Date of intake:: 6/11/2026

Spay/Neuter status:: No

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

Other Notes:: Bearstein was reported to become quickly attached to people and has shown possessive behaviors such as charging and barking at people coming close to that person. He was observed to have separation anxiety including constant vocalizing and scratching/biting at doors that separate him. He is noted to be high energy, high prey drive towards small animals and with his strength he is hard to redirect and at times difficult to manage. His boroughbreakers report that Bearstein is an energetic, sensitive and curious dog. He is also noted to climb up on furniture such as the top of his crate, piano, chairs, tables, and more. See Boroughbreak report card for more details.

Date of assessment:: 9/12/2026

Summary:: 7/22/26 assessment Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Hard Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Moderately social Call over: Approaches handler readily Sociability comments: Neutral body, receptive to treats, explores around the room Soft handling: Accepts contact Exuberant handling: Accepts contact Comments: neutral body Arousal Jog comments: Follows handler exuberantly, jumps up on the secondary handler Knock Knock comments: Approaches handler readily with wagging tail Toy Toy comments: No interest, No reaction ** Behavioral assessment upon request**

Summary:: Bearstein arrived at the care center as a stray, so his behavior with other dogs is unknown. 7/25/26: Bearstein is introduced to a novel neutered male and approaches the fence with a loose body and mid level wagging tail. The other dog is reactive and Bearstein responds with high pitched vocalization and stands up on his hind legs. He is heavily panting, jumping on his handler often, and pacing across the fenceline. He is then introduced to a novel intact female and approaches the fence with a forward leaning loose body and mid-high level wags. He is whining and high pitched barking while pawing at the gate. When let in the yard, he flags towards the other dog with a tense forward leaning body and stands on his hind legs with a tight closed mouth. He is pulled away and attempts to reapproach, pulling moderately towards the other dog while vocalizing. He again stands over the other dog when face to face with a tight c shaped mouth and hackles raised. 6/18/26: Bearstein greets a novel female dog off leash. Both Bearstein and the novel female dog begin to sniff each other and display a loose body and wagging tail. Bearstein dog to socialite play bows which the novel female dog begins to mirror him, they both engage in full contact play. They both will disengage and take breaks, on 3rd pass they don't reapproach in play and they both sniff around the yard with a loose body. 6/17/26: Bearstein greets a novel male dog on leash through a barrier. Bearstein is tucked tail, tense and walks up to the gate to greet the male dog. The male dog briefly sniffs Bearstein but is more focused on the staff members. Bearstein remains at the gate, wagging his tail slowly with his ears pinned back. The other male dog will stay away from the gate, and Bearstein will remain at the gate.

Summary (2):: 9/21/26: It is reported that in the PM when a handler attempted to walk Bearstein he jumped up and bit the handler on the arm. This did not result in broken skin. After biting the handler Bearstein continued lunging, the handler started walking back to kennel when they saw another handler and called for help. When the secondary handler approached, Bearstein began lunging at them. Lunging off the ground and landing on his back three times. The secondary handler was able to get their leash, leash Bearstein, and return him to kennel without further issue. 9/19/26: Bearstein is at the front of his kennel with loose body when handler approaches. He starts barking and pawing at the bars while handler is unlocking the kennel door. He is leashed with treats and willingly exits the kennel. Handler constantly tosses treats on the ground, creating a treat trail which helps keep Bearstein focused and pass by neighboring dogs with no issues. Bearstein pulls hard forward with strong leash tension in the hallways with no reaction to other pop-up crates or staff members. Once in elevator, handler is able to cue him to sit and he follows, gently accepting treats. Once outside, Bearstein immediately relieves himself. After crossing the street, Bearstein attempts to jump onto the handler but stops and sits after handler's command. Handler engage him with quick pattern game which helps him to settle a little bit. Bearstein continues walking ahead of the handler with mild to none pulling. His body is loose with relaxed face. He has no reaction to an y stimuli on the street. Her is responsive and is focused on the handler; he follows commands "paw" and "sit". He frequently looks back for check-ins and allows petting, leaning onto the handler for more. He sniffs and discovers certain areas around and relieves himself few more times. During return handler is able to pre-clip the leash and bring Bearstein back into the kennel with no issues.

