Date of intake:: 10/23/2025

Spay/Neuter status:: No

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Returned (a few hours) Second stay in care

Other Notes:: Max was returned to MACC after a few hours due to being "too much". The previous adopter stated that he was too strong and they fell few times while trying to handle him so they decided to bring Max back. Means of surrender (length of time in previous home): Owner Surrender Previously lived with: 1 adult, 1 child Behavior toward strangers: Max is friendly and outgoing Behavior toward children: Max is relaxed and affectionate Behavior toward dogs: Max is respectful and plays gently Behavior toward cats: No experience Resource guarding: None reported Bite history: None reported Housetrained: Partially Energy level/descriptors: High Max's previous owner states that he tends to go to the bathroom inside the home. He does bark at people he does not know. Previous stay 8/23/25: Owner Surrender

Date of assessment:: 10/26/2025

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Hard Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Moderately social Call over: Approaches handler readily Sociability comments: Loose body and wagging tail Soft handling: Accepts contact Exuberant handling: Accepts contact Comments: Arousal Jog comments: Follows handler exuberantly Knock Knock comments: No approach, distracted Toy Toy comments: Grips firm and moves away with the toy with a tense body, engages with the toy

Summary:: 8/29/25: Max greets another dog at the gate with a tense face and hackles raised. He then stretches and greets again, softer. He becomes aroused as he continues to greet, playbowing and bouncing back and forth, barking.

Summary (2):: 11/17/25: (PM Walk) Max is at the front barking and pawing at the front of the kennel. It is noticed that his medication for the evening has not been taken. He is easily leashed and taken out of the kennel. He pulls moderately and jumps up on the handler exuberantly. Handler has him sit and he is directed down with treats. He is taken to the street where he walks with a loose leash. He stops to relieves himself a few times and continues walking. Max is walked back to the shelter and he finds an object that he tries to pick up. Max is redirected with a plush toy which he carries back to his kennel where he is returned without issue. 11/17/25:(MID-DAY WALK) Max is curled up in the middle of his kennel. He approaches the front with a soft body and wagging tail. He is easily leashed and taken to the street. A leash is clipped to his harness. Max walks with a loose body around the block. When handlers stops he sits besides them and handler gives him a treat which he takes gently. Max relieves himself and is walked back to the shelter. Handler stops and engages with him. He approaches the handler and leans against their leg allowing petting on his side. He then jumps up on the handler and rubs his face on their shirt, he takes the leash the handler is wearing into his mouth and holds it briefly. Handler turns away and tells him "sit" and he drops the leash and sits. He is given a treat. Max gets briefly tangled in the leash on his harness and hander reaches out to untangled him. Max paws the handlers hand as this is done. Handler does "paw" with Max and he is given a treat. Max is then brought to the backyard. Max becomes tense and hard stares at dogs in the passing pens. Handler calls to Max and applies leash pressure and he continues walking to a pen where he is placed on a drag leash. Handler tries to play fetch with Max. He chases after the ball and drops it on command of the handler. This goes for awhile until Max stops chasing the ball. Handler engages with Max again, and he allows petting, leaning into their legs. Max begins to jump on the handler and he takes the end of a leash the handler is wearing into his mouth. Handler tells him "drop it" and he lets go and is given a treat. This happens again and handler redirects him with verbal cues. Max drops the leash. Handler sits on the bench and Max wanders around the yard sniffing around. When handler re-leashes Max, he leash bites briefly and is walked back inside. He is coaxed into his kennel with treats and the leash is easily removed. He is left with more treats and the interaction is ended.

