Date of intake:: 3/25/2026

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

Previously lived with:: 2 Adults

Behavior toward strangers:: playful and friendly dog and will lunge at strangers.

Behavior toward children:: playful and friendly dog and will lunge at children.

Behavior toward dogs:: friendly and will lunge at unfamiliar dogs on/off leash.

Behavior toward cats:: unknown

Resource guarding:: No known report history of resource guarding

Bite history:: No known reports of a bite history.

Housetrained:: No

Energy level/descriptors:: Don is noted to have a high energy level in the the prior home.

Other Notes:: He is described to jump up often and escape from house/yard. Don is also generally anxious. He is unbothered when his paws/collar are touched, disturbed while sleeping, pushed pulled off furniture and when startled. Don is a social and affectionate dog and is very active and playful. He spends most of his time where people are and in the living room. He allows baths and allows previous owners to trim his nails. When on walks he does mild to moderate pulling.

Date of assessment:: 3/27/2026

Summary:: Due to Don leash biting and not being able to focus a handling assessment will not be condcuted at this time.

Summary (7):: 4/2/26: Don is standing up at his kennel door barking as handler approaches. He continues to bark and jump at the door as the handler unlocks it and quickly leashes him. Once leashed, he is then taken to the behavior room. In the room, he is able to be transferred to a drag lead and is comfortable approaching the handlers with a loose body. He would lean into the handlers to receive pets and is comfortable taking cheese and chicken. He is able to be re-leashed back on a slip with chicken and is then taken back to his kennel with no issues. 4/1/26: Don is at the front of his kennel heavily panting when approached with a soft body, is easily leashed and pulls hard outside. Don outside of the care center on his walk will pull moderately, explore his surroundings and accept petting along his back and neck, leaning into contact when coaxed. Don when seeing other dogs or strangers pass, he will tense up and his hackles will raise but walked behind objects to get out of his line of sight. Don will not eat any treats offered and after his walk is returned to kennel with no issue. 03/31/26: Don is at the front of his kennel when the handler approaches. He is panting heavily. The handler hands him several treats through the door, which he takes gently. When the handler backs up from the door, Don begins jumping. The handler offers treats again and attempts to lure Don through the leash, but Don grabs the leash and starts pulling hard. He will not release the leash for treats or toys, so the handler drops the leash. Don pulls the leash almost all the way into the kennel, then drops it. The handler is able to retrieve the leash by pulling the end that is not in the kennel, and Don does not attempt to grab it while it is being removed. The handler locks the kennel and leaves to give Don time to settle down.

Date of intake:: 3/25/2026

Summary:: hard bark and lunge at staff.

Date of initial:: 3/26/2026

Summary:: took treats readily, seeking human attention and affection

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to defensive behavior in the care center, we reccomend he be placed in an adult-only home at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Don came into the care center as an owner surrender due to moving. Don is a social and affectionate dog and is very active and playful. He spends most of his time where people are and in the living room. Don 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: : House soiling,Basic manners/poor impulse control,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Anxiety,Leash-biting

Potential challenges comments:: House soiling: Don is noted to not be house-trained.Establishing a structured schedule, increasing supervision, and reinforcing outdoor elimination will be essential to help him develop reliable bathroom habits. Please see the handout on House soiling. Basic manners/poor impulse control: Don is noted to jump up on handlers often.Training should focus on reinforcing calm alternative behaviors such as sitting for attention and consistently removing reinforcement for jumping. Please see the handout on Basic manners/poor impulse control Fearful/potential for defensive aggression:Upon intake, when staff entered the room, Don began to hard bark and lunge at staff. Client was asked to place the slip-leash and walk him to the end of the hallway to pass the leash off to staff. Once in the squeeze gate, Don began to trash. Staff were able to walk him into his kennel and remove the slip leash with a hook to which Don started to bite at. Training should emphasize slow, gentle interactions, reinforcing voluntary engagement, and building confidence through predictable, low-stress handling routines. Please see the handout on Fearful/potential for defensive aggression. Anxiety: Don owners not that he has generalized anxiety. These behaviors suggest difficulty settling and elevated stress in stimulating environments. Providing predictable routines, calming enrichment, and reinforcing relaxed behaviors can help him feel more secure. Please see the handout on generalized anxiety. Leash-biting: Don is noted to jump up and leash bite.Training should focus on lowering excitement before exiting the home, reinforcing calm engagement with high-value treats, and redirecting his attention to appropriate behaviors to reduce leash-biting. Please see the handout on leash biting.