Date of intake:: 1/23/2026

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

Previously lived with:: 3 adults, 1 teen (16), 1 smb

Behavior toward strangers:: Tolerant, friendly, and outgoing.

Behavior toward children:: Playful.

Behavior toward dogs:: Is shy and prefers contact on his own terms with familiar dogs and is tolerant of unfamiliar dogs bo

Behavior toward cats:: Alert barks at cats and is tolerant of other animals.

Resource guarding:: Considers treats items of high value and may have a tense body or hover over the treats if approached. He may also escalate to barking or growling if his boundaries are pushed.

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

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: Bless is noted in the prior home to display a High energy level.

Other Notes:: Only relieves himself outside on walks. Has general anxiety, is unable to settle and paces often. May or growl when held or restrained and dislikes his paws being touched which may lead to him barking or growling if they are but is unbothered by being disturbed while sleeping, moved from furniture, and if his collar is grabbed. Is fearful when startled. He is described as a lazy couch potato who spends most of his time in the living room of his home. He is accustomed to going to the groomer and on 3-4 walks a day for 30mins at a time during which he mildly pulls on his leash, he is also crate trained and dies well in a large gated crate for up to 5 hours. He loves car rides, receiving pets, and knows the cues sit, stay, and jump. His favorite toy to play with is a ball and he eats both wet and dry food preferably Cesar brand.

Date of assessment:: 1/29/2026

Summary:: 1/30/26: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Loose Reactivity to humans: N/a Reactivity to dogs: N/a Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Social with familiar handlers, soft body Call over: Readily approaches- lip licks, leans in for touch Sociability comments: Handling Soft handling: Allowed- lip licks, soft body Exuberant handling: Allowed- lip licks, soft body Handling comments: Arousal Jog: Follow- sniffs the floor Arousal comments: Knock: Approaches- walks past helper Knock Comments: Toy: Sniffs toy grips, walks away Toy comments: 1/29/26: Due to Bless denfensive behavior, a handling assessment will not be condcuted at this time.

Summary (7):: 2/3/26: Bless is at the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. He is leashed with ease and will come out of his kennel quickly, pulling moderately to the sidewalk. He will sniff for the majority of the time outside and will tense up slightly when looking at a dog that is passing. Bless is able to refocus on the handler with some treats and will continue to solicit treats from them as they walk down the ramp. The handler will toss treats onto the ground to clip the ring on the leash. He is able to be returned to his kennel with no issue. 1/29/26: A Canine rep was able to remove Bless from kennel with ease and walk them with no issue. They noted Bless still displays avoidance behaviors with certain staff members, and is a bit fearful but otherwise tolerated the walk and handling. 1/27/26: Bless is in the front of his kennel, whining and wagging his tail when the handler approaches him. He allows the handler to easily leash him and walk him out of the kennel room. Once in the hallway, he relieves himself and is taken to the behavioral office. Bless leans in for pets with a loose body, the handler is about to attach his drag lead to his collar when a secondary handler walks into the room, which Bless become tense with a tight face. When the secondary handler talks to the primary handler, Bless begins to lunge and growl. The secondary handler is able to refocus him, in which he stops growling and begins to sniff the floor and displace. Bless is taken back to his kennel without issue. 1/26/26: Bless is standing at the front of his kennel as handler approaches. He is able to be leashed with ease and he then pulls on the way to the behavior room, In the room, he has a neutral body frame as he explores around with sniffing. He would approach the handler to receive treats and pets. He is able to be return back to his kennel with no issues. 1/25/26: Bless is standing at the front of his kennel as handler approaches. He begins growling as the handler unlocks the door. He is able to be leashed with ease when being offered treats. He then pulls on the way to the behavior room. In the room, he has a neutral body frame as he explores around to mark his territory. He is comfortable approaching the handler and would lean in to receive pets. He is able to return back to his kennel with no issues. 1/24/26: Bless is observed to be standing up at his kennel door with a tense body and widened eyes when handlers enter his kennel room. He begins to bare teeth, growl and muzzle punch the door when handlers approach. The handlers then walk away and end the interaction.

Date of intake:: 1/23/2026

Summary:: calm and friendly, he was easily leashed by staff and walked to medical without issues. He was not c

Date of initial:: 1/23/2026

Summary:: Very timid, allowed full exam but had dilated pupils, would freeze and stare. After intake procedure

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): We reccomend Bless be placed in an adult-only home at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Bless came into the care center as an owner surrender due to his owner moving to assisted living and not being able to handle Bless due to their older age. He is described as a lazy couch potato who spends most of his time in the living room of his home.He loves car rides, receiving pets, and knows the cues sit, stay, and jump. His favorite toy to play with is a ball. Bless shows a mix of social behavior and defensive responses that indicate difficulty coping with increased stimulation in the care center. He is often eager to engage with familiar handlers, approaching the front of his kennel with tail wagging, allowing easy leashing, and seeking out treats and petting once outside the kennel. In low-stimulus environments, he is able to explore with a neutral body, lean in for affection, and return to his kennel without issue.However, Bless becomes tense and reactive when faced with heightened or sudden stimulation. He has displayed barrier reactivity in his kennel, including growling, baring teeth, and muzzle punching the door when handlers enter the kennel room. He has also shown reactivity to novel people, becoming tense, lunging, and growling when a second handler entered the room during an interaction. With redirection and space, he was able to recover and disengage.Bless would benefit from a New Hope placement that can provide a predictable, low-pressure environment, careful introductions to new people, and continued support with managing arousal and reactivity.

Potential challenges: : Resource guarding,Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Kennel presence,Low threshold for arousal

Potential challenges comments:: Resource guarding: Bless is noted in the prior home to consider treats items of high value and may have a tense body or hover over the treats if approached. He may also escalate to barking or growling if his boundaries are pushed. Training should focus on trade-up exercises, creating predictable routines around valued items, and reinforcing voluntary relinquishment to reduce guarding behavior. Please see the handout on Resource guarding. Anxiety: Bless is noted in the prior home to have general anxiety, is unable to settle and paces often.A structured routine, calming enrichment, and reinforcement of relaxed behavior can help him build better coping skills and reduce overall anxiety. Please see the handout on generalized anxiety. Kennel presence/On-leash reactivity/barrier frustrationion: He has displayed barrier reactivity in his kennel, including growling, baring teeth, and muzzle punching the door when handlers enter the kennel room. He has also shown reactivity to novel people, becoming tense, lunging, and growling when a second handler entered the room during an interaction. Training should focus on reducing visual triggers, reinforcing calm behavior at the kennel front, and using controlled introductions to build positive associations with unfamiliar people. Please see the handout on Kennel presence/On-leash reactivity/barrier frustrationion. Handling/touch sensitivity/Low threshold for arousal/Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: Bless is noted to sometimes growl when held or restrained and dislikes his paws being touched which may lead to him barking or growling if they are but is unbothered by being disturbed while sleeping, moved from furniture, and if his collar is grabbed. Is fearful when startled. Training should emphasize slow, choice-based handling, desensitization to paw and body handling, and reinforcing calm behavior to prevent arousal-based or defensive reactions. Please see the handout on Handling/touch sensitivity/Low threshold for arousal/Fearful/potential for defensive aggression.