Date of intake:: 10/8/2025

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner Surrender (7 years)

Previously lived with:: 2 adults, 1 child

Behavior toward strangers:: Buster is friendly, outgoing and playful around strangers. Buster is friendly, outgoing and playful

Behavior toward children:: friendly, outgoing and playful around strangers.

Behavior toward dogs:: familiar dogs Buster is friendly, outgoing and playful. When around unfamiliar dogs on a leash Buste

Behavior toward cats:: no experience around cats or any other animals besides dogs.

Resource guarding:: Buster has never bitten, hard barked, and or growled when around toys, food, treats, but does present a tense body or hovering over the listed items.

Bite history:: 11/21/25: In the care center, staff member was returning Buster back to kennel when Buster turned around and bit handler on left bicep leaving two puncture marks. Buster released right away.

Housetrained:: Partially

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

Other Notes:: Buster will use the bathroom on wee-wee pads, newspaper, as well as outside; when accidents happen, they are very rare. Buster is a jumper and will jump up often or non-stop. He also pulls hard on the leash. When outside Buster will react to children, bikes/skateboards/scooters/motorcycles/cars or traffic, cats, small animals - squirrels, birds, raccoons, opossums etc., large dogs, small dogs. Buster will react due to over excitement and friendliness'. Buster isn't bothered when held/restrained, disturbed while resting/sleeping, startled, pushed/pulled off of furniture, his feet/paws are touched, or when his collar is grabbed/touched. Buster is a social/affectionate, very active, playful, and vocal dog. Buster enjoys spending most of his time in the bedrooms, kitchen, and living room areas of the home. He also enjoys being wherever people are. Buster will allow his owner/family to bathe and brush him. Buster is a level 3 when outside for a walk which means he has mild to moderate pulling on or off during walks). Buster was previously crated, but his owner then got rid of it because he didn't need the cage anymore. When going for a car ride Buster becomes nervous getting in/being inside of the car; will also have accidents inside of the car (poops, pees, and or vomits). Buster knows the commands of sit, stay, come and go. Busters' previous owner stated that their favorite thing about Buster was that he loves anything that breathes. According to Busters previous owners he enjoys playing with anything he can tear up, enjoys any type of food except for celery and loves apples and any kind of meat but cannot have chicken due to allergies. Buster knows to sit and wait to be fed.

Date of assessment:: 12/2/2025

Summary:: Buster is currently unable to undergo a handling assessment due to his ongoing medical concerns. In his prior home Buster is a social/affectionate, very active, playful, and vocal dog. Buster enjoys spending most of his time in the bedrooms, kitchen, and living room areas of the home. He also enjoys being wherever people are. Buster will allow his owner/family to bathe and brush him. In the Care Centers, Buster has shown hard barking, wary of handling, head whipping, whale eyed, during medical handling. Buster appears to be friendly and tolerant of most handling and allows light touch. His determination is reflected in the behavioral information we've gathered and observed. However, it’s unclear whether his behavior will remain consistent or if new behaviors may emerge once he is fully medically cleared. Positive reinforcement should be used when working with Buster.

Summary:: According to Buster's previous owner(s), When around familiar dogs Buster is friendly, outgoing and playful. When around unfamiliar dogs on a leash Buster is playful but can be shy preferring contact on his own terms. When around unfamiliar dogs off a leash Buster is playful but can be shy preferring contact on his own terms. 10/12/25 Buster is introduced to a female helper dog while off leash at the care center. Buster will approach the gate with a neutral body, appearing aloof. The female dog appears interested, displaying a loose, wiggly frame, so Buster is guided into her pen for a face-to-face interaction. Buster will slowly approach the female dog to sniff her, displaying a soft, neutral body. Buster begins to create distance as the female dog overwhelms him, exchanging body contact and jumping onto him, making Buster uncomfortable. Buster maintains his distance from the helper dog, practicing avoidance. Both dogs are separated and returned to kennel.

