Animal Profile

Coffee Grounds is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Coffee Grounds arrived at the Care Center as a stray with no known history. Upon arrival Coffee Grounds was noted to be fearful but did warm up to staff. Coffee Grounds was noted be social during her handling assessment, approaching staff readily and highly treat receptive. Unfortunately, Coffee Grounds has recently begun to leash bite with more consistency and at times is difficult to handle safely. Handlers have had some success with redirecting Coffee Grounds with treats and squeaker toys, but it is difficult to do so. Medically, Coffee Grounds is apparently healthy.

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This pet needs emergency placement. Please click here to go to our emergency placement page for more information. This pet is available only through ACC New Hope partners. To adopt or foster, please complete the pre-screener form below. Inquiries sent directly to ACC will not receive a response. Pre-Screener Form Coffee Grounds is at risk due to behavioral concerns. Coffee Grounds arrived at the Care Center as a stray with no known history. Upon arrival Coffee Grounds was noted to be fearful but did warm up to staff. Coffee Grounds was noted be social during her handling assessment, approaching staff readily and highly treat receptive. Unfortunately, Coffee Grounds has recently begun to leash bite with more consistency and at times is difficult to handle safely. Handlers have had some success with redirecting Coffee Grounds with treats and squeaker toys, but it is difficult to do so. Medically, Coffee Grounds is apparently healthy. Coffee Grounds arrived at the Care Center as a stray with no known history. Upon arrival Coffee Grounds was noted to be fearful but did warm up to staff. Coffee Grounds was noted be social during her handling assessment, approaching staff readily and highly treat receptive. Unfortunately, Coffee Grounds has recently begun to leash bite with more consistency and at times is difficult to handle safely. Handlers have had some success with redirecting Coffee Grounds with treats and squeaker toys, but it is difficult to do so. Coffee Grounds remains social with staff. We recommend placement with an experienced New Hope Partner that can carefully manage her behavioral challenges. Meet Coffee Grounds! Coffee Grounds is a young stray who was found tied to a pole and is now starting a new chapter where he can finally learn what safety and stability feel like. His past is unknown, but what he shows us today is a dog who is eager to connect with people. Personality Coffee Grounds is social, curious, and very people focused. He is quick to approach and stays close to his handler, often seeking interaction and attention. He can become very excited during engagement and may mouth at hands or jump up when he thinks treats are involved. His enthusiasm comes from a place of wanting connection, but he will need guidance to learn calmer and more polite ways to interact. He enjoys affection and will lean into petting, though he may shift away if he is touched in sensitive areas like his legs. He is still learning impulse control and benefits from structure, patience, and clear expectations. Out and About On leash, Coffee Grounds walks with moderate pulling and does not show reactivity toward people. His dog reactivity is still inconclusive. He will benefit from continued leash training to help channel his energy into more controlled walking habits. Social Behavior Coffee Grounds is moderately social in new environments and will readily approach handlers. Once engaged, he may become very focused on people and treats. He enjoys contact and leans in for affection, but he is still learning boundaries and appropriate ways to ask for attention. Training and Behavior Notes Coffee Grounds is very food motivated and still working on impulse control. He may grab treats with hard pressure and becomes very excited around food rewards. He will benefit greatly from structured, positive reinforcement training focused on calm behavior, waiting, and polite greetings. He has shown some guarding tendencies around food, toys, and bedding, so he will need careful management in a home setting. My Ideal Home Coffee Grounds will do best in an experienced adult only home that can provide structure, patience, and consistency. He needs a home that understands high energy, mouthy, food motivated dogs and is willing to help him build better habits over time. He will thrive with daily mental and physical enrichment to keep him engaged and focused. Living with Kids Due to his lack of impulse control and strong reactions around food and excitement, Coffee Grounds would do best in a home without children under 13. Things to Know Coffee Grounds prefers slow introductions and does best when allowed to build trust at his own pace. He is still learning boundaries and will need continued training support to help him develop calmer, more controlled ways of interacting. With the right structure, he has strong potential to become a fun and very engaged companion.

My medical notes are...

