Date of intake:: 10/7/2024

Spay/Neuter status:: Yes

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

Previously lived with:: 2 adults

Behavior toward strangers:: Sapphire might hard bark and growl at first, with familiar people she is playful and affectionate

Behavior toward children:: No experience

Behavior toward dogs:: Sapphire is selective can be tolerant, will also hard bark, growl, and lunge

Behavior toward cats:: No experience

Resource guarding:: She will resource guard food, treats, and toys. Sapphire is reported to hard bark and growl once you attempt to remove the item

Bite history:: 11/17/24- A handler slipped the lead onto Sapphire to take her on a walk and as Sapphire was exiting the kennel she bit the handler on the chest and let go immediately.

Housetrained:: No

Other Notes:: Sapphire's previous owner describes her as a couch potato that enjoys her time in the living room relaxing.

Date of assessment:: 10/8/2024

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Mild Reactivity to humans: Mild Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Pulls towards people with tense body and raised hackles Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Distracted Call over: No approaches Sociability comments: Walking around the room whimpering, jumps up on secondary handler Soft handling: Fearful Exuberant handling: Fearful Comments: Backs away from handler Arousal Jog comments: Follows handler readily Knock Knock comments: Approaches handler readily, jumps up Toy Toy comments: No interest

Summary:: 10/16/24: Sapphire greets another dog at the gate with neutral body, hackles raised and hard eyes.

Summary (5):: 11/27/24: Sapphire is at the front of the kennel barking and jumping as handler approaches. She is easily leashed and taken out of kennel, As soon as she's out she turns quick to the neighboring dog and tries to cage fight. Sapphire continues this behaviors exiting the kennel. Sapphire is taken to the driveway where she remains aloof and attentive to the handler. Handler feds her treats and she takes them gently. There was a lot of dog and people traffic and sapphire was tense. Handler blocked her view of the other dogs and fed her treats to keep her focused. However, at times she would fixate and look under the parked vehicles in order to see the people and dogs around. Sapphire was not easily redirectable. When returning back to kennel Sapphire continues to cage fight and handler had to straight arm her, keeping her against the wall to place back into kennel. 11/26/24: Sapphire is at the front of the kennel jumping up on the door when handler approaches. Sapphire is easily leashed and led out of the kennel, once out of the kennel she jumps up towards the handler. Sapphire pulls hard towards the other dogs in the kennel room then spins towards the handler with an open mouth. Sapphire is taken to the driveway where she has a loose body and wagging tail. Sapphire accepts treats with a soft mouth. She is able to be returned to kennel with no issue. 11/23/24: Sapphire is standing at the front with a loose and wiggly body. She stares at handlers hand as they unlock the kennel. She is offered a treat which she takes through the bars. Once the leash is secured, treats are tossed on the ground outside of the kennel. Sapphire goes and gets the treats then looks back at handler seeking more. Treats are tossed forward on the ground to keep her moving. She is walked in the driveway where she remains soft bodied with wagging tail and looks back often at handler seeking treats. She will take them gently from handler hand. After relieving herself, Sapphire randomly howls. Handler speaks to her and offers treats but she doesn't take them. She is walked around some more before she stars taking treats again. She pulls towards the other dogs in kennels but handler is able to distract her with treats.

Summary (6):: 11/13/24 (Trainer Note): Sapphire is standing at the front of kennel with a neutral body as handler approaches. She is easily leashed and removed from kennel. She hops down and as she is walked out of the room, she pulls hard towards the other dogs. Once out of the room, she shakes off and is taken to the pens. Sapphire is put on a drag leash, she shakes off once again. She approaches handler to sniff, she remains neutral, with a low, relaxed tail wag. She begins to lip lick so handler creates distance. Sapphire keeps her distance but follows the handler around the pen. She is not interested in toys not treats, and does not solicit pets. She is easily leashed and returned to kennel. As she walks past the dogs in the room once again, she pulls hard towards them on her hind legs. 11/12/24(late entry): It was reported that when staff tried to move sapphire out of her crate, she lunged at a the staff while in her crate.11/12/24 (AM): When the placement driver entered the office, Sapphire was observed barking at him. When placement driver started to walk past her crate to head out the office, Sapphire was observed to jump at him from within her crate. When placement driver reentered after a short time, Sapphire barked again. She stopped barking once treats were offered and took treats gently from the placement driver's hand. 11/11/24 Sapphire is easily leashed and taken for a street walk. Immediately relieved herself upon leaving the building. She walks well beside the handler, checking in periodically. No reaction to outside stimuli. Navigated through the building and returned to her pop up crate without issue. 11/10/24 Easily leashed and taken for a street walk. Immediately relives herself and walks well beside the handler with little pulling. No reaction to passing people or traffic. Fixated on nearby dog and vocalized but not in an aggressive manner. was able to be redirected to continue the walk. Returned to the office and had brief time out of the kennel on a drag leash without issue, receiving pets from staff members. Returned to crate without issue