Summary (5):: 11/26/25: Buster is standing at the front of his kennel and sits down, looking up at the handler and anticipating the leash, but allows leashing with no issues. He is escorted to the assessment room, where a drag leash is placed on him. Buster engages with a slow feeder puzzle filled with treats and interacts appropriately with the handlers in the room. When the session is complete, Buster is brought back to his kennel. The handler presents treats in front of his face and tosses them into the kennel, and Buster runs inside to eat the treats, allowing the handler to remove the leash without any issues. 11/23/25: Buster is at the front of his kennel pawing at the door and is covered in feces. Buster is removed with treats and walks out of the kennel room where he pulls towards the other dogs kennels but is easily walked out of the room. Buster enters the behavior office and beings to explore, lean in for petting when coaxed and chew on a enrichment item in the behavior office. Buster continues to do so for some time, and is brought back to kennel with no issue, biting the leash once inside but releasing immediately for treats.

Summary (6):: 11/20/25: Buster is at the front of his kennel pawing at the door and is covered in feces. Buster is removed with treats and walks out of the kennel room where he pulls towards the other dogs kennels but is easily walked out of the room. Buster pulls hard outside, and relives himself multiple times. Buster and the handler had to walk into the yard area to get more bags, and got locked out so a staff member helped them get back onto the sidewalk. When passing the staff member who had a dog, he would pull slightly towards them leaving the pen area and would it again near the pen area that he was in on the sidewalk. Buster was baby talked away from the dog into a patch of dirt where he explores his surroundings. Buster continues to explore his surroundings, and lean into petting when coax and engage with treats scatters. Buster will be walked to the office because of his kennel being still being cleaned, and will pull towards other dogs in crates but is otherwise aloof in the office. Buster is returned to kennel with no issue, but continues to scale the kennel walls and vocalize when the handler walks away. 11/19/25: Buster is in front of the kennel when the aapproaches, he displays a neutral body. whne the handler opens the door he is tossed treats and is eaily leashed. Buster eats the treats, then makes his way out of the kennel room, hard pulling on the leash. Buster displays a neutral body and is taken to the behavioral office. He allows the handler to attach a drag lead to his collar. Buster seeks attetion from the handler and allows petting, he gently takes treats. Buster is given a variety of enrichment items, which he engages with he will also check in with the handler. Buster is easily leashed and is taken back to the kennel room. When placed into his kennel, he is tossed treats and allowed the handler to remove his slip lead. 11/14/25: Buster is standing at the front of his kennel as handler approaches. He is able to be leashed with ease and is taken outside for a walk. On the walk, he would walk ahead of the handler then constantly stop and walk around the handler to jump up at their treat pouch. He is able to sit for treats and eats them when the handler tossed them on the ground. He would continue to try and jump and would stare at the handler's pouch on the walk. When returning back to his kennel, he sits in front of the kennel and stares at the handler. He is able to enter with ease when the handler tosses treats inside.

Summary (7):: 11/04/25: Buster is standing in the middle of kennel with a neutral frame as handler approaches. He comes forward and is leashed with ease, pulling moderately to the play yard where he is clipped to a drag lead and free to explore the space. Buster is social with handler throughout his time in the yard and will lean into petting with a neutral frame. He spends time sniffing along the yard and takes treats gently from hand. After his session, Buster is leashed with ease and pulls moderately back into the building. Once in front of his kennel door, Buster jumps up and grabs the lead close to handler's hand, handler tosses treat crumbs they have which redirects him momentarily before he jumps up and bites up high on the lead again. Handler guides him into kennel and tosses treats onto the kennel floor and Buster releases the lead to eat. 11/3: It is written on the board that Buster is now leash biting when coming out of kennel. Unknown if being walked with toy as recommended. 10/28/25 Buster is at the front of his kennel displaying a neutral body as well as a slow swaying tail. Buster is easily leashed and taken out to the play yard. Buster maintains a neutral frame as he trots along side the handler periodically checking in. They arrive in the play yard and Buster will explore, appearing aloof. He is administered treats in which he takes moderately and will catch them when tossed as well. Buster remains aloof, maintaining a neutral body exploring and reapproaching the handler soliciting treats. Buster is returned to the facility, entering the building and his kennel with no issue. 10/16/25: Buster was reported to leash bite when being returned to kennel. 10/15/25: It is written on the board that Buster is leash biting when returning to kennel 10/12/25: Buster is laying on his bed as the handler approaches. He gets up and stands at the door with a tense frame, pressing his nose up against the door. The handler tosses a treat to the back of the kennel, Buster eats it, and returns to the door with a frame that is slightly more loose. He is leashed with ease and pulls mildly to the yard. (See Dog-Dog for more information) Buster is leashed after the gate greet and walked back to his kennel where he is secured safely. 10/10/25: Buster is lying at the back of kennel with a neutral frame as handler approaches. He is leashed with ease and walks on a loose lead to the Canine Behavior Office. Buster is aloof and will pace along the room, limping. Due to his discomfort and obvious skin issues, a Behavior Assessment is not completed at this time.

