Date of intake:: 11/14/2024

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray (history unknown)

Date of assessment:: 11/17/2024

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Loose Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Seeks attention- Call over:comes when coaxes- gently takes treats Sociability comments: warms up, leans in for contact, eats treats to be coaxed Handling Soft handling: Allowed- lean in, loose wiggly Exuberant handling: Allowed- lean in, loose wiggly Handling comments: Arousal Jog: Follow- distracted Arousal comments: Knock: Loose wag tail Knock Comments: Toy: backs away from dummy hand, huffs Toy comments:

Summary (5):: 11/25/24: ACS staff attempted to leash Simba for his morning back but he began hard barking, growling, and wailing during the attempts. He quickly slip under the small opening under the kennel door and floor and is loose in the room. The staff member attempted to leash Simba but he began wailing louder and snapping at the staff member. He attempts to escape by running to the behavior office door where handlers can hear the commotion and approach the door only to see Simba and the staff member right in front of the door. Simba's teeth are fully beared and he bites the staff member's gloves twice, while his tail is tucked and his body is pressed up against the door with one front paw raised. On the second bite, he held onto one of the fingers of the gloves. Due to where Simba and the ACS are, the handler in the behavior office has to push the door open slowly to avoid hitting both with the door. As the door is being opened, it distracts Simba long enough for the staff member to leash him. Simba races into the office, body visibly relaxing as the staff member passes the lead to the handlers. Once in the office, Simba greets 2 familiar handlers with a loose, wiggly body and begins soliciting attention. A drag leash is attached and he engages with enrichment games while his kennel is cleaned. Simba alternates between the enrichment games and seeking attention. Once his kennel is cleaned he is carried back to his kennel without issue.

Summary (6):: 11/24/24: Simba was eager to exit kennel and pawed at door while being leashed. Handler 1 lured Simba through leash loop with chicken jerky and he was slowly leashed by handler 2. He willingly exited kennel and walked the short distance to the BA room for his assessment. Simba was social with select handlers and allowed them to clip him to a drag leash. Simba ate many pieces of chicken jerky and accepted pets from select handlers. He was returned to kennel by handler 2 using a pre-clipped figure 8 leash and directional leash pressure. 11/23/24: Simba is at the front of kennel with a neutral body as handler approaches. He digs at the kennel door excitedly as handler cracks it open and as the handler drops the lead over his head, his paw gets caught in the lead, causing it to slip over his torso. Simba lightly mouths the lead before it falls over his body. He is easily leashed on second attempt and walks with a neutral frame to the Canine Behavior Office. Simba is social with a familiar handler and solicits petting, rubbing into handler's legs when they stop contact. The familiar handler clips Simba to a drag lead and he is free to explore the space. He becomes increasingly social with multiple handlers in the room and will approach to solicit petting. Simba will get zoomies and run up to a handler and lean his but into them. When they touch his butt to scratch, he will scream, mouth wide open, and run away. After he settles, Simba will slowly approach handlers and solicit attention again. He is easily leashed and returns to kennel safely. 11/21/24: Simba is at the front of the kennel with a neutral body and fast wagging tail when approached in kennel. Simba is a bit head shy of the leash but allows to be leashed with no issue, Simba walks into the behavior office with a soft body, and greets a handler with a loose body, leaning his rear into contact. Simba is a bit conflicted when being pet, but does allow for some petting. Simba eats treat readily given to him and is still a bit timid of new handlers, shying away and becoming tense. Simba is clipped, and brought back to kennel with no issue. 11/20/24: Simba is cowering at the back of the kennel trembling with a tense body as the handler approaches. He bares teeth and hard barks but allows the handler to leash. Simba hesitates slightly coming out of kennel before responding to leash pressure. He is led to the canine training room where he stands trembling with a tense body and wide eyes. Simba takes treats from the handler, but avoids contact. He growls at unfamiliar handlers. Handler drops treats on the ground and is able to clip Simba's leash. He is returned to kennel without issue.

Summary (7):: 11/19/24: Simba behavior remains consistent with note from 11/18. 11/18/24: Simba is standing at the front of kennel as handler approaches. As handler opens kennel door, he will retreat to the back of kennel and begin hard barking and snarling. Simba is leashed with ease and readily exits kennel. He is wary of handler and will keep distance from them as they walk him around the Canine Behavior Office. Handler sits on the couch and offers Simba pieces of chicken which he takes gently from hand. After his session in the room, Simba is returned to kennel safely. 11/17/24: Simba growled as handler approached and crouched down. Handler tossed pieces of chicken jerky which Simba ate. Handler tossed leash loop over head and Simba exited kennel willingly. Simba continued to eat treats from the floor and hand fed. He was handed off to another handler while his kennel was cleaned. Simba tensed and backed up when handler approached to clip leash to figure 8. Handler returned him to kennel using directional leash pressure and let the leash begin to fall off on its own. Simba bared teeth when handler quickly reached in to grab ring and remove leash all the way. 11/16/24: Simba was positioned at the back of his kennel with a tense body, growling and showing his teeth when the handler leaned down to greet him. The handler offered treats, which Simba took slowly. Leashing attempts were met with snapping and baring of teeth at the leash, but after several attempts, he was successfully leashed. He was then escorted to the behavior office, where he exhibited some thrashing and remained distant, showing signs of fear. Simba avoided approaching the handler to eat high-value food placed on the floor but as more handlers enter the room, he begins to stop eating and growl very low at the handlers, walking backwards into the initial handler. He was returned to his kennel without an issue. 11/15/24: Simba is at the back of his kennel with a tense body, growling and baring teeth when the handler leans down to greet him. He is given some treats to which he eats slowly, and has to be leashed slowly over his head, but will snap and bare teeth at the rope when attempting. Simba is leashed after several attempts, and is taken into the behavior office where he thrashes slightly, and in the room is aloof and fearful of the handler, shying away from approaching to eat high value food from the floor. Simba will slowly approach to eat food out of the handlers hand, but remains intensely fearful. Simba is returned to his kennel with no issue.

Date of initial:: 11/16/2024

Summary:: lip curled

ENERGY LEVEL:: We have no history on Simba so we cannot be certain of his behavior in a home environment. However, he is a young dog who 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 addition to physical exercise, to positively direct his energy and enthusiasm.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to Simba's escalations to higher-level warnings and the potential for defensive aggression, we recommend that Simba's be placed in an adult-only home. Place with a New Hope partner: Debarkus 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: : Fearful/potential for defensive aggression

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: Simba has escalated to growling and lunging on multiple occasions both at intake and during his time in the care center. His signs of discomfort must be respected; Simba should never be forced to interact, and he should always be allowed to walk away from situations or people he finds uncomfortable. We recommend a slow approach and we recommend ONLY force-free, reward-based training methods for Simba. More aversive techniques are likely to increase fear, increase the risk of aggression, and decrease his quality of life. please see handout on Fearful/potential for defensive aggression.