Date of intake:: 7/19/2026

Spay/Neuter status:: Yes

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Returned (1 day)

Previously lived with:: 2 adults

Behavior toward strangers:: No experience

Behavior toward children:: No experience

Behavior toward dogs:: Leon was friendly with unfamiliar dogs while on leash

Behavior toward cats:: No experience

Resource guarding:: Valuable items: Food, Treats (bones, rawhides, etc.), Toys Noted to escalate to biting when approached with a toy.

Bite history:: Previous bite to a person: Yes Did the bite break skin: No Date of last bite: 7/18/2026 Previous bite to another animal: No Did the other animal need vet care: Not reported Date of last bite to an animal: Bitten by another animal: No Did this dog need vet care: Not reported Date of last bite by another animal: Additional info: Moving him off / on the couch, ; Playing with toy Bite History Survey Answers: Was this the first bite: Yes Previous bite before this: How many times the dog has bitten in the past: 1-2 times in the past Bite severity: Small bites left scar from teeth grazing against the skin, but did grab onto shorts. No bleeding. Medical attention needed: No Medical attention type: Not reported Warning signs prior to the bite: Growled, hard barked, and/or snarled, Does not give warnings What happened before/during the bite: n the trial adopters’ home, Leon was reported to nip and bite them consistently; these bites have not broken skin but have left scratches. When Leon first arrived in the home, he immediately jumped on the couch. When the TA’s partner attempted to move him cautiously, Leo snapped and bit their finger. When the partner moved their hand away, Leon redirected and bit the TA on the knee. After that incident, the TA and their partner avoided letting Leon on the couch. The second incident occurred later that same day. The TA’s partner was playing fetch with Leon. Leon had played fetch multiple times throughout the day and did not show any signs of resource guarding. During the incident, the TA’s partner went to pick up the toy, and Leon started growling and bit them on their hand. The partner retreated and gave Leon space; however, Leon chased after the partner and continued to bite them. Biting the partner on the leg and knee. Leon then proceeded to bite and hold onto the partner’s shorts. The partner kept moving away quickly and retreating. However, Leon continued chasing them and growling and attempting to bite them until they were cornered against the stairs. The TA started making noise with the treat bag, and that was the only thing that stopped Leon. Type of bite: Bite and hold, Bite multiple times in a row When the biting began: Change in home (new baby, new pet, construction, etc.) putting collar on

Housetrained:: Partially

Energy level/descriptors:: High (often playful/busy)

Other Notes:: Goes potty on: Outside on walks (grass, cement, dirt, etc.) Accident frequency: Daily Additional info: Poop inside. Pee inside but looks for the bathroom to do that. Will take a while to pee or poop outside Behavior concerns: Anxious when left alone Additional info: Not reported Reacts to on walks: None of the above Reaction type: Not reported Additional info: Not reported How this dog reacts when... - Held/restrained: Isn't bothered - Disturbed while resting/sleeping: Unknown/Have not attempted - Startled: Fearful - Pushed/pulled off furniture: Barks/Growls - Paws are touched: Unknown/Have not attempted - Collar grabbed/touched: Barks/Growls Previous stay: 7/12/26: Stray, No known history During his previous stay, Leon was noted to be fearful and have handling sensitivity. *Previous assessments can be given upon request*

Date of assessment:: 8/3/2026

Summary:: Leon was returned to the care center following behavior concerns in the home. In the trial adopters’ home, Leon was reported to nip and bite them consistently; these bites have not broken skin but have left scratches. When Leon first arrived in the home, he immediately jumped on the couch. When the TA’s partner attempted to move him cautiously, Leo snapped and bit their finger. When the partner moved their hand away, Leon redirected and bit the TA on the knee. After that incident, the TA and their partner avoided letting Leon on the couch. The second incident occurred later that same day. The TA’s partner was playing fetch with Leon. Leon had played fetch multiple times throughout the day and did not show any signs of resource guarding. During the incident, the TA’s partner went to pick up the toy, and Leon started growling and bit them on their hand. The partner retreated and gave Leon space; however, Leon chased after the partner and continued to bite them. Biting the partner on the leg and knee. Leon then proceeded to bite and hold onto the partner’s shorts. The partner kept moving away quickly and retreating. However, Leon continued chasing them and growling and attempting to bite them until they were cornered against the stairs. The TA started making noise with the treat bag, and that was the only thing that stopped Leon. During his previous stay in care, Leon was observed to be fearful and would escalate to snapping at the handler’s hand when they attempted to return him to the kennel. Due to the quick escalation in behavior observed while in the home, Leon is not a candiate for a handling assessment at this time.

