Date of intake:: 1/27/2026

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner Surrender (7 years)

Previously lived with:: 1 adult

Behavior toward strangers:: Friendly & Outgoing, Playful

Behavior toward children:: Friendly & Outgoing, Playful - Spent time with children in the neighborhood

Behavior toward dogs:: Familiar dogs: Tolerant Unfamiliar dogs: Hard barks and/or growls, Lunges, Snaps

Behavior toward cats:: No experience

Resource guarding:: None reported

Bite history:: Previous owner took Taino to a park. While fixing his leash, he ran away, approaching another dog. Taino bit the other dog but there were no puncture wounds.

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: Medium

Other Notes:: Goes potty on: Outside on walks (grass, cement, dirt, etc.) Accident frequency: Very rarely Additional info: Only if he had to hold it too long Behavior concerns: None, my dog is the best! Additional info: Not reported Reacts to on walks: Large dogs, Small dogs Reaction type: Growling/Hard barking, Lunging, Shows teeth/Lifts lips Additional info: Not reported How this dog reacts when... - Held/restrained: Isn't bothered - Disturbed while resting/sleeping: Isn't bothered - Startled: Isn't bothered - Pushed/pulled off furniture: Isn't bothered - Paws are touched: Isn't bothered - Collar grabbed/touched: Isn't bothered

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Mild - Moderate Reactivity to humans: None - ignores Reactivity to dogs: Mild - pounces, huffs Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Distracted, does not approach – active, exploring environment, not fearful Call over: Approaches with coaxing Sociability comments: Handling Soft handling: Tolerates - some grumbles when restrained, high, fast wagging tail Exuberant handling: Tolerates - growls when feet touched, recovers Handling comments: Arousal Jog: Engages Arousal comments: Knock: Approaches, neutral Knock Comments: Toy: Grips, relinquishes Toy comments:

Summary:: Taino was involved in an incident with another dog. His owner was holding his collar and he slipped out and got into an altercation with another dog. Owner reported Taino bit the other dog but no puncture wounds were found. Due to this Taino is not a candidate for playgroup at this time.

Summary (6):: 2/21: Taino is easily leashed and walks gently out of his first kennel in dog holding. There are some volunteers in the hallway near him but he does not pull to any of them and walks with handler outside with slack on the leash. Taino is brought to the yard and he is thrown some times which he jogs to then smells and walks away. He spends the rest of his time exploring the yard. Taino is easily returned to his kennel. 2/16: Taino is easily leashed and rushed past barking dogs. He is brought out to the yard, and he keeps to himself sniffing about. He is called over and accepts treats very nicely. They go on a short walk and he returns without issue. 2/15: Taino is lightly mouthing up towards the leash as it is secured. He is rushed past barking dogs and brought out to the yard. He explores on his own, investigating scents. He approaches staff & accepts pets. He begins to paw at the gate, so handler decides to take him on a walk. As they pass the entrance to the big yard, Taino sees a wobble wag (large green ball that makes sounds when pushed around). Taino pulls hard in attempt to get to the ball. He is able to approach and attempts to engage, ignoring handlers attempts to redirect him. Another staff member has to help pull him from the yard. He recovers and returns without further issue. 2/14 Mid-day Walk A familiar volunteer approached Taino’s kennel to leash him; however, Taino began rope biting. A second volunteer provided a distraction, allowing the first volunteer to successfully secure the leash. While exiting the room, Taino rushed toward two neighboring kennels and engaged in kennel-fighting. The volunteer redirected him by pulling him back while another volunteer moved ahead, passing in front of Taino to lower the kennel covers. Taino remained fixated on another dog, then turned toward the volunteer and grabbed the handle of the leash that was hanging toward the floor. He immediately released it, then jumped toward the volunteer’s hand before turning his body away again and continuing to fixate on the neighboring dogs. Before fully exiting the room, he jumped up on the wall near the first kennel in an additional attempt to kennel fight, then proceeded out of the room. 2/14 AM Taino is easily leashed and brought out to the yard. He urinates all over the yard and then comes over to staff to accept pets with a soft body. He chases after a couple of toys that are thrown but he loses interest when they objects stop moving. Taino is easily returned to his kennel.

