Date of intake:: 8/19/2025

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

Previously lived with:: 2 adults 6 kids 1LMB

Behavior toward strangers:: tolerant, friendly and outgoing

Behavior toward children:: he has lived with kids ages 6-17 and is friendly playful and outgoing

Behavior toward dogs:: he has lived with another LMB and is shy/contact on their terms, friendly and outgoing and playful

Behavior toward cats:: unknown

Resource guarding:: no known history of resource guarding

Bite history:: no known bite history

Housetrained:: Partially

Energy level/descriptors:: Boss is noted to have a medium energy level.

Other Notes:: Jumps up non-stop, pulls really hard on leash, isn't bothered when he is held/restrained, disturbed when sleeping, push/pulled off furniture, feet/paws touched or when his collar is grabbed. He is social/affectionate and lazy/couch potato. He likes to be in the living room and his crate. He allows family to bathe and brush him. He goes on 20 min walks 2--4x daily with very little to mild pulling and is crate trained up to 8 hours and loves going for car rides. He knows the cues for stay, sit, lay down and paw.

Date of assessment:: 8/21/2025

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Hard pulling Reactivity to humans: Ignores Reactivity to dogs:N/a Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Social- seeks attetion, soft body Call over: Readilt approaches- leans in for pets, soft body Sociability comments: Handling Soft handling: Allowed- leans into touch, soft body Exuberant handling: Allowed- leans into touch, soft body Handling comments: Arousal Jog: Follow- 1 pass Arousal comments: Knock: Approches- loose body Knock Comments: Toy: No response Toy comments: Due to Boss's high arousal and unable to settle, a handling assessment will not be conducted at this time.

Summary (6):: 09/02/25 (Trainer Note): Boss begins barking and jumping on the door with a loose, wiggly body as the handler approaches. He is easily leashed and pulls moderately to the canine training room. He is loose and social with staff, jumping up onto the handler to solicit contact. The handler works with him on moving between various enrichment items and he participates readily. Boss is returned to kennel without issue. 08/28/25: Boss is jumping up onto the kennel door as handler approaches. He is leashed with ease and pulls moderately to the Canine Behavior Office where he is clipped to a drag lead and free to explore the space. He is loose and social with handlers and will jump up onto them excitedly, becoming mouthy at times but redirected with tossed treats. Boss becomes slightly tense when another handler enters the room with a loud mop bucket, so handler holds his drag lead, and he begins to bark. Handler with mop bucket offers treats as they approach and Boss settles. Boss explores the room and will engage with a snuffle mat offered to him. When a familiar handler walks by to distract Boss as he begins to bark at another handler, he will approach familiar handler with a neutral frame and jump up, biting onto their sleeve and releasing. Boss is redirected with tossed treats and is returned to kennel safely. 08/26/25: Boss is jumping up on the kennel door as the handler approaches. He is easily leashed and pulls moderately to the canine training room. He leans into contact with a loose, wiggly body. Boss maintains a heavy pant and dilated pupils for the duration of the interaction. He lays down and attempts to place his head on the ground, but only does so for a few moments before picking his head up to pant again. He is initially unable to engage in enrichment items, but is able to after a few minutes. He picks up a bully stick and lays down, consuming it entirely. He approaches the handler with a loose body and allows leashing. Boss pauses at the front of his kennel room, but is easily encouraged to enter and enters his kennel without issue. 8/24/25 (pm): When passing two staff members, Boss tensed and hard barking/growled until they moved out of his way.