Summary (3):: 11/17/25: Max is laying at the front of the kennel when the handler approaches. When the handler attempts to leash him Max begins to bite and tug on the leash. The handler is able to leash him while making kissy sounds. After exiting the kennel Max begins to jump at the handler and up towards the leash. The handler straight arms him and Max is taken to the yard. Max is placed on a dragline, and he begins sniffing around the yard. He relieves himself and then begins seeking treats from the handler. The handler offer treats and Max is receptive. Max then begins jumping up on the primary and secondary handler. He then begins running around the yard. Max begins to bite and tug on the objects hanging from the fence, including a fetch stick and dragline. Max then lunges at the secondary handler and begins to bite and tug on the leash they are wearing. The primary handler uses pet corrector to no avail. The secondary handler is able to take off the leash that Max is biting. Max continues biting the leash while running around the yard. Max eventually drops the leash and the primary handler is able to throw a leash on him. As the handler attempts to unclip the dragline Max begins jumping up and biting the leash. He then bites the handlers arm and mouths it with hard pressure. The secondary handler offers treats, the primary handler is able to unclip the dragline and clip their leash. As the handler is exiting the pen Max jumps towards them and the handler has to straight arm him. Max is returned to kennel without further escalation. 11/17/25: The canine behavior team had begun giving Max his AM meds. 11/16/25 (late entry)- Max was at the back of his kennel sleeping when handler approaches his kennel, as they unlock his door Max comes to the front with a neutral body. He is easily leashed and taken to the play yard, he is placed on a drag leash. Max sniffs and relives himself. Handler goes to sit on the bench Max comes over and jumps onto handler's lap with his front paws. Handler scratches his head, neck and behind his ears. He rubs his upper body and head back and forth into handler. He gently takes treats from their hand. Another handler comes out with a dog, passing Max's pen. He stops and stares at the other dog with a neutral body sniffing in the air. Handler presents a treat and Max refocuses his attention onto handler. He jumps down and scratch his sides, he again rubs his body back and forth into their legs. When handler gets up to leash to Max's harness, he mouths their leash. Handler presents a treat and he lets go; they move their leash and again he mouths but disengages with treats. He is finally leashed to his harness and when exiting he jumps up, handler moves their arm out and holds out a treat down. Max goes for the treat and doesn't engage with jumping up. Handler tosses in treats and Max readily enters his kennel. Handler is able to undo the clip to his harness without issue.

Summary (4):: 11/16/25: Max is at the front of his kennel with a soft body upon approach. He is then easily leashed and removed from his kennel, he is then kept on a short and tight leash on the way to the elevator due to him pulling hard towards the pop-up crates in the hallway. In front of the elevator, Max would jump high to grab the leash and begin to chew on it. He would continuously jump up for the leash and wasn't easily redirectable. While in the elevator, he would watch the handler with a stiff body and slowly chew on the leash, a treat is then tossed and he would follow. He would have a hard pull ahead of the handler towards the yard. Once in the pen, he would begin to jump onto the handler attempting to bite at the leash. Max would then spot a dog and become tense, he would then turn towards the handler with an open mouth and lunge towards them, almost making contact with their chest. He would constantly lunge towards the handlers chest and is then straight-armed away from them. He is removed from the pen and is then taken back into the building, where he would continue to grab the leash. Once upstairs, he was easily clipped and returned to his kennel with no further issues. 11/15/25: Max is standing at the front of his kennel as handler approaches. Max starts hard barking; handler offers a treat and Max gently takes it. Handler used a treat lure and Max easily leashed and taken to the street. As soon as Max gets outside he starts leash biting. Handler is trying to redirect Max with treats but he is not interested. Max starts mounting and jumping on the handler. For a second he got to the handler's hair and after grabbed the key strap from the handler's neck. Handler lets Max grab their treat pouch using it as a toy for redirection. After Max took it he starts shaking it. Handler takes him back and Max, having treat pouch in his mouth, walks slowly with a neutral body, moderately pulls. After dropping a treat pouch Max starts panting and pulling inside and in the hallway. Max was brought back to the kennel with no further issues.