Weight: 47 lbs

Medical Notes

4/2/2026

DVM Intake Exam Estimated age: 1-3y Microchip noted on Intake? scanned negative History: Stray found tied outside and brought in by police Subjective: VBAR Observed Behavior -Tense and possibly growling during abdominal palpation, but was also pulling hard on leash. Briefly growled when had cheese plate in mouth. Reluctant to allow placement of muzzle. Tense with some flailing with any restraint. Evidence of Cruelty seen -no Evidence of Neglect seen- no Evidence of Trauma seen -no Objective T = P =wnl R =wnl BCS 5/9 EENT: Eyes clear, ears clean, no nasal or ocular discharge noted Oral Exam: not performed PLN: No enlargements noted H/L: NR, NMA, Lungs clear, eupneic ABD: Non painful, no masses palpated U/G: female intact, mature vulva and no apparent scar or tattoo MSI: Ambulatory x 4, skin free of parasites, no masses noted, healthy hair coat CNS: Mentation appropriate - no signs of neurologic abnormalities Rectal: normal external Wood's Lamp Exam: not performed Assessment apparently healthy Prognosis: good Plan: intake tasks OHE new home Starting 200mg trazodone PO BID indefinitely for in shelter FAS SURGERY: Okay for surgery

4/13/2026

Coughing, sneezing, green nasal discharge. A: CIRDC P: Doxycycline 100mg 2 tablets po sid x 10d

4/15/2026

Sneezing/sniffling while cage side S: BAR, sniffs treats offered and eats well but reported not eating overnight. O: EEN- eyes clear, clear nasal discharge H/L- eupneic, sniffling/sneezing MSK/i- ambulatory x4, healthy haircoat Neuro- alert/appropriate A: CIRDC Hyporexia but eating treats P: LRS 500mls SQ q24hr x3d Cerenia 10mg/ml 2.1 ml SQ q24hr x3d

4/15/2026

Eating spam well when brought down for fluids P: CWCT

4/23/2026

SO: CIRDC last day of meds BAR eent: eyes clear, no ocular or nasal dc apparent h/l: eupneic, no coughing or sneezing appreciated msi: ambulatory x4 neuro: mentation alert and appropriate A: CIRDC apparently resolved P: monitor for recurrence of clinical signs

4/27/2026

Staff note difficult to redirect leash biting. A: Increasing arousal in shelter Plan Advise placement in low stress environment Clonidine 0.2 mg 1 tablet po bid while in shelter

5/1/2026

Reported that leash biting has gotten more intense. While cage side is barking incessantly and heavy panting. A: FAS/deterioration P: Clonidine 0.4mg PO BID indefinitely Gabapentin 300mg PO BID indefinitely

Details on my behavior are...

Behavior Condition: 3. Yellow

Behavior History
Behavior Assessment

Date of intake:: 4/1/2026

Spay/Neuter status:: No

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray (No Known History)

Date of assessment:: 5/2/2026

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Moderately Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: Inconclusive Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Moderately social Call over: Approaches readily Sociability comments: Immediately mouths handlers finger hard thinking they have treats in hand, stays near handler jumping on counter near them soliciting treats, accepts treats with hard pressure. Soft handling: Seeks contact Exuberant handling: Tolerates contact Comments: Leans into handler for pets, moves away when touching legs Arousal Jog comments: Follows exuberantly Knock Knock comments: Does not approach Toy Toy comments: Grips, slightly tense with fast wagging tail

Summary:: 4/24/26:Coffee grounds greets another dog at the gate with a tense body and rapid tail wag. He then growls.

Summary (6):: 5/2/26: Coffee Grounds is standing at the front of his kennel loose and wiggly. He is shown a toy for leashing and begins to jump up on the kennel door. He is easily leashed then given the toy. He keeps it in his mouth and walks out to the yard with it. He eventually drops it in the yard and explores and relieves himself. He pulls hard towards a dog in another pen, but is redirected by squeaking the toy. He jumps up on the handler softly. He takes treats. He is returned to kennel with ease. None of the prior reported leash-biting is noted--management with a toy introduced early on seems effective. 5/1/26: Coffee Grounds is reported to leash bite close enough to the handler's hand; toys were given but didn't redirect. 4/27/26: Staff reported that Coffee Grounds is leash biting upon exiting the kennel. Treats were tossed and he was redirected successfully, but he returned to leash biting. A note on the whiteboard stated that toys are affective in redirecting him. 4/23/26: Coffee Grounds is observed to leash bite during his walk. The handler uses a "dummy" leash for him to bite instead of the one he is being walked with

