Date of intake:: 8/12/2022

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner Surrender (3 years)

Previously lived with:: 2 adult 1 child

Behavior toward strangers:: fearful, aggressive - hard bark, lunge, pulls towards

Behavior toward children:: plays with the resident child gently

Behavior toward dogs:: while on leash will hard bark, pull towards, jump

Behavior toward cats:: unknown

Resource guarding:: none reported

Bite history:: none reported

Other Notes:: Dou Dou is reported to become anxious when left alone and will bark persistently and have accidents. When left alone in the yard he will bark at animals he sees He is afraid when pushed/pulled off furniture, when given a bath, or when his nails are trimmed. He will pull hard on the leash.

Date of assessment:: 8/15/2022

Summary:: Due to the reported defensive aggression reported in the home, the high levels of fearfulness, and attempts to flee when taken out for interactions, out of concern for Dou Dou's stress levels and staff safety, he is not an appropriate candidate for a handling assessment.

Summary:: According to Dou Dou's previous owner, he would lunge, hard bark, and pull toward other dogs during walks.

Summary (2):: 8/21: Duo continues to remain stressed and reluctant to leave his kennel. He does take one step forward when leashed but then immediately scurries to the back of his kennel. The handler waits off to the side out of sight, to give him the opportunity to exit on his own. But Duo remains seated at the back of his kennel, stress panting, trembling, with a tense hunched body. The handler removes the lead with a hook and ends the interaction. 8/20: Handlers approach Duo in the kennel and he presents identical behavior to his previous recorded interaction. 8/19 Duo is sitting at the back of his kennel upon approach, tense and trembling. Duo shows no interest in treat or toy items presented and continues to retreat further to the back. A handler is able to place a leash on him but he remains sitting, tense and trembling. The door is opened to give him the option to step out though instead he attempts to run further towards the back. The leash is removed with a safety hook and interaction is ended. 8/17: Duo Duo is sitting with his back pressed against the transfer door when approached. The handler leashes him and opens the kennel door fully and steps to the side to allow Duo to exit. He remains seated but begins trembling. The handler offers treats and coaxing but Duo remains seated. The handler waits for Duo and he slowly begins to inch forward until he sticks his head out and looks around. He sees the handlers and takes a few steps back into the kennel. But then returns a few seconds later. There was no tension in the lead and it was slack but when Duo sees the handlers again, he jumps back and thrashes. Out of concern for his stress levels, the handlers due not attempt further to remove Duo and use a hook to remove the lead. 8/16/22:Duo Duo is in kennel with a tense body when handler approaches. Handler closes off the back of his kennel so he is closer to the front and offers treats, which he barely sniffs and ignores. Handler is able to gently toss a leash on Duo's head and stands off to the side, allowing him time to exit the kennel when he's comfortable. He is led outside where he becomes uncomfortable, thrashing briefly and recovering for a moment before thrashing again and turning to stare at the handler. Handlers lead him back inside to avoid him getting off-leash and/or escalating. He is run back to the kennel without issue. 8/15: Dou Dou continues to remain avoidant and attempts to flee when removed from his kennel. He is taken the play yard where he attempts to run away from the handler.

Summary (3):: 8/14: Dou runs to the back of his kennel when he sees a handler approach. He does not approach or shows interest in HVT (cold cuts) that are offered. The handler uses a slow approach to leash Duo as he inches closer to the back of the kennel. He turns away as he is leashed and the handler opens the kennel door further. The handler steps to the side to allow him the option to exit on his own. Dou slowly ventures to the kennel and is taken to the play yard. Once out in the yard, he seeks an exit and attempts to run away from the handler. He is hyper-vigilant and constantly turns to look over his shoulder to see if the handler is still there. When he sees the handler, he begins to whine with whale eyes. Due to his high levels of FAS, the handler returns him to his kennel. 8/13/22: Duo is standing in kennel with a still semi-tense body when handler approaches. He sniffs at treats but does not accept them. Handler attempts to gently leash him but he turns away and backs up to the back wall of the kennel, turning his head into the corner. The handler uses a long grab tool to gently reach the leash in and slowly slide it over his head. Once he feels the leash fall into place, he readily approaches the front of the kennel and exits. He is led to the play yard where he is extremely tense and nervous. He scurries away from handler to the maximum distance the leash will allow and when he feels the leash apply pressure he flails and vocalizes. He becomes more panicky at noises happening around the yard and starts to fixate on birds. He flails a second time, closer to the handler. His overall state of panic seems to be escalating and handler runs him back to kennel to avoid incident. He runs back into kennel without issue and handler removes leash safely and slowly with a grabber tool, which Duo tolerates in a tense seated position. 8/12/22 Duo is at the back of the kennel upon approach, trembling. Handler begins to offer high value treats though he shows no interest. When leash is presented Duo starts to approach slowly and then retreats, he is given the opportunity to approach for leashing on his own. After a few minutes, he approaches the front and is lured through the leash. Duo pulls hard to get outside, once outside in the driveway he begins to panic slightly. Duo begins pulling and spinning away from handler, he is able to be refocused slowly with praise and is then walked to the play yard due to the high level of fear/anxiety. In the play yard Duo walks around the perimeter on the leash, he relieves himself right away. When a second handler attempts to get his attention for a picture, he begins hard barking at them. After some time, Duo is returned to kennel. At the front of his kennel, he initially resists and attempts to back away though is able to be placed in without further issue.

Date of intake:: 8/12/2022

Summary:: hard bark, pace, hide behind owner

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: Due to the reported defensive aggression coupled with the behaviors observed in the Care Center, we recommend for Duo Duo be placed in an adult-only home. Due to all noted concerns displayed in a home environment and the behaviors observed in the Care Center, the behavior department recommends Dou Dou be placed with a New Hope placement partner who is able to provide an experienced adult-only foster home. A period of decompression is recommended to allow Dou Dou to acclimate comfortably to his new environment; force-free, reward-based training only is advised when introducing Dou Dou to new and unfamiliar situations. Consultation with a professional trainer/behaviorist that uses force-free reward-based methods is highly recommended for guidance to safely manage/modify any behavior Dou Dou presents with outside of the care centers.

Potential challenges: : On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Strength/leash pulling,Separation anxiety

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: Dou Dou has escalated to growling and lunging on multiple occasions in the previous home and at intake and during his time in the care center. His signs of discomfort must be respected; Dou Dou should never be forced to interact, he should always be given the opportunity 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 Dou Dou. More aversive techniques are likely to increase fear, increase the risk of aggression, and decrease Dou Dou's quality of life. Please see handout on fearful/potential for defensive aggression. Separation anxiety: Dou Dou is reported to experience separation anxiety in a home environment. When left alone he barks constantly and has accidents. We recommend that potential adopters feel comfortable with separation anxiety behaviors and be prepared to manage and positively modify them should they appear in a home environment. He would do best in a home where a person is at home for a large part of the day or with a plan so he is not alone for long periods of time. Please see handout on Separation anxiety. On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration: Dou Dou is reported to lunge, hard bark, and pull towards other dogs while on leash for walks. Dou Dou may need positive reinforcement, reward based training to teach him to look at you rather than other dogs. We recommend a front clip harness or head halter to help manage this behavior. Please see handout on On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration. Dou Dou is reported to pull very hard on the leash during walks. His adopter/foster must be prepared and able to handle a dog of this size and strength. It is recommended that he be walked on a front clip harness or head halter, which helps diminish his strength through leverage, and that he be trained using positive reinforcement, reward-based training to not pull on leash.