Date of intake:: 10/8/2025

Date of initial:: 10/9/2025

Summary:: at the front of the kennel, hard barking, wary of handling, head whipping, whale eyed, sedated with

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): We reccomend that Buster be placed in an adult-only home at his time. Place with a New Hope partner: Buster came into the care center as an owner surrender due to his iowner becoming terminally ill, and can no longer care for Buster. Buster is a social/affectionate, very active, playful, and vocal dog.Buster knows the commands of sit, stay, come and go. Busters' previous owner stated that their favorite thing about Buster was that he loves anything that breathes. According to Busters previous owners he enjoys playing with anything he can tear up, enjoys any type of food except for celery and loves apples and any kind of meat but cannot have chicken due to allergies. Buster knows to sit and wait to be fed.However, he has struggled to adjust to the care center environment and is exhibiting heightened arousal and frustration. This includes behaviors such as leash biting when exiting or returning to his kennel, pawing at the door, climbing kennel walls, and vocalizing. Recently, Buster bit and released a staff member on the bicep during kennel return, breaking the skin. He continues to intermittently engage in leash biting with staff and is having difficulty coping in the shelter environment. Buster is available for rescue through one of our new hope partners.

Potential challenges: : Resource guarding,Basic manners/poor impulse control,Handling/touch sensitivity,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Leash-biting,Strength/leash pulling,Low threshold for arousal,Bite history (human)

Potential challenges comments:: Resource Guarding: In his previous home, Buster was reported to hard bark and growl around toys, food, and treats. Although he did not consistently present a tense body or hover, these vocalizations suggest a guarding tendency. Training should include structured trade exercises and positive reinforcement to reduce possessiveness. Please see the handout on Resource Guarding. Basic Manners/Poor Impulse Control: Buster frequently jumps up, sometimes non-stop, indicating poor impulse control. He would benefit from consistent redirection, impulse control exercises, and reinforcement of calm behavior to improve his manners. Please see the handout on Basic Manners/Poor Impulse Control. On-Leash Reactivity/Barrier Frustration: Buster reacts to a wide range of stimuli while on walks, including children, vehicles, small animals, and other dogs. His reactions appear to stem from overexcitement and friendliness, but the intensity suggests barrier frustration. Controlled exposure and counterconditioning can help reduce reactivity and improve focus. Please see the handout on On-Leash Reactivity/Barrier Frustration. Low threshold for arousal/Bite history (human): When the handler was returning Buster back to kennel, Buster turned around and bit and released them on left bicep leaving two puncture marks. Handling/Touch Sensitivity: Buster has medical skin issues and appears uncomfortable when touched, especially in sensitive areas. Handling should be approached gently, with attention to his medical needs and gradual desensitization to touch. Please see the handout on Handling/Touch Sensitivity. Strength/Leash Pulling: Buster is a strong puller on leash, making walks challenging. Training with appropriate equipment (e.g., front-clip harness) and teaching loose-leash walking techniques will help improve his leash behavior. Please see the handout on Strength/Leash Pulling. Leash-biting: Buster is noted to leash bite when going back into kennel.Training should focus on arousal-reduction strategies, including structured walks, redirection with appropriate toys, and reinforcing calm behavior. Incorporating impulse control exercises and consistent handling routines will help reduce leash-related frustration and improve focus. Please see the handout on Leash-biting.