Summary (5):: 11/1/25: Max is at the front of the kennel with a soft body and wagging tail. He is easily leashed and removed from kennel. Handler is able to clip their leash to his harness. On the street, the handler says hi to Max in an excited tone. Max jumps up exuberantly and mouths the leash, handlers hands and treat pouch with light pressure. Handler turns away and tells him sit. Max sits immediately and is given a treat. This is repeated several times when Max becomes exuberant. After sometime outside, Max settles and is walked around the block. He walks with a loose body next to the handler with a loose leash. He will pull mildly towards smells that catch his attention. He stops to sniff some areas on the ground. Handler engages with Max, seeing what commands he knows. He does sit, paw, and other paw. After, Max relieves himself a few times and is walked back to the shelter. He pulls moderately back inside and is returned to his kennel without issue. 10/27/25 (Trainer Note): Max is laying down in the middle of his kennel with a neutral body. He becomes loose and wiggly as handler approaches and is easily leashed. He remains loose and wiggly throughout entirety of interaction. He is taken to the yard where he bounces around the pen engaging with all the enrichment He socially jumps on handler twice, stretching out and soliciting pets. When pet, he heavily leans in and stretches. He is returned to his kennel without issue. 10/26/25: Max is standing at the front of his kennel as handler approaches. He is able to be leashed with ease and he pulls hard on the way to the behavior room for his assessment. In the room, he would explore around and jump up on the handlers with a loose body. He is comfortable taking treats and would head whip when being petted. Please see behavior assessment notes for more details. He pulls hard on the way back to his kennel and enters with no issues. 10/26/25: It was noted on the whiteboard that Max is "leash biting and playing tug o' war when leashing and during his walk". 10/25/25: Max is standing at the front of his kennel as handler approaches. He is able be leashed with ease and he pulls on the way outside for a walk. On the walk, he would walk next to the handler with a loose body and would pull towards trees to sniff them. He would stare at the handler to receive treats. He would slightly bite at the handler's leash to get their attention and is able to be easily redirected when they offered treats. He pulls on the way back to his kennel and enters with no issues. 10/17/25: It was reported by staff that Max will growl at handlers when they open his crate to walk him. Once out and on leash in the yard he will becomes aroused - jumping on handler and getting zoomies. They also note that he seems to do better when walked first before the other dogs. He is typically much better behaved.

Summary (6):: 10/12/2025 (Trainer Note): Max is standing at the front of his crate with a neutral body and barking as handler approaches. He is easily leashed and removed from crate. He pulls as he is taken to the yard for a training session. In the elevator, he jumps on handler in a social manner but quickly escalates to mouthing their arms as he is pet. Handler ceases, he shakes off, and walk is resumed. In the yard, handler continues relaxation protocol training, specifically matt work and the "Place" cue. Max is engaged and receptive often getting on the matt without being prompted and waiting for his reward. Verbal cue "Place" is paired, along with the "Ok" release word. He is returned to his crate without issue. 10/9/2025 (Trainer Note): Same behavior ism observed as previous EN, 10/8. He is also observed to be pulling in his linens. 10/8/2025 (Trainer Note): Max is observed to be kennel fighting and moving his crate in the hallway as dogs are walked past. 10/1/2025 (Trainer Note): Max is laying down in his crate with a soft body as handler approaches. He quickly stands and shakes off, moves on to having a loose and wiggly body as he is leashed. He is taken to the yard for a training session. There are several LATTE items and matts set up to form a "relaxation sandwich". He engages with the snuffle matt in the middle first. Handler stands by farthest matt and has Max "Sit" for a reward, then handler moves on to snuffle matt which he engages with, and the final matt is the "play matt" where handler engages in a game of tug (with rules) using a toy. Max is engaged and receptive, transitioning from matt to matt performing the tasks and cues. Towards the end, Max is choosing to go to the play matt to engage in tug. He remains loose and wiggly bodied, taking treats gently and accepting pets. He is returning to his kennel without issue. 9/28/25- Max is at the front of his pop up crate barking at handler with a wiggly body, he paws at the door as handler attempts to leash. They are finally able to leash him and is taken for a street walk. He pulls moderate to hard at times sniffing to various spots. He is social with handler and gently takes treats. He is taken to the park where he sniffs around pulling hard to each spot. He sees a kid sitting playing in sand, Max has a slight pull towards them with a soft body. Handler keeps his leash short and they continue walking, he follows them. He takes treats with slight pressure and allows handler to pet his head, neck and back. He rubs his body back and forth against handler's legs. He is easily clipped and returned to his pop up crate without issue.