Summary (7):: 8/24/25: Boss was jumping up on kennel door as handlers approached. He tried to push his way out as handler 1 attempted to leash him. After a couple of attempts, while distracted by handler 2, he was leashed and pulled moderately to the BA room. Boss was clipped to a drag leash and explored the room. He was highly social, leaning his whole body into pets with a loose, wiggly frame. Boss played with a variety of toys and leaned into contact while the toy was in his mouth. Handler 2 was easily able to get Boss to drop a toy that was too small for him in exchange for a treat. Boss was returned to kennel without issue. 08/23/25: Boss is lying in the middle of kennel with a neutral frame as handlers approach. He is leashed with ease and walks with a neutral frame to the Canine Behavior Office where he is clipped to a drag lead and free to explore the space. He is soft-bodied and social with handlers throughout his time in the room, readily approaching and leaning in to petting along his head, neck, and body. Boss engages with a licky mat, snuffle mat, and soft toys. Boss lays next to handler's feet for several minutes as he chews on his toy. When handler walks to the sink to wash their hands, Boss will place his front paws up onto the counter and drink from the faucet. After his session, Boss is walked back to kennel and will balk outside of the kennel door. Handler uses mild directional leash pressure to guide him in. 08/20/25(PM): Boss is hard barking and panting in front of his kennel when the handlers approach. handler 1 opens up the kennel door while handler 2 distracts him with high value cheese. Boss becomes trusted and attempts to push his way out of the kennel door when the handler leashes him. Boss is reset and the handler is able to leash him. In the hallway Boss will grab onto handler 2 belonging require the handler to trade with him so he can let go. Boss will drop the plush toy he was given and lose interest. Boss is taken to the behavior office, where he displays hypersalivation, pacing, red, dilated eyes, and jumps on the handler. Boss is given a slow feeder which he engages with, but quickly loses interest and is unable to settle. Boss allows handler 2 to pet them but he begins to jump on the handler. Once Boss kennel is clean he is taken back to his kennel without issue. 8/20/2025: As the handler is in the ramp with Boss going for a walk, Boss begins to jump onto the handler intensely. The handler stiff arms Boss for about 5 seconds and Boss starts to settle down. However, Boss starts to jump onto the handler intensely again and starts to yell for help. 3 other handlers came to assist and brought Boss back into his kennel. 2 walked Boss back in while the other checked on the handler that originally walked Boss.

Date of intake:: 8/19/2025

Summary:: oose wiggly body and approached staff for pets, he was easily leashed and walked to the kennel witho

Date of initial:: 8/19/2025

Summary:: In kennel was barking and occasionally gave low growl, but wiggly and soft bodied once out. Pulls ve

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): We recommend that Boss be placed in an adult-only home at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Boss was brought to the care center after his original owner moved and left him in the care of their partner. Unfortunately, the partner is unable to continue caring for Boss due to living in a residence with a no-pet policy. In the care center, he has displayed hard barking, intense kennel presence, hypersalivation, pacing, and difficulty settling. Boss will jump up on handlers grabbing their belonging, at times requiring multiple staff to safely return him to his kennel. While he will briefly engage with enrichment items and has allowed some handling, his arousal quickly escalates into jumping and inability to regulate. Boss will benefit from placement with an experienced new hope partner who can provide structure, decompression, and behavior modification.

Potential challenges: : Basic manners/poor impulse control,Anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Strength/leash pulling,Kennel presence,Low threshold for arousal

Potential challenges comments:: Basic Manners/Poor Impulse Control: In his previous home, Boss was noted to jump up persistently on people, showing excitement and a lack of impulse control. This behavior suggests a need for consistent training to reinforce calm greetings and appropriate attention-seeking behaviors. Please see the handout on Basic Manners/Poor Impulse Control. On-Leash Reactivity/Barrier Frustration: While on walks in the care center, Boss has been observed hard barking at people passing by. This indicates barrier frustration or reactivity, and would benefit from structured exposure and redirection techniques to reduce overstimulation. Please see the handout on On-Leash Reactivity/Barrier Frustration. Anxiety: Boss displays signs of anxiety in the care center, including heavy panting, hypersalivation, pacing, and difficulty settling. These behaviors suggest stress and a need for calming enrichment, predictable routines, and confidence-building activities. Please see the handout on generalized anxiety. Kennel Presence: Boss is noted to hard bark and jump at the front of his kennel door, which may reflect frustration, anxiety, or a desire for attention. Managing his environment and providing mental stimulation can help reduce these behaviors. Strength/Leash Pulling: Boss pulls strongly on the leash during walks, indicating high energy and a need for leash training. Using proper walking equipment and teaching loose-leash walking skills will help improve his control and comfort on outings. Please see the handout on Strength/Leash Pulling. Low Threshold for Arousal: Boss has demonstrated a low threshold for arousal, including jumping on handlers and grabbing their belongings. In one incident, he grabbed and broke a handler’s PPE and continued to jump, requiring intervention from the behavior team. This behavior highlights the need for impulse control training, structured interactions, and clear boundaries to prevent escalation.