Date of intake:: 6/10/2023

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray, no known history

Other Notes:: While in her crate, Milly begins growling, baring her teeth, and snarling when she has treats, toys, or food.

Date of assessment:: 6/11/2023

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Hard pulling – pressure is maintained the entire time on leash Reactivity to humans: None – ignores Reactivity to dogs: None – ignores Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): enters the room with high energy, visibly anxious, stays near door after bouncing off handlers' bodies Call over: brief approach but then retreats to door Sociability comments: seeks exit Handling Soft handling: stand still, heavily panting, tense, tail low Exuberant handling: stand still, heavily panting, tense, tail low Handling comments: Arousal Jog: follows, distracted Arousal comments: Knock: no response Knock Comments: Toy: no interest Toy comments:

Summary:: Due to operational limitations, dog-dog interactions have been postponed.

Summary (2):: 09/21/23: Handler is interacting with another dog when they begin to hear Milly snarling. Handler turns to find Milly standing on her kennel door, her lips are fully pulled back from her teeth and she is completely tense, snarling. Handler tosses a few treats in an attempt to redirect her, but Milly does not move away and tracks handler with her eyes. Milly can be heard continuing to snarl as handler walks away. 09/11/23 Milly is standing on her kennel door with a wagging tail. As the handler unlocks the kennel door and takes down the blocker, Milly becomes wigglier. The handler leashes Milly with ease and they proceed outside with no issue. Milly displays a loose body, and a wagging tail, while playfully jumping onto the handler. Milly walks moderately beside the handler. Milly takes treats gently as the handler administers them. Milly allows touch as well, as the handler pets her on the back and back of her head. The handler returns Milly back to the facility where she enters the building just fine. 09/09/23 Milly is observed snarling, growling, and lunging at the kennel door. The handler administers a treat from between the bars and she tears it to shreds, still snarling and now, hard barking. 8/26: As a handler walks a potential adopter around the room, Milly is heard snarling in her kennel. The handler steps away from the adopters so they can browse and check on Milly. She is found at the back of her kennel with her hackles raised, tense body, teeth bared, and snarling. The handler looked around her kennel to see if Milly was guarding an item but could not see anything as it was just bedding in her kennel. The handler offers her treats to redirect her attention and Milly briefly pauses and approaches the front of the kennel to sniff the treat. She accepts and slowly begins to settle, but once the adopters approach, Milly resumes the aforementioned behaviors but then lunges and snarls at the adopters, startling them. The handler once again attempts to redirect her but Milly remains fixated and stands, still snarling, on the door even after the adopters walk away. 08/08/23 Behavior remains the same, refer to (08/01/23) note. 08/01/23 When the handler approaches the kennel, Milly is standing on her kennel door with a still, neutral body. The handler leashes Milly and proceeds outside for a walk. Milly displays a looser body outside while wagging her tail and playfully jumping onto the handler. Milly takes treats gently when administered and will also catch them when tossed. Milly is neutral when it comes to touch. The handler returns her back to the facility where she enters the building and her kennel quickly.

Summary (3):: 7/25/23: When the handler approaches the kennel, Milly is standing on the kennel door, vocalizing with a loose body. She is easily leashed and led back to the assessment room. Milly tolerates being re-collared with a slightly tense body. She afterward becomes fearful and stands near the door. The handler calls her over and she quickly softens and begins to jump incessantly on the handler. Handler stands and turns away and Milly settles. Handler attempts to pet her again and Milly becomes aroused again, jumping and beginning to vocalize. She settles as soon as the handler ceases contact and turns away. She is easily leashed and returned to the kennel without issue. 07/18/23 When the handler approaches the kennel, Milly jumps onto her kennel door, vocalizing at the handler with a loose body. The handler unlocks the kennel door and leashes Milly with ease, proceeding outside for a walk. Milly exits her kennel, quickly, pulling towards the door. Upon arriving outside, Milly urinates. They commence their walk where Milly will pull on lead. Milly takes treats gently when administered and will also allow the handler to pet her. The handler returns Milly back to the facility where she enters the building and her kennel with no issue. 07/11/23 When the handler approaches the kennel, Milly is spinning, jumping onto her kennel door, highly aroused. The handler unlocks the kennel door, tosses in some treats to distract her, and lassoes her with the slip lead. They then proceed outside for a walk. Milly displays a loose body and wagging tail while pulling pretty hard on the lead. Milly will catch treats when tossed. The handler returns Milly back to the facility where he enters the building and his kennel with no issue. 6/19/23: Milly is observed hard barking and lunging in front of her kennel as staff members walk by baring her teeth. Milly has nothing of high value in her kennel. 6/12: ACS staff report having difficulty feeding Milly her meals due to her lunging, snarling, and baring her teeth when approached or attempts are made to place the bowl into her crate. 6/11: When a handler enters the room to gather supplies, Milly is growling. The handler turns to check on her and she begins baring her teeth and snarling while slightly hovering over a treat that is in front of her. There is also a toy beside her. 6/10: When a staff member was doing PM feeding, Milly growled and snarled when he gave her food.

Date of intake:: 6/10/2023

Summary:: pulls hard on leash, anxious, jumps on staff

IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:: Milly has been observed on several occasions to lunge, snarl, bare her teeth, and growl at handlers and staff while she is in her kennel. Even when she does not have any high-value items in her kennel to guard.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: Level 3

Recommendations:: No children (under 13)

Recommendations comments:: Due to Milly's resource guarding, fearfulness, and anxiety, we recommend an adult-only home at this time.

Potential challenges: : Resource guarding,Basic manners/poor impulse control,Fearful,Anxiety,Strength/leash pulling,Kennel presence

Potential challenges comments:: Milly has been observed to growl, bare her teeth, and snarl when she has treats, toys, or food. Please see handout on Resource Guarding. Milly became uncomfortable and fearful during the petting portion of her assessment. Please see handout on the Decompression Period. Milly is highly anxious and sought exits during her assessment. Due to the lack of behavioral history, we do not know if this behavior will translate in a home environment. Please see handout on Generalized Anxiety. Milly pulls hard on a leash and could easily pull over an average adopter. Her adopter must be prepared and able to handle a dog of this strength. It is recommended that she be walked on a front clip harness or head halter, which helps diminish her strength through leverage, and that she be trained using positive reinforcement, and reward-based training to not pull on the leash. Milly has been observed on several occasions to lunge, snarl, bare her teeth, and growl at handlers and staff while she is in her kennel. While we cannot be certain if this behavior will appear in any other contexts, in highly emotionally charged or stressful environments she may show behavior similar to what she is currently demonstrating in her kennel. We recommend potential adopters be comfortable managing this behavior and keeping themselves safe in any similar future situations.