Date of intake:: 8/28/2025

Spay/Neuter status:: No

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

Bite history:: Yes, bite on shin area, left a gash and bruising, requiring medical attention.

Date of assessment:: 9/2/2025

Summary:: Big Iron came to the Care Center after police were called in response to a bite. Due to this bite history, Big iron is not eligible for a handling assessment.

Summary (5):: 9/8/25: Big Iron is lying down in kennel upon approach. He is easily leashed and taken out of the kennel. Big Iron is brought to the driveway where he relieves himself. He engages with the handler, sniffing them intently on their legs. Handler redirects him with treats which he goes after. He will occasionally stretch out towards the handler and approach them with a soft body and wagging tail. Big Iron jumps up onto the handler smelling their leash repeatedly, handler turns away and tosses treats. He then approaches a traffic cone in the driveway where he tries to grab it with one paw. A dog passes by and Big Iron stares towards the dog with a slight forward posture and tense body. The dog leaves and handler calls him over, they walk back into the building where he pulls hard back to kennel. He is returned without issue.

Summary (6):: 9/06/25: Big Iron is sitting at the front of the kennel as handler approaches. Handler begins to unlock kennel door, and Big Iron stands up with wiggly body. He walks alongside handler directly out of the room and straight into pharmacy. He becomes loose and wiggly has handler interacts with him speaking in soft tone and offering treats. He eventually eats his medication in treats offered to him still remaining wiggly. He seeks and approaches staff walking in and out of pharmacy with wagging tail. Towards one particular staff member he was extremely affectionate, standing on hind legs seeking attention and pets. He was then walked back to his kennel without issue. 09/04/25: Big Iron is at the back of his kennel as handler approaches. He is leashed while distracted with treats and taken to the yard for his walk. During the walk Big Iron is placed on drag leash and engages in play with a tennis ball. He chews on the ball at the center of the play yard and approaches the bench handler is sitting on and accepts a few treats and even plays fetch with the handler a bit. Big Iron focuses very intensely on the tennis ball and if he begins walking away from it he will quickly turn and pick it up. After a while he is re-leashed and brought back inside. Another tennis ball is given to him and he returns to kennel without issue. 9/1/25: Big Iron is lying down in his kennel when handler approaches. He stands up as the kennel is unlocked. Big Iron is easily leashed and walked to the backyard. Handler offers him treats and he does not take them. Big Iron is given a toy and he takes it gently. He runs around the pen still on a slip lead playing with the toy. When approaching the handler he will bow in a big stretch towards the handler with a soft face and neutral body. Handler places him on a drag leash and as they touch him he becomes slightly tense but allows handler to clip the leash to his collar. Big Iron runs around the pen chasing after his toy and carrying it around. Handler pets him gently and he allows petting on his chest, he stretches his head upwards as he is pet. Handler offers him treats and he takes them gently. Handler sees if he knows the command 'sit' and he does so. After sometime outside, handler is able to easily re-leash Big Iron and walk him back inside. He sees a dog several feet away from him and stares at them with a stiff body. Handler calls to him and he does not respond, slight tension is applied and he follows after them. Big Iron is walked back to kennel using a toy to encourage him and he is returned without issue

Summary (7):: 8/29/25- Big Iron is at the middle of his kennel with a neutral body, handler softly spoke to him and offered a treat. He gently took with a low wagging tail. He was easily leashed and taken to the play yard. Handler sat down and Iron laid his head on their lap, he allowed them to scratch his head and neck. Handler got up and went to the bench. Iron stayed where the handler was last sitting, handler called to him and he came over. He climbed up on the bench, handler petted him so more on his head and he leaned into their body. Another handler came into the pen, when they spoke to Iron he started to shake and lower his head away from them. They threw a stuff toy and Iron jumped down to play with it. He then comes to the bench again and jumps up, handler tosses the stuffed toy onto the bench. Iron picks it up and lays down on the bench, chewing at it. Handler stands up from the bench and Iron follows them, they grab the toy from the bench and swing it around. Iron has a high tail follows handler, they toss him the toy. He takes it and shakes it, he follows handler holding onto the toy. He is easily clipped and when entering the room, he drops the toy. Handler quickly picks it up when Iron is ahead of them, he pauses at this kennel door. Handler tosses in the toy and Iron readily enters his kennel without further issue. 08/28/25: Big Iron is at the center of his kennel lying down as handler approaches. He is offered treats and he approaches before accepting them gently, Iron is leashed and exits kennel looking at the dogs he passes in kennel but does not react to them. He is brought out to the backyard for his walk, once outside he begins walking around the perimeter of the yard with handler. He stops to sniff spots in the yard and will pull moderately toward the back gate to look out to the street on occasihttps://nycacc.shelterbuddy.com/scripts/calendar.asp?field=52&dateJScript=False&onchange=&doesAllowFutureDates=Trueon. He walks in and out of the open play yards, sniffing around and occasionally attempting to approach handler to sniff near their shoes but he is straight armed away. Handler attempts to offer treats to Big Iron but he does not accept any. Big Iron uses the bathroom while outside and after a while he is brought back inside, he allows handler to clip his leash before being returned to kennel. Upon reaching the front of kennel handler tosses treats inside but Big Iron ignores them and stands in place, handler then muscles him into kennel and ends the interaction.

Date of intake:: 8/28/2025

Summary:: In crate, wagging tail, easily leashed and taken to kennel

Date of initial:: 8/28/2025

Summary:: Tense, allowed handling, muzzled, intermittent tail wagging

ENERGY LEVEL:: We have limited history on Big Iron's behavior in a home setting. However he will need daily exercise and mental stimulation. We recommend long lasting chews, physical exercise, and puzzle feeders for Big Iron to focus his energy.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No Children -Due to bite history we recommend an adult only home. Place with a New Hope Partner - Due to bite history, we recommend placement with a New Hope Partner.

Potential challenges: : Mouthiness/poor bite inhibition,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Bite history (human)

Potential challenges comments:: Mouthiness/poor bite inhibition: Big Iron was brought to the Care Center due to a previous bite. This maybe a result of poor bite inhibition. This behavior that should be extinguished through training alternate behaviors and lack of reward (ex. walking away whenever Big Iron's teeth make contact with skin). Please see hand-out on Mouthiness. Bite History: Escalating to biting is a behavior that Big iron has been reported. His previous bite broke skin and required medical attention. He will need careful management to work toward reducing triggers for Big iron and reducing the likelihood of future bites. Please see hand-out on Bite History On-Leash reactivity: In the care centers Big Iron was noted to hard stare at dogs with tense body. We recommend positive re-enforcement exercises to get Big Iron to focus on you and not other dogs. Please see hand-out on On-Leash Reactivity.