Summary (3):: 9/06/26: Bearstein is at the front of his kennel, barking in the demanding manner when handler approaches. He is receptive to treats and is leashed with a treat lure. As soon as he is out of the kennel, Bearstein immediately pulls toward neighboring kennels trying to get other dogs. He is not receptive to treats. His body is tense and he is vocalizing toward other dogs. Handler have to shorten the leash and muscle Bearstein out. Once in the hallway, he walks ahead of the handler with strong leash tension. He is heavy panting while waiting for elevator and is hard to settle. Once outside, Bearstain immediately relieves himself in the driveway. Bearstein continues walking ahead of the handler with hard leash tension. He is responsive with handler and receptive to treats. He follows cue "sit" and "look at me" during the walk which helps to slow him down. He will hard stare at other dogs but handler is able to distract him with treats and pull away to another direction. Bearstein has no interest in other people passerby on the street. During return handler is able to pre-clip the leash and bring Bearstein back into his kennel with no further issues. 9/2/26: Bearstein is reported to be pigeon reactive and pull very hard while on leash 9/5/26 (Late Entry): It is reported via the whiteboard that Bearstein was trying to climb on top of cars and pulls hard towards them. 8/30/26: Bearstein is at the front of his kennel with loose body when handler approaches. He is easily leashed and taken out of the room. Bearstein pulls hard all the way out but has no reaction to pop-up crates or staff members. He sits next to handler in elevator and then exuberantly jumps on them with loose body. He stops for treats and sits again. Once outside, he continues walking next to the handler with mild to none leash tension. Bearstein doesn't react towards other dogs or people passerby. He is social and is focused on the handler. Bearstain is responsive when called and allows petting. He follows cues "sit" and "paw" and gently takes treats as a reward. His body remains loose with soft face. During returning handler is able to pre-clip the leash and bring Bearstein back into his kennel with ease

Summary (4):: 8/18/26: Bearstein is standing at the front of his kennel with a soft body; he is easily leashed and brought out the room with no kennel fighting. On the street, Bearstein walks with mild to moderate leash tension. He is also very vigilant: he looks at dogs and birds, but with a little leash pressure, he disengages; Bearstein also looks across the street when someone makes a high pitch sound, but disengages himself. Bearstein allows pets all over his head, back, and sides from the handler. When a person speaks to the handler for help, Bearstein looks at them and their stroller with a neutral body; as they walk close behind them, he stops and stares at them. When the handler applies some leash pressure to continue the walk, Bearstein continues to look back at that person; the handler applies more leash pressure and walks faster, which helps Bearstein disengage and look forward. While walking towards the room, Bearstein approaches and sniffs a volunteer opening a cat kennel with a neutral body; the handler quickly pulls him away. The handler pets him once more before he is returned to his kennel. 8/16/26: Bearstein is lying down at the front of his kennel when handler approaches. He gets up, does body shake and patiently looking at the handler while they are unlocking the kennel. He is easily leashed with a treat lure and calmly exits the kennel. He exits the room with a slow pace with no reactivity toward other dogs in neighboring kennels. Bearstein pulls harder through the hallways but does not react toward dogs in pop-up crates or staff members. Handler uses treats and is able to slow down Bearstein before going downstairs and he goes with a slow pace all the way down with no pulling forward. Once outside, Bearstein pulls towards the gates and relieves himself. He continues walking slightly ahead of the handler on the loose leash with no tension. Bearstein does not react toward other dogs or people passerby. Bearstein remains focused on the handler; he frequently looks back for check-ins and is engaged with the handler and active in pattern games. He follows commands “sit” and “paw,” and gently accepts treats. Bearstein allows petting and leans onto the handler for the attention. His body remains loose and wiggly with relaxed face. During return handler is able to pre-clip the leash and Bearstein goes back into his kennel by his own with ease

