Date of intake:: 6/27/2026

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray; history unknown

Date of assessment:: 6/28/2026

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: none - loose leash Reactivity to humans: none-ignores Reactivity to dogs: did not pass Leash walking comments: was overall easy to leash in the kennel but grumbled briefly while moving away slightly Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): tense body, trembling, low tail wags when greeted by Assessor Call over: approaches with heavy coaxing Sociability comments: does not take treats of any form (jerky, sliced cheese, chicken breast) but perks and approaches when shown a tennis ball Handling Soft handling: sits, tense, trembles, pants Exuberant handling: sits, tense, trembles, pants Handling comments: Arousal Jog: follows, slides on floor, pants Arousal comments: Knock: no response Knock Comments: Toy: grips, tense, moves away Toy comments:

Summary:: Rufferee arrived at the care centers as a stray, so his behavior with other dogs is unknown. 7/31/26:Rufferee greets a novel female dog off leash through a barrier. Rufferee displays tense, anxious body language throughout the interaction, pacing the yard and choosing not to approach or greet the novel female. The novel female remains socially interested, displaying a soft body with her ears pinned back while waiting at the gate. Rufferee does not engage further, and the interaction is ended.

Summary (5):: 8/21/26: On the way outside for his PM walk, Rufferee hard pulled into SDA, attempting to jump in the linen bin against the wall. In an attempt to redirect him back outside, Rufferee began to wobble, collapsing momentarily though not fully passing out. Struggling to fully stand back up after giving him a moment to recollect, the handler took him towards medical so vet staff could check him out. While the handler held onto the leash, another staff member from medical held on, straddling him gently in order for another vet to properly check his heart. Rufferee began to grow overstimulated, his body stiff and unsure. Reaching his threshold, he lunged and snapped at the staff members, though was quickly redirected with a slight stiff arm by the staff member holding onto the leash. Rufferee was brought back to his kennel without any further issue, ceasing any further examination until a later time.

Summary (6):: 08/19/26 (Trainer Note): Rufferee is standing in the middle of his kennel with a neutral body as handler approaches. He is leashed, pulls very hard out of the room, and proceeds to pass out on the floor for a couple seconds. He continues pulling hard as he is taken to the yard. As he walks past the toy basket, he pulls handler very hard towards it, tenses up overt, and begins to stick his head in the basket. Handler is unable to pull him away but is able to toss a squeaker toy into the pen. He chases after it. He is kept on leash throughout interaction. Only a couple of trades were able to be done, as Rufferee remains tense bodied when engaging with toys, will hover over them, and body block. He remains fixated on them and will attempt to jump up to grab them from handlers' hands. His movements are stiff and very quick. He is uninterested in trading with treats. As he is walked back, he pulls toward another basket, pulling to the point of hacking, and uses his paw to knock it over to be able to reach some of the fallen toys. He is returned to his kennel without issue. 08/04/26 (Trainer Note): Rufferee is at the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. He pulls hard into the training room and pulls as the handler attempts to attach a drag leash. As soon as the handler attaches the drag leash Rufferee rushes across the room and finds toys, shredding each of them and pacing around the room. Rufferee is panting heavily throughout the duration. The handler attempts to engage him with a snuffle mat and a lick mat but Rufferee is only able to turn away for a few moments at a time before returning to the toys. He picks up the snuffle mat and begins to shred it as well. After he shreds several of the available toys, the handler leashes him. He pulls hard back to kennel, but enters without issue.

Summary (7):: 7/31/26: Rufuree is siting at the front of his kennel as handler approaches. He is able to be leashed with ease and he then pulls hard on the way to the play yard for play group. In the yard, he greets the other dog at the gate with tense body and would begin to pace back and forth before he begins to bark. Please see dog to dog notes for more details. He pulls hard on the way back to his kennel and is able to enter with no issues. 07/28/26 (Trainer Note): Rufferee is at the front of his kennel panting moderately with dilated pupils as the handler approaches. He is easily leashed and pulls hard to the canine training room. The handler works with him on polite exchange. Rufferee is able to trade a few rounds, but ceases quickly. He shreds the toy he is engaging with before being easily leashed and returned to kennel without issue. 07/21/26 (Trainer Note): Rufferee is at the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. He is easily leashed and pulls hard to the canine training room. The handler works with him on polite exchange, trading one toy for another. He is able to do so readily and the handler is able to introduce the out verbal cue. However, Rufferee becomes more aroused over time, panting more heavily with dilated pupils. He eventually struggles to drop the toy so the handler allows him to engage in the toys without interference. He shreds one then is returned to kennel. Rufferee attempts to lunge for the dog in the crate that is barking at him, but enters the kennel without issue. 07/14/26: Rufferee is at the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. He is leashed with ease and brought outside to the yard where he plays with various toys. He mostly plays by himself, throwing the toys around and retrieving them on his own. He takes brief breaks to watch when particularly loud cars pass by. After a few more minutes, Rufferee is returned to his kennel. He attempts to kennel fight with a dog in a pop up crate as he passes by, but otherwise returns without issue. 6/28/26 (BA - late entry): Rufferee is at the front of the kennel with a tense frame and wide eyes and will low growl as the handler approaches. He is offered some treats and will then soften slightly. He is then leashed with ease and will then pull mildly to the behavior office where he is fitted with a collar and leash. Throughout the session he is social with handlers and is very responsive to squeakers. He is returned to kennel with no issue once assessment is over. (see Behavior Assessment for more info)

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

Recommendations:: No children (under 13),Recommend no dog parks,Place with a New Hope partner

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to Rufferee's fearfulness and resource guarding, we recommend a home with older children who can be respectful of his space and boundaries and/or adults. Recommend no dog parks: Due to Rufferee's behavior with other dogs in playgroup, we recommend he does not visit dog parks. Place with a New Hope partner: Due to Rufferee's fearfulness and resource guarding, we recommend he is placed with one of our New Hope Partners

Potential challenges: : Resource guarding,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Low threshold for arousal

Potential challenges comments:: Resource guarding: During the toy portion of his assessment, Rufferee was noted to become tense while moving away when approached with the prop hand, showing the potential to guard items he considers valuable. His response was appropriate, and we cannot be certain if this behavior will be seen in a future home environment, but out of an abundance of concern, we advise against ever removing items from his possession without safely trading for an item of greater or equal value. Please see the handout on resource guarding. Fearful/potential for defensive aggression/Low threshold for arousal: Rufferee has escalated to growling and lunging at staff in the care center. Her signs of discomfort must be respected; Bella should never be forced to interact; she should always be allowed 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 Bella. More aversive techniques are likely to increase fear, increase the risk of aggression, and decrease Bella's quality of life.