Date of intake:: 1/30/2026

Spay/Neuter status:: No

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

Previously lived with:: 2 adults

Behavior toward strangers:: Russell may snap, can be friendly

Behavior toward children:: No experience

Behavior toward dogs:: Russell may snap, can be friendly

Behavior toward cats:: Russell may snap, can be friendly

Resource guarding:: Russell is reported to resource guard food.

Bite history:: No bite history but has tried to snap in the past.

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: Very High

Other Notes:: Owner states, "Russell is different with everyone. He is different with every person, dog, or cat". Russell tends to jump up often or non-stop, has general anxiety, is fearful of loud noises, and is anxious when left alone. He is fearful when held/restrained, disturbed while sleeping, startled, when furniture is pushed, paws being touched, and when collar is grabbed. If he is very anxious he might bark/growl with this anxiety.

Date of assessment:: 2/3/2026

Summary:: Russell has been observed to be highly fearful during his stay in the care center. Noted to have a tense body and escalates to baring teeth when the handler attempts to clip their leash. Due to the high levels of fear, stress, and anxiety Russell is not a candidate for a handling assessment at this time.

Summary (6):: 2/10/26: It is reported by a staff member that they could not leash him due to Russell attempting to bite at their hand. 2/8/26: Staff reported difficulty leashing Russell and removing from kennel. He would snap at the leash as attempts are made to place on him. Another handler assists and is able to leash him with spray cheese. He exits the kennel and walks to the backyard, relieves himself and is walked back to kennel. As the leash is removed, he becomes tense and snaps at the leash. The interaction is ended. 2/6/26: Canine Behavior observes Russell head whipping and snapping toward handlers hand when trying to clip leash to be returned to kennel 2/2/26: Russell is at the front of the kennel barking persistently when the handler approaches. He is receptive to treats but quickly returns to barking once finished with them. When the handler unlocks the kennel door, Russell pushes his head against the door and seeks exit. Russell is easily leashed and taken to the street, where he walks with a tense, low body. He relieves himself quickly. When returning to kennel the handler attempts to clip their leash. Russell spins around, lifts his lip, and bares his teeth at the handler. The handler returns Russell to kennel and his leash is removed using a hook.

Summary (7):: 2/2/26: Russell is observed to be at the front of his kennel barking persistently once the handler enters the room. He is also observed to have kennel nose; the top of his nose is red, raw, and bleeding. 02/01/26: Russell is at the front of his kennel barking toward the room door as handler approaches. He is offered treats and accepts them but will quickly go back to reacting toward the door. Handler unlocks the kennel door and begins attempting to leash Russell while distracted him with more treats but he begins backing away as handler presents the leash. Handler begins lassoing the leash over Russell's head and he begins to bear teeth with increasing intensity as he barks toward the leash but he allows leashing without further escalation. He exits kennel and walks with handler out to the yard for his walk, outside he is neutral bodied and sniffs around the yard for a while. He stops to relieve himself while outside and after a while allows handler to clip his leash. He is brought back inside and begins pulling back out to the yard so handler walks for a bit more outside with him. When attempting to bring him back he again tries pulling to the driveway but handler is able to coax Russell back to kennel and inside, interaction is ended shortly after. 1/31/26 (PM Walk): Russell is at the front of his kennel with a slightly tense body and whale eyes. As the handler slowly tries to leash him, Russell slowly dodges the leash. Once it's on him, Russell exits the kennel and room on his own; however, after exiting the room, Russell stops walking, freezing in place. The handler coaxes him: speaks to him with a soft voice, tosses low and high value treats, and gently adds leash pressure, but Russell doesn't move at all. He continues to display whale eyes, watching staff members walk by. As the handler attempts to bring Russell back inside, another handler attempts to cover Russell with linen, hower, he begins to move towards the room. As the other handler moves away, Russell stops moving; as they show the linen again, Russell begins to walk again and enter the room. The handler clips their leash and returns Russell to his kennel

Date of intake:: 1/30/2026

Summary:: Barking and retreating from handlers

Date of initial:: 1/31/2026

Summary:: Tense and growling in kennel, difficult to leash due to leash biting. Opted to sedate

ENERGY LEVEL:: Russell is described as active and enthusiastic. They will need daily mental and physical activity to keep them engaged and exercised. We recommend long-lasting chews, food puzzles, and hide-and-seek games, in additional to physical exercise, to positively direct their energy and enthusiasm. We recommend feeding with puzzle feeders and food-dispensing toys. And we recommend using force-free, reward-based training techniques for Russell.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to fearful behavior we recommend an adult only home. 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: : Resource guarding,Basic manners/poor impulse control,Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Separation anxiety,Anxiety,Leash-biting

Potential challenges comments:: Resource Guarding: Russell's previous owner states that he will resource guard food. Nothing should ever be taken directly out of Russell's mouth, and any time something is removed they should be rewarded with a high value treat or toy. Please see handout on Resource Guarding. Basic Manners: Russell's previous owner states that he will jump up often or non- stop. It is recommended that default behaviors such as "Sit" and "Off" are reinforced to substitute any frustration and teach them to control their impulses instead of simply reacting; proper management is also advised. Force-free, reward-based training only is recommended. Please see handout on Basic Manners. Handling Sensitivity: Russell's previous owner states that he is fearful when his paws are touched, when held/restrained, and when his collar is grabbed. Positive reinforcement, reward based training should be used to pair touch with good things such as food rewards in order to teach Russell to be more comfortable with this. Please see handout on Handling and Touch Sensitivity. Fearful Defensive: Russell's previous owner states that he is fearful of loud noises, when disturbed while sleeping, when startled, and when pushed off furniture. Russell has been observed while in care to have a tense body and is noted to escalate to baring teeth when the handler attempts to clip their leash. It is important to move slowly with Russell, and to build positive associations (treats/toys/praise). They should never be forced to greet or to interact if they are not comfortable and soliciting attention. Please see handout on Fearful and Defensive Aggression. Anxiety/Separation Anxiety: Russell's previous owner states that he has general anxiety and separation anxiety. He will bark persistently while in the home. We recommend that potential adopters feel comfortable with separation anxiety behaviors and be prepared to manage and positively modify them should they appear in a home environment. They would do best in a home where a person is home for a large part of the day or with a plan so they are not alone for long periods of time. Please see handout on Separation Anxiety. Please see handout on Generalized Anxiety. Leash Biting: It is reported that Russell will bite the leash while in kennel. 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.