Summary (5):: 8/13/26: Bearstein is noted to be kennel reactive; he pushes off the wall and lunges toward the dog in the kennel next to him. He returns with ease. Recently, Bearstein is observed to hop on his hind legs towards the kennels. 8/09/26: Bearstein is sitting at the front of his kennel with a soft body as the handler approaches. He is easily leashed with a treat lure and exits the kennel. He follows a treat trail on the ground what keeps him focused and distracted from other dogs in neighboring kennels. Bearstein pulls hard through the hallways but does not display reactivity toward dogs in pop-up crates or passing staff members. Before going down stairs, handler cues Bearstein to sit and he follows, gently accepting offered treats as a reward. Once outside, Bearstein continues walking at a slower pace slightly ahead of the handler with mild to none leash tension. He sniffs and occasionally pulls toward certain areas to discover and eventually relieves himself. Bearstein does not display reactivity toward passing dogs or people. Bearstein remains highly engaged with the handler and participates in pattern games. He follows the verbal cues “sit” and “paw,” accepts treats, and allows petting. He attempts exuberantly jump onto the handler with a loose, wiggly body. He is easily redirected with treats and settles back quickly. Bearstein seeks social interaction and is leaning into the handler for additional pets. His body remains loose and relaxed throughout the walk, with a soft face. During return handler is able to pre-clip the leash and bring Bearstein back into the kennel with no issues. 8/05/26: It is reported via white board that Bearstein is very dog reactive when coming out of the kennel. 8/02/26: Bearstein is sitting at the front of his kennel with relaxed body when handler approaches. He is easily leashed with a treat lure and taken out of the room. Bearstein pulls hard in the hallways but has no reaction toward pop-up crates or staff members. He sits next to handler in elevator and gently takes offered treats showing tail wag. Once outside, he pulls even harder and handler cues him to sit; Bearstain patiently waiting while handler is putting a leash harness on (allows with no issues). He continues walking with slower pace slightly ahead of the handler with mild to none leash tension. He sniffs a lot and pulls towards certain areas to discover and eventually relieves himself. Bearstein doesn't react towards other dogs or people passerby. He is focused on the handler, engaged in pattern games, follows commands "sit" and "paw". He exuberantly jumps on the handler with loose body when gets too excited but stops for treats. He allows petting and leans onto handler seeking for more interaction. His body remains loose with soft, relaxed face. During return handler is able to pre-clip the leash and bring Bearstein back into his kennel with ease.

Summary (6):: 7/25/26: It is noted on the behavior board that Bearstein is "strong: may pull towards people and small dogs. 7/25/26: Bearstein is at the front of his kennel with a neutral body; after he stretches, the handler leashes him and brings him out the room, in which he pulls hard out of. Before and during the elevator ride, Bearstein jumps off of the handler's chest a few times. The handler brings him to the yard for playgroup (see dog-dog notes). before the interaction, Bearstein is jumpy on the present handlers. After the interaction, he reacts and pulls towards the dog he just interacted with; after the dog is brought inside, the handler brings Bearstein inside. He is able to be returned with ease. 7/22/26: Bearstein is at the front of his kennel with a loose body and is easily leashed. He pulls hard to the street where he ignores dogs and passersby and continues to pull hard. He is brought into the assessment room (see notes) then returned to kennel with ease. 7/19/26: Bearstein is standing in his kennel with a neutral body and is easily leashed. He pulls hard towards food on the ground. He is brought to the yard and placed on a drag line. He runs up to other dogs through the yard fence and is held back. He sits and gives paw for treats, which he takes softly. He pulls hard back to the building. He allows leash clipping and returns to his kennel with tossed treats. 7/19/26: It is reported via whiteboard that Bearstein is dog reactive and pulls hard on the leash. 7/11/26: Bearstein is at the front of his kennel with neutral body when handler approaches. He is easily leashed and taken out of the room. Bearstein pulls hard while exiting the room but slows down next to elevator. He is not interested in other dogs in pop-up crates or staff members. He stays next to handler in elevator and few times looks back at them for check-ins. Once outside, he continues walking with moderate leash tension ahead of the handler. He slows down few times to relieve himself; he sniffs a lot and pulls harder towards certain spots to discover. Bearstein doesn't react towards other dogs or people passerby. He is not interested in treats or toys. Bearstain is not responsive when called and most of the time remains aloof but still follows the handler and allows petting and touching (handler had to fix the leash and he allowed). His body is neutral with soft face. During returning handler is able to pre-clip the leash and bring Bearstein back into his kennel with no further issues.