Summary (7):: 2/9: Taino is brought out to the yard. He explores on his own, approaches staff accepts pets leaning in and remaining on all 4s. As the session is wrapping up he begins to engage with a wobbler toy. The toy begins to rock back and forth and Taino becomes quickly aroused, tossing it about, hovering over it and vocalizing (growling), while engaging in play. Handler secures a slip lead over him & he is somewhat difficult to remove from the situation. Once outside of the yard his drag leash is removed and he returns without issue. 2/7: Taino is at the front of his kennel and is easily leashed and brought out to the yard, walking quickly so he doesn't urinate inside. Outside he is put on drag leash and he explores around the yard in the cold temperatures, urinating in different spots. He then stands by the gate door, jumping up at it trying to open it until it's time to leave. On the way in Taino pulls and looks towards a specific kennel but the dog is no longer there so he moves back on and ignores the other kennels. Taino is easily returned to his kennel. 2/3: Taino is at the front of his kennel and is easily roped. He pulls towards the other dogs in the room but is quickly walked pass them. Taino is taken for a walk. During the walk he has a soft body and pulls a moderate amount. He is responsive to the handler and is easily returned to his kennel Later in the evening Taino is at the front of his kennel and is easily leashed and is taken out to the yard. In the yard he relieves himself and explores the snow. Near the end of yard time Taino gets stimulated and begins jumping up and mouths at the leash one time, without biting it. He is re-leashed and on the way in another dog reacts from inside of his kennel and Taino while on a short leash goes to lunge towards the bottom of the kennel but hits the end of the leash and begins to pass out. The loop is loosened as he stumbles down the hall and regains consciousness and is easily brought back into his kennel. 1/29 Taino is at the front of his kennel as staff approaches. He is leashed and quickly moves out of the room, ignoring neighboring dogs as he passes. He is taken for a walk and relieves himself. Taino is walking on the snow and crushes through it. He begins to get the zoomies. Taino jumps up at the staff members hands three times. They toss treats ahead and he chases after them. Taino is walked around the building and then returned to his kennel. 1/28: Taino is highly reactive to the other dogs that pass his kennel. When leashed, he ignores the other dogs in passing. He greets staff in meet & greet with soft body, jumping up seeking attention. When brought to the yard he is pawing at the gate, so he is brought on a walk.

Date of initial:: 1/29/2026

Summary:: Friendly, high energy, trying to mount, no interest in treats, allowed most handling with gentle res

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to fearful potential and handling sensitivity, we recommend a home with no children. Single-pet home: Taino was in an altercation with another dog. He should be the only pet in the home. Recommend no dog parks: Taino is reactive to other dogs. He should not visit the dog park. Place with a New Hope partner: 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,Basic manners/poor impulse control,Handling/touch sensitivity,Anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Low threshold for arousal,Other

Potential challenges comments:: Basic Manner/Impulse Control: Taino lacks basic manners and impulse control. It is recommended that default behaviors such as "Leave it", "Sit/Stay", "Down" are reinforced to substitute any frustration and teach him to control his impulses instead of simply reacting; proper management is also advised. Force-free, reward-based training only is recommended. Please see the handout on Basic Manners and Impulse Control. Handling/Touch Sensitivity: Taino escalated to growling when his paws were touched. It is important to avoid touching Taino's feet at this time and to be cautious when touching him in other areas as we do not know where he may have other sensitivities. Positive reinforcement, reward-based training should be used to pair touch with good things such as food rewards to teach Taino to be more comfortable with this. Please see the handout on Handling and Touch Sensitivity. Anxiety: Taino appears anxious at the care center; he is not eating consistently. We have no history on his behavior in a home environment, so we do not know if this will occur outside of the care center. If it does appear in a future home, we recommend puzzle toys, long walks, and giving him other things to focus on to alleviate his anxiety. Positive reinforcement, force-free training only should be used. Please see the handout on Generalized Anxiety. On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration: Taino was able to break away from his owner when being held by the collar. He ran a great distance and got into an altercation with another dog. Taino has been observed to react to another dog when passing by the yard. He will need an experienced owner familiar with working with this behavior. We recommend a front clip harness or head halter to help manage this behavior. Please see the handout on On-Leash Reactivity and Barrier Frustration. Low Threshold for Arousal: Taino has a low threshold for arousal, escalating to growling while engages with wobbler toy, becoming jumping when interacting with staff. Over arousal can tip into aggression. We recommend creating a calm, structured environment with consistent routines and clear boundaries. Avoid rough play or situations that trigger overexcitement and instead reinforce calm behaviors with rewards. Teaching cues like “settle” or “go to mat” can help redirect energy constructively. Regular mental enrichment, controlled exercise, and decompression time are key. Please see the handout on Arousal. Other: Prey Drive: Taino has escalated to fixating, growling, becoming very difficult to remove from wobble toys. This paired with his reactivity may indicate he has a high prey drive.