, soliciting butt scratches from both handlers. She is returned to her kennel on the drag leash with no issue and unclipped in the kennel. She is secured safely.

Summary (6):: 11/30/25: Pepper is standing at the front of kennel with a neutral frame as handler approaches. She tenses and retreats as they crack open the kennel door and attempt to leash her. Handler kneels down and Pepper will come forward again but remains avoidant of leashing. Pepper's sibling is brought to the front of kennel and handler is able to slip their lead over Pepper's head. She hesitates at the doorway as handler opens the kennel door and steps aside, but after a couple of seconds, exits the kennel and pulls hard toward her sibling. Once in the yard, both dogs are kept on lead due to not being collared. They readily approach each other and intermittently play bow and vocalize. After several minutes in the yard, Pepper's sibling will come forward and sniff handler's hand and Pepper in turn, sniffs their hand before nudging it slightly. She repeats this a few times during her time in the yard and play bows at handler once. Pepper approaches second handler who has her sibling and will eat pieces of cheese gently from their hand. She approaches handler and eats pieces of cheese from their hand as well. After her session, Pepper is returned to kennel, and handlers use high value treats to encourage her to lower her head for the lead to fall off on its own. 11/29/25: Pepper is standing at the front of kennel with a slightly tense frame as handler approaches. She is hesitant of leashing and will retreat whenever the lead comes close to her but continuously returns to the front of kennel to exit. A second handler walks her sibling up to the kennel and Pepper stays at the front, allowing for leashing. She hesitates briefly as the kennel door is opened before exiting and skittering on lead to follow her sibling outside. Pepper and sibling meet through the gate of the yard and Pepper's body loosens. They are walked around the same yard on lead (due to not being collared) and will intermittently play bow or mouth and vocalize in play. Pepper is still avoidant of handler and will skitter away from them when she notices them following behind her on lead. After their session, Pepper is returned to kennel safely and handler tosses treats in between her front paws, encouraging her to look down and the lead falls off over her head.

Summary (7):: 11/29/25: (AM) Pepper displays the same behaviors in the AM of (11/28). Please refer to those notes. 11/28/25: Pepper is standing at the front of kennel with a tense frame as handler approaches and begins to growl and hard bark. Handler kneels down and speaks to her with a soft tone, offering her high value treats but she shows no interest. As handler cracks open the kennel door and attempts to leash her, Pepper retreats to the back, jumping up onto her kuranda bed with a tense frame and growls. Handler attempts to lure her forward again. Pepper will return to the front of kennel whenever handler cracks the door but immediately retreats when the lead is close to her. Handler pushes the kennel door inward and drops their lead over Pepper's head. She tenses slightly but exits kennel as handler steps to the side. Pepper maintains a low, tense frame, slicked back ears and tucked tail on the walk to the Canine Behavior Office. Pepper paces the room and will exit seek. She skitters whenever she notices the handler following behind her (she is still on slip lead). Pepper stands next to the door and will growl and vocalize intermittently. She does approach handler when they're not looking in her direction and will briefly sniff before retreating to the door again. Handler kneels down and Pepper will vocalize but then approaches handler and sniffs their side. After her session, Pepper is returned to kennel safely. Handler attempts to use a hook to slowly remove their lead, but she is fearful and retreats to the back of kennel, so handler stays nearby and waits for Pepper to lower her head enough for the lead to fall off. Pepper returns to the front of kennel as handler locks the kennel door and walks away. 11/28/25: (AM) Pepper is standing at the front of her kennel with a tense body as handler approaches. She begins to growl and retreats to the back of her kennel as the handler unlocks the door and attempts to leash her. She has no interest in treats and would constantly avoid the leash by pacing around her kennel back forth to the back and front. The handler is able to eventually lasso her and she is taken to the behavior room. She quickly thrashes along the way and is hesitant to go in the room at first. Once in the room, she would pace around with a tense body, and tucked detail while whale eyeing. She would constantly try to seek exit at the door and would growl while looking at the handler. She would slowly approach the handler to sniff and then approach door again. She pulls hard on the way back to her kennel and enters with no issues.

Date of intake:: 11/26/2025

Summary:: hard barking, lunging, fearful

Date of initial:: 11/26/2025

Summary:: hard barking, lunging, fearful, sedated

ENERGY LEVEL:: Pepper is described by his previous owners as having a medium energy level. He will need daily mental and physical activity to keep her engaged and exercised.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Place with a New Hope partner

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to Peppers' fearfulness in the care center, we recommend she goes to an adult-only home. Place with a New Hope partner: Due to Pepper's fearfulness in the care center, we recommend she is placed with one of our New Hope Partners.

Potential challenges: : Resource guarding,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression

Potential challenges comments:: Resource guarding: Pepper’s previous owner notes that she may growl when her food bowl is approached. We recommend that Pepper be left alone while eating, and that food-guarding behavior-modification steps be utilized if this behavior is problematic in her future home. Nothing should ever be taken directly out of Pepper’s mouth, and any time something is removed she should be rewarded with a high-value treat or toy. She should be taught the “drop” cue and trade-up games. Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: Pepper has escalated to growling and lunging on multiple occasions both at intake and during her time in the care center. Her signs of discomfort must be respected; Pepper should never be forced to interact and should always be given the opportunity to walk away from situations or people she finds uncomfortable. We recommend a slow approach and ONLY force-free, reward-based training methods for Pepper. More aversive techniques are likely to increase fear, increase the risk of aggression, and decrease Pepper’s quality of life.