Summary (7):: 7/4/26: Bearstein is sitting in his kennel with a soft body and wagging tail; he is easily leashed and brought out the room. While in the elevator, Bearstein sniffs familiar handlers with a loose body; as one of them greets them with a high pitch voice, he jumps on them with a loose body. While walking through the hallway, Bearstein jumps on an unfamiliar staffer sitting down with a loose body. On the street, Bearstein walks with mild to moderate leash tension; he doesn't react to dogs. When he sees people, Bearstein looks like a forward neutral body; he pulls towards a couple of them maintaining the same posture. He tolerates pets from the handler. Upon entry, Bearstein greets the same staffer in the chair in the same manner. Upon entry, the handler clips their leash and returns Bearstein to his kennel. 7/3/26: It is reported via whiteboard that Bearstein might be reactive to people; he will hard stare at them during the walk. 7/2/26: It is noted on the whiteboard that Bearstein stares at people who walk past and looks back at them with a seemingly tense body. 6/25/26: Bearstein is lying down at the front of his kennel with neutral body when handler approaches. He is easily leashed and taken out of the room. Bearstein slowly walks following the handler in the hallways and sits next to them in elevator. Once outside, he sniffs around certain spot and eventually relieves himself. Bearstein continues walking next to the handler on the loose leash with no pulling. He is not interested in treats and is not engaging with handler. His body is neutral with slightly tucked tail and most of the time he remains aloof. Bearstein doesn't react towards other dogs or people passerby. When walk is finished Bearstein is taken to the Canine Behavior office for the reassessment (see notes). During returning handler is able to pre-clip the leash and bring Bearstein back into his kennel with ease. 6/22/26: Bearstein is lying down in kennel upon approach. He does not eat treats the handler tosses into the kennel. Handler unlocks the kennel and Bearstein remains lying down. He is leashed slowly and exits kennel. He pulls mildly out of the room. He is taken downstairs towards the street where Bearstein walks slowly besides the handler. He relieves himself a few times and is walked back to the shelter. Bearstein observes a dog and stares at them with a stiff body. He is unable to be redirected with squeakers. Leash tension is used to coax him away. Bearstein is then walked back inside. He walks slowly back to kennel and is returned without issue. *Previous enrichment notes can be given upon request*

Date of intake:: 6/11/2026

Summary:: Fearful, growling, and snapping

Date of initial:: 6/11/2026

Summary:: Allows placement of muzzle, but gives whale eye and begins growling with exam. Opted to sedate

ENERGY LEVEL:: We have no history on Bearstein 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),No cats,Place with a New Hope partner

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to fearful behavior we recommend we recommend an adult only home. No cats: Bearstein is reported to have a strong prey drive for squirrels/chipmunks, and it is hard to manage him due to how strongly he is pulling. He is not easily redirected. due to this we recommend him to be in a home without small animals. Place with a New Hope Partner: Due to his intense separation anxiety and fearfulness, we recommend placing him with one of our New Hope Partners. Bearstein came to ACC as a stray. Because of this, we do not know how he is in a home environment. During his time in the care center, Bearstein has shown high levels of fear, resulting in him growling and snapping. When on a straycation, he showed significant separation anxiety, resulting in him scratching and biting doors that separated him from people along with constant barking and crying in the crate. He is noted to charge and bark at people approaching him when he is with his person. He is noted to be high energy and have a high prey drive towards small animals, and with his strength he is hard to redirect. Bearstein is described as an incredibly sweet dog who loves to give kisses and cuddle. 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: : Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Separation anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Strength/leash pulling

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: Bearstein has been observed to be fearful while in care. Noted to retreat from handlers when they approach. During intake Bearstein was noted to growl and snap. They should never be forced to approach anything that they are uncomfortable with or submit to petting or handling. It should always be their choice to approach a new person or thing. Bearstein would do best in an initially calm and quiet home environment and should be given time to acclimate to their new surroundings. Please see handout on Fearful/potential for defensive aggression. Separation anxiety: Bearstein is reported to constantly bark or cry when put into a crate. During his straycation, he was observed to bite at and scratch at the doors when his preferred person was away from him. When someone would get close to his preferred person, he was noted to charge and bark at the person approaching. We recommend that potential adopters feel comfortable with separation anxiety behaviors and prepared to manage and positively modify them should they appear in a home environment. He would do best in a home where a person is at home for a large part of the day or with a plan so he is not alone for long periods of time. Please see the handout on Seperation Anxiety. On-leash reactivity/ barrier frustration: Bearstein is reported to have a strong prey drive for squirrels/chipmunks, and it is hard to manage him due to how strongly he is pulling. He is not easily redirected. Bearstein may need positive reinforcement, reward based training to teach him to look at you rather than small animals. We recommend a front clip harness or head halter to help manage this behavior. Pleease see hand out on On Leash Reactivity Strength/Leash Pulling: Bearstein is a very large, strong dog with the capability to pull over an average adopter. He is noted to pull very hard towards small mammals and generally on the walk. His adopter must be prepared and able to handle a dog of this size and strength. It is recommended that he be walked on a front clip harness or head halter, which help diminish his strength through leverage, and that he be trained using positive reinforcement, reward based training to not pull on leash. Please see hand out for Leash Manners.