Summary (7):: 9/23/25 (Trainer Note): Max is laying down in his crate with a neutral body as handler approaches. He stands and shakes off with a loose and wiggle body being presented after wards. He is easily leashed, removed from his crate, and taken to the yard for a training session. He is food motivated and social with handler. He has a very low threshold for arousal, usually when pet will escalate to mouthing or jumping. Handler reinforced calm behavior and introduced the relaxation protocol using mat work. Max was engaged and receptive to Phase 1 of mat work training. He remains very loose and wiggly throughout the whole interaction. Handler repeated trials of tossing treats onto the mat, and increasing the difficulty by increasing the durations between rewards using a variable interval reinforcement schedule. He steps on the mat to eat the treats. Handler pairs 'Ok" as the release word, handler will walk away from mat and Max will follow. Handler will return to mat area and point, reward when Max steps on. He is returned to his crate without issue. 9/18/25: While being on a drag leash in the yard, Max becomes over aroused. He begins to jump on the handler and mouths their clothes. When the handler places their leash on him, Max begins to bite the leash. 9/13/25: Max is lying down in his kuranda bed upon approach. He stands up with a soft body and wagging tail. Max is easily leashed and pulls moderately out of the kennel room. He is taken to the street where he walks with mild pulling around the block. He relieves himself a few times and stops to sniff various spots on the ground. Max spots a dog and looks towards them with a neutral body and continues walking with the handler. He will approach some people with a soft body. Handler sees what commands Max knows and he is able to do sit and paw. After Max is walked back to the shelter where he begins to walk slower lagging behind the handler. Handler uses treats to coax him to walk more and he eats them. Max sees some familiar handlers and takes treats gently from them and solicits attention. He does sit and paw with them for treats before he is walked back to kennel. Upon entering the kennel room, Max pulls towards passing kennels until he reaches his kennel and stops outside. Treats are tossed and Max is returned to kennel without issue. 9/6/25: Max is standing at the front of his kennel as handler approaches. He is able to be leashed with ease and he pulls hard on the way to the yard. In the yard, he would continue to pull hard ahead around the perimeter of the yards to sniff is surroundings. In the pen, he would sniff around and was comfortable approaching the handler to receive treats. He then pulls hard on the way back to his kennel and enters with no issues. *Due to lack of space prior enrichment notes can be given upon request*

ENERGY LEVEL:: Max 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 Max.

IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:: 8/29/25: In the yard, Max greets the other dogs at the gate with a tense body with his hackles raised. He would then become loose and began to play bow at the gate. When trying to approach another dog, he begins to thrash due to becoming frustrated of not being able to get to the dog. The handler is able to drop the leash after the dog exits the pen. Before it was time to take him back, he begins to become aroused and would jump up on the handler and mouth at their leash and shirt. He then grabs onto the handler and begins to mount. The handler is able to grab the leash and back him away. He the pulls on the way back to his kennel and enters with no issues.

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 behavior we recommend an adult only home. Single Pet Home/ No Dog Parks: Due to the redirection risk we recommend a single pet home with 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,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Leash-biting,Strength/leash pulling,Low threshold for arousal

Potential challenges comments:: House Soiling: Max's previous owner states that he will urinate and defecate in the home. Accidents should never be punished as this will likely make the problem worse. Please see handout on House Soiling. Fearful Defensive: Max's previous owner states that he will bark at strangers. During his stay in the care center Max has been observed to be fearful. Noted to baulk and plant of leash and require coaxing. It is important to move slowly with Max, 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. On Leash Reactivity: After seeing another dog Max turned towards the handler and began snapping at their chest. Max will need positive reinforcement, reward based training to teach them to look at you rather than other dogs. We recommend a front clip harness to help manage this behavior. Please see handout on On Leash Reactivity and Barrier Frustration. Leash Biting: Max is obsvered to jump up and bite the leash. We recommend walking them with a toy to dissuade them from grabbing the leash. Positive reinforcement, force-free training is advised to teach them to focus on you rather than grabbing the leash. Please see handout on Leash Manners. Leash Pulling: Max was returned to the care center after a few hours. The previous adopter stated that they fell over a few times trying to handle him. During his stay in the care center Max has been observed to pull hard while on leash. It is recommended that they be walked on a front clip harness or head halter, which will help diminish their strength through leverage, and that they be trained using positive reinforcement, reward based training to not pull on leash. Please see handout on Leash Manners. Low threshold for arousal: During playgroup greet, Max became aroused and started to mouth and mount the handler. Positive reinforcement should be used to teach Max impulse control. Please see the handout on Low Threshold for Arousal.