Summary (7):: 4/18/26: Coffee Grounds is at the front of his kennel with a loose body; he is easily leashed and brought out the room. On the street, Coffee walks ahead with mild leash tension. He doesn’t react to passersby, and, he looks at dogs with a neutral body and doesn’t react to them. Coffee engages with the handler; he allows pets, jumps on them and mouths their hand when they pet his hand. He also takes a treat. Upon entry, the handler clips their leash and returns Coffee Grounds to his kennel with ease. 04/12/26: Coffee Grounds is at the front of her kennel as handler approaches, he is leashed while distracted with treats and exits kennel pulling moderately with handler out to the street. Outside Coffee Grounds is loose and wiggly and pulls less as the walk progresses. She accepts treats sometimes with mild/moderate pressure and accepts pets from handler but is slightly mouthy initially before settling and allowing handler to freely pet her. She walks around for a while and passes people without issue, she pulls mildly toward dogs she sees but is easily distracted with treats and after a while is returned to kennel without issue. 4/9/26: It is noted on the whiteboard that Coffee Grounds has "puppy energy". BB 4/5/26: It is reported on the behavior board that Coffee Grounds is very scared of passing cars. 4/4/26: Coffee Grounds is loose bodied and wagging her tail in the crate. She stands at the front and pushes lightly on the door. She is easily leashed and lead to the street. She pulls moderately-hard. She relieves herself. She sniffs around and takes treats with a hard mouth. She walks ahead of the handler with a neutral body. She is returned to her crate where she hesitates so treats are tossed. She quickly takes the treat and backs back out again so another treat is tossed further in. 4/4/26: Coffee Grounds is observed to be head whip and bare teeth at ACS when attempting to pick her up to place back into a top kennel. Coffee Grounds is moved to a pop-up crate.

Date of initial:: 4/2/2026

Summary:: Possibly growling during abdomen palpitation, pulling hard on leash

ENERGY LEVEL:: We have no history on Coffee Ground so we cannot be certain of his behavior in a home environment. However, he will need daily mental and physical activity to keep him engaged and exercised. We recommend long-lasting chews, food puzzles, and hide-and-seek games, in additional to physical exercise, to positively direct his 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 Coffee Ground's fearful disposition and lack of impulse control, we recommend a home with no children. Place with a New Hope Partner: Coffee Grounds has begun persistently leash-biting and is difficult to redirect. At times Coffee Grounds has gotten close to catching the hands of handlers. We recommend placement with an experienced New Hope Partner in an adult only home.

Potential challenges: : Resource guarding,Basic manners/poor impulse control,Mouthiness/poor bite inhibition,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Leash-biting

Potential challenges comments:: Resource Guarding: During her assessment it was reported that Coffee Grounds would become tense when interacting while in possession of a toy. We advise against ever removing items from Coffee's possession without safely trading for an item or greater or equal value. Guidance from a professional trainer/behaviorist is highly recommended to aid in safely managing/modifying this behavior in a new home environment. Please see handout on Resource Guarding. Basic Manners/Poor Impulse Control: During her assessment Coffee Grounds was noted to jump up on handlers and on desks while searching for treats. It is recommended that default behaviors such as "Leave it", "Sit/Stay", "Down" are reinforced to substitute any frustration and teach her to control her impulses instead of simply reacting; proper management is also advised. Force-free, reward based training only is recommended. Please see handout on Basic Manners and Poor Impulse Control. Mouthiness/Poor Bite Inhibition: During her assessment handlers noted that she would mouth handlers with hard pressure when accepting treats. This is a behavior that should be extinguished through training alternate behaviors and lack of reward (ex. walking away whenever Coffee Ground's teeth make contact with skin). Please see handout on Mouthiness. Fearful/Potential for Defensive Aggression: Coffee Grounds is reported to become tense and growl during certain handling and when interacting with staff. Coffee should never be forced to interact, she should always be given the opportunity to walk away from situations or people she finds uncomfortable. We recommend a slow approach and we recommend ONLY force-free, reward-based training methods for Coffee. More aversive techniques are likely to increase fear, increase the risk of aggression, and decrease Coffee's quality of life. Please see handout on Fearful and Defensive Aggression. Leash-biting: Coffee Grounds is quick to grab the leash in her mouth. We recommend walking her with a toy to dissuade her from grabbing the leash. Positive reinforcement, force-free training is advised to teach her to focus on you rather than grabbing the leash. Please see hand-out on Leash Biting.