Summary (7):: 11.10.2024: Easily leashed from pop-up. Walks next to handler outside looking back at them frequently, ears back, tail wagging high and wide. Pulls moderately only on way back, but corrects herself when staff calls her name and stops pulling. When back in office, Sapphire "air humps" then eventually settles down. 11/2/24: Sapphire is at the front with neutral body. She is easily leashed and removed from kennel. She is walked on the street where she remains neutral and will check in periodically with handler. She will turn her head to handler wagging her tail. She is offered a treat as a reward for this behavior. When returning to kennel she pulls hard towards the other dogs kennels. 10/19/24: Sapphire was lying down in her kennel when handler approached. She was easily leashed and taken out of the kennel. She was taken for a street walk. On the street she walks by the handler's side with minimal pulling. She relieves herself and continues to walk along. During the walk the handler could feel Sapphire nudging handler's leg with her snout. Handler offers Sapphire treats and she takes them but spits them out. Handler sits on a bench with Sapphire and she approaches with a soft body and low wagging tail. She takes treats and allows some petting along her head and back. Upon return to her kennel she pulls moderately and attempts to cage fight with the neighboring dogs but is kept away. She is returned to her kennel and the leash removed without issue. 10/10/24: Sapphire is at the front of her kennel with a loose body and wagging tail. She is easily leashed and taken to the backyard and put on drag. She sniffs around the pen, lip-licking. She comes when the handler calls her and allows petting but doesn't take treats. She jumps up on the handler with a neutral body but doesn't try again after the handler turns their body. Sapphire watches the dogs in the neighboring pens with a neutral body. She is re-leashed and brought back into the building. She returns to her kennel with no issue but begins barking at handler as they lock the door. 10/8/24: Sapphire is laying in her kennel when the handler approaches. She comes forwards with a neutral body and soft tail wag. She is easily leashed and does not take treats. She is taken for a street walk where she doesn't pull for a majority of the walk. She pulls towards strangers with slight hackles, a stiff body, and is vigilant of their movements. She pulls mildly towards another dog with a neutral body and soft tail wag. She relieves herself and is brought for her assessment where she is aloof, semi-social, anxious, occasionally whines, jumps up in displacement, and allows all handling. She does not respond to auditory stimuli. She is taken to her kennel and returned without issue.

Date of intake:: 10/7/2024

Summary:: Loose relaxed body, wagging tail

Date of initial:: 10/8/2024

Summary:: Tense body for exam

ENERGY LEVEL:: Sapphire 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 Sapphire.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No young children (under 13): Due to bite history and on leash reactivity we recommend a home with no children. No dog parks: Due to being selective with dogs we recommend no trips to the dog park. 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: : House soiling,Resource guarding,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Bite history (human)

Potential challenges comments:: House Soiling: Sapphire's previous owners state that she is not house trained and that she will many accidents throughout the day. We recommend crate training (the crate must be made positive and never used as a punishment), frequent walks, rewards for eliminating outside (treats, toys, games), consistent feeding schedule, and careful monitoring when inside. Please see handout on House Soiling. Resource Guarding: Sapphire's previous owner states that she will hard bark and growl if you attempt to take food, treats or toys that are in her possession. Nothing should ever be taken directly out of Sapphire'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. Fearful Defensive: Sapphire's previous owner states that she will hard bark and growl at strangers before warming up to them. It is important to move slowly with Sapphire, to build positive associations (treats/toys/praise), and to allow them to initiate interactions with new people. 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. Bite History (Human): Please see bite history above for more details. Please see handout on Bite History and Potential for Future Aggression. On Leash Reactivity: Sapphire has been observed to pull towards people with a tense body and raised hackles. During her stay in the care center Sapphire also been observed to pull towards dogs in the kennel room with a tense body. Then she will spin towards the handler. Sapphire will need positive reinforcement, reward based training to teach them to look at you rather than other people. We recommend a front clip harness to help manage this behavior. Please see handout on On Leash Reactivity and Barrier Frustration.