Summary:: According to Leon's previous owner(s), Leon was friendly with unfamiliar dogs while on leash while in their care. 8/26/5: Leon is introduced to a novel intact male and is neutral while sniffing nose to nose through the fence. He disengages and interacts with his handler. He reapproaches remaining neutral and then sniffs in the catch pen. He is let into the yard and engages in mutual sniffing remaining neutral and walks away, greeting handlers. He is tolerant of the other dog sniffing him from behind and independently explores. He is then introduced to a novel neutered male and is neutral standing nearby the gate but does not have interest in sniffing through the gate. He is then introduced to a novel intact male and approaches the fence, sniffing nose to nose remaining neutral but quickly disengages and solicits attention from handlers. He is led to the fence and briefly sniffs the other dog before disengaging, showing no interest in continued interaction. 8/18/26: Leon is introduced to a novel spayed female and approaches the fence with a neutral body, quickly disengaging and interacting with handlers. He reapproaches often and eventually the other dog comes forward and the two sniff nose to nose through the fence while he remains neutral and gives a couple mid level wags. The other dog is let into the yard and Leon attempts to sniff but the other dog scurries away. He attempts to follow and sniff but is calm when the other dog does not reciprocate interaction and explores the yard instead.

Summary (6):: 08/25/26: Leon is at the front of his kennel as handler approaches, he is leashed easily and exits kennel following handler and accepting treats along the way. He is taken to the street with handler and walks without issue, he passes people on the street without reaction and will jump on handler socially seeking attention. Leon will lean into handler and seek pets, rolling over and accepting belly rubs. Leon is walked for a while more until he is eventually brought back inside. Leon is returned to kennel without issue and interaction is ended shortly after.

Summary (7):: 8/18/26: Leon is at the front of his kennel with a soft body; the handler clips his harness and brings him out the room. Leon approaches two familiar handlers with a loose body after he sniffs them; he is then brought to the yard for playgroup (see D2D notes). Before the interaction, Leon approaches the other handlers with a wiggly body, soliciting pets; he also lays on his back to receive pets on his belly. After the interaction. the handler brings Leon inside; he refuses to enter on his own, so the handler tosses some treats into kennel and uses a bit of leash pressure to get him inside. 8/12/26: Leon is at the front of his kennel with a loose body; he is easily leashed and brought out the room. Once outside, the handler walks Leon past a few large dogs, but he doesn't react them. Leon walks ahead with mild leash tension; he exhibits playful behavior with the handler and allows pets. He approaches familiar handlers with a loose body and takes treats from them. Upon entry, the handler tosses treats into his kennel and Leon jumps in to eat them; the handler removes their leash with ease. 8/12/26: Leon is reported to snap at the handler when he was returned to his kennel. Later on, he is moved down to the bottom kennel. 8/2/26: Leon is standing in his kennel with a soft body and wagging tail. He is easily leashed and picked up from his top kennel. On the street, he walks slowly with a neutral body. He ignores passersby. He gets on his hind legs and leans in for pets from the handler. He takes treats and allows leash clipping and is returned to kennel with ease. 7/15/26: Leon comes to the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. He sniffs their hand with a neutral body and low tail. He allows leashing and pick up and is brought to the street. He does not pull and does not react to people. He walks with a slightly tense body and low tail. He is picked up and brought to the assessment room (see notes) then returned to kennel. As he is being lifted into kennel, he turns his head around with an open mouth towards the handlers hand. Next he goes for the other hand and the handler pulls it away and shuts the door quickly. He becomes animated and vocalizes (mostly whining) and jumps and paws at the door.

Date of intake:: 7/12/2026

Summary:: Fearful allowed all handling

Date of initial:: 7/14/2026

Summary:: Body relaxed; easily examined

ENERGY LEVEL:: We have no history on Leon so we cannot be certain of their behavior in a home environment. However, they will need daily mental and physical activity to stay engaged and exercised. We recommend long-lasting chews, food puzzles, and hide-and-seek games, in addition to physical exercise, to positively direct their 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 the multiple bite history, we recommend an adult only home. 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,Resource guarding,Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Multiple-bite history/risk of future aggression,Bite history (human)

Potential challenges comments:: House Soiling: Leon's trial adopter states that he had daily accidents. We recommend positive reinforcement, reward-based training only. Accidents should never be punished as this will likely make the problem worse. Please see handout on House Soiling. Resource Guarding: During his trial adoption Leon quickly escalated to biting when they attempted to take a toy from him. Nothing should ever be taken directly out of Leon's mouth, and any time something is removed they should be rewarded with a high value treat or toy. Please see handout on Resource Guarding. Handling Sensitivity/ Fearful Defensive: Leon is observed to be timid with handlers. Noted to have a tense body and low tail when his assessment starts. However, he does warm up over time and begins to see contact. However, when the handler picked up Leon to return him to kennel, he snaps at both their hands. This does not make contact. During his trial adoption Leon quickly escalated to biting when they attempted to move him off the couch. They also state that he will bark and growl when his collar is touched. Positive reinforcement, reward based training should be used to pair touch with good things such as food rewards in order to teach Leon to be more comfortable with this. Please see handout on Handling and Touch Sensitivity. Multiple Bite History/ Bite History (Human): Escalating to biting is a behavior that Leon has rehearsed repeatedly. This behavior is likely to continue as it has become part of Leon's repertoire, and will need careful management to work toward reducing triggers for Leon and reducing the resulting bites. Please see handout on Bite History and Potential for Future Aggression.