Date of intake:: 5/27/2026

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray,(spent time with next of kin )

Previously lived with:: adults, child

Behavior toward strangers:: Hides at first and actively avoids but can be friendly and outgoing as well

Behavior toward children:: Hides at first and actively avoids but can be friendly and outgoing as well

Behavior toward dogs:: No known experience

Behavior toward cats:: No known experience

Resource guarding:: Reportedly considers food and treats items of value and will have a tense body or hover over the item when approached

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

Housetrained:: Partially

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

Other Notes:: Knows to relieve himself on wee-wee pads Has general anxiety and can be mouthy when taking treats Surrendering client never walked him and never saw him on walks. Finder reported him to be fearful when held or restrained, disturbed when sleeping, and when startled. She never attempted to move him from furniture, touch his paws, or grab his collar. Allowed her to touch his harness. Finder described him as a fearful couch potato who spent most of his time in the living room of her home. She reported that getting into a car and being inside a car makes him nervous, he enjoys being pet but is fearful, and he will play with toys when he is given them. She noted that he appeared to be house trained as he would only relieve himself on wee-wee pads. He did well in a large crate for up to 3hrs a day.

Date of assessment:: 6/5/2026

Summary:: Due to Mello fearfulness and shut down behavior a handling assessmne willl be condcuted at htis time.

Summary:: Due to entering the facility as a stray, there is no prior dog-to-dog history recorded. According to his brief caretaker, Mello has no experience with dogs. 06/07/26 Mello is introduced to a novel female while off leash. He readily approaches the gate and will sniff the female who offers a loose frame and play bows. The handlers open the gate and allow Mello to enter the gate on a loose leash. He slowly approaches the female with a slightly tense frame, tucked tail, and pinned ears, sniffing her before walking away. The female exuberantly greets, making Mello a bit wary but he still approaches multiple times. Handlers drop Mello's leash, allowing him to engage and disengage on his own and will shake off before beginning to play bow and engage in play with the female. They engage in loose, bouncy play with intermittent body contact and play bows. They continue to play for several minutes before separating naturally. 06/06/26 Mello is introduced to a novel female while off leash. He is carried into the yard with a trembling frame, tucked tail, and pinned back ears. He is clipped to a drag lead and will look at the female from across the yard but does not approach. He slowly walks over to a second handler in the yard and will sniff him while looking at the female again. When the female walks away, he slowly approaches the gate, but she does not return.

Summary (7):: 5/31/26: Mello is laying down at the front of his kennel with a tense body as handler approaches. He retreats to the back of the kennel as the handler unlocks the door and has no interest in treats. He would turn his head away as he lays down when the handler slowly leashes him. He then slowly walks forward to the front with a tense body while still being low to the ground. He then slowly sticks his head out of the kennel, then backs away when he sees another handler. The handler is then able to pick him up slowly afterwards. He is then carried to the live room. In the room, he would sit in the corner next to the handler with a tense body while trembling. He has no interest in treats or toys. He eventually begins to stand up on his own and sniff around before he then seeks exit at the door. He allows the handler to slowly approach to clip the leash and he is then picked up again. He is then carried back to his kennel with no issues. 5/29/26: Medical Team staff members are seen attempting to take Mello out of his kennel for his exam as Behavior Team members enter the kennel room. He is already leashed and is laying down in his kennel with widened eyes. He would try to back away from the handler as they spoke to him while trembling. He allows a handler to enter the kennel and is covered with a blanket. He is then lifted onto a cart. He is then pushed while still on the cart to the medical offices to receive his exam. 5/28/26: Mello is laying down in his kennel with a tense body and widened eyes as handler approaches. He retreats to the back and lays down with a tense body wile trembling. He has no interest in standing up for treats and does respond to a toy. He allows the hander to leash him and then remains laying down while trembling. The handler is able to apply slight pressure and guides him out of kennel. He then baulks to the ground outside the door in the hallway and begins to urinate and poop on himself. He then slowly tries to stand up and he is able to be covered with a blanket. He is then picked up and carried to his new kennel. He begins to poop on himself again while thrashing as he is being carried. He is then placed into his kennel and is able to be unleashed before the handlers lock the door and end the interaction.

Date of intake:: 5/27/2026

Summary:: fearful

Date of initial:: 5/29/2026

Summary:: - frozen and shut down, trembling, allowed handling

ENERGY LEVEL:: He will need daily mental and physical activity to keep him engaged and exercised. We recommend long-lasting chews, food puzzles, and hide-and-seek games, in additional to physical exercise, to positively direct his energy and enthusiasm. We recommend feeding with puzzle feeders and food-dispensing toys. And we recommend only force-free, reward-based training techniques for Mello.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to Mello high level of fearfulness we reccomend he is palced in an adult only home at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Mello came into the care center due to his owner passing away. In the prior home Mello is described as a fearful couch potato who spent most of his time in the living room of the home. He enjoys being pet but is fearful, and he will play with toys when he is given them.During Mello stay in the care center he has to be carried when taken to and from kennel due to him not wanting walk. He will display a trembling body, widen eyes and remains shut down. Mello has not acclimated well to the kennel environment and has allowed only minimal handling since intake. We recommend placement with a New Hope partner who can provide any necessary behavior modification (force-free, positive reinforcement-based) and re-evaluate behavior in a stable home environment before placement into a permanent home.

Potential challenges: : Resource guarding,Mouthiness/poor bite inhibition,Fearful,Anxiety

Potential challenges comments:: Resource guarding: Reportedly considers food and treats items of value and will have a tense body or hover over the item when approached.Management and training should focus on building positive associations with people approaching valued items and reinforcing relaxed behaviors. Please see the handout on Resource guarding. Mouthiness/poor bite inhibition: Mello is noted in the prior home to become mouthy when taking treats.Training should emphasize gentle treat-taking and reinforcing calm, controlled mouth behavior. Please see the handout on Mouthiness/poor bite inhibition. Fearful: In the prior home next of kin noted that mello is fearful when held or restrained, disturbed when sleeping, and when startled. In the prior home Mello was fearful during his stay with them. During intake when taken out to the car, the Mello was refusing to walk, thrashed heavily, low growled, and froze. Staff had to use the leash attached to the harness to belly band mello and get him into the vestibule. Once in the vestibule, staff allowed Mello time to reset before belly banding him again to get him to medical. After vaccines he was easily placed in kennel and once inside with the dog closed, he began panting heavily and displayed clown face. During Mello stay in the care center he has to be carried when taken to and from kennel due to him not wanting walk. He will display a trembling body, widen eyes and remains shut down.Continued support should focus on creating positive, low-pressure transitions and reinforcing voluntary movement to help build confidence and reduce stress. Please see the handout on decomrpession period. Anxiety: Mello is noted to have generalized anxiety in the prior home. Support should include gradual independence-building, predictable routines, and enrichment to help reduce anxiety levels. Please see the handout on generalized anxiety.