Date of intake:: 7/31/2026

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

Date of assessment:: 8/3/2026

Summary:: Liutenant Limeade has not acclimated well to the shelter environment and is only allowing for minimal handling. He has escalated to growling and hard barking during his intake and when attempting to remove her from the kennel, while urinating or soiling himself. Once out of the kennel, Lt. Limeade shuts down, chooses a hiding spot, and avoids any interaction from handlers, growling if approached. Due to these concerns, a handling assessment is unable to be conducted.

Summary:: Due to entering the facility as a stray, there is no prior dog-dog history recorded. 08/10/26 Liutenant Limeade is introduced to a novel female while on a loose leash (does not tolerate collar being clipped). He approaches the gate and will sniff warily with a tucked tail and pinned ears, wagging his tail briefly before walking away. The female attempts to solicit play with bounces and play bows through the gate and Limeade will approach, sniffing again before walking away.

Summary (6):: 08/10/26(PG Note): Lieutenant Limeade is standing at the front of his kennel and approaches the back as handler opens the door and lassos him for leashing. He is then brought to the play yard to meet a female playmate. Once inside the yard, he does not allow handler to clip a drag leash on him and continues avoiding the leash. He is then walked over to the greeting gate for a nose to nose greeting. Lieutenant Limeade displays a tucked tail with his ears pinned back. He gradually begins raising and wagging his tail while continuing to sniff his playmate. His body becomes loose before stiffening again, displaying signs of confliction. For more information, see Dog to Dog Assessment.

Summary (7):: 8/8/26: Liutenant Limeade is standing at the front of his kennel with a tense body as handler approaches. He begins to have a slow wagging tail as the handler unlocks the door, but then retreats to the back when the handler slowly opens the door. He slowly approaches the front again after relieving himself and is able to then be leashed with ease. He is then taken outside for a walk. On the walk, he would pull ahead and constantly stop at trees and at the fence to mark his territory. He has no interest in treats or toys and has no reactions to dogs or people. He head whips with widened eyes when the handler quickly clips the leash and is able to return back to his kennel with no issues. 8/3 (late entry; AM): Lieutenant Limeade is standing in the middle of his kennel when a handler approaches. He lowers his head, growls while urinating, and then runs to the back, still urinating on himself, when the handler takes a knee in front of his kennel to make themselves smaller. His tail then tucks as he trembles with dramatic whale eye and frequent lip licks. The handler tosses some cheese and chicken, and he begins sniffing. He slowly sniffs the trail of treats to the front of the kennel, gives one brief low tail wag, and then resumes growling when the hadnler opens the kennel door to leash him. They can leash him, and he takes a second to hesitate before exiting, then rushing out. He is taken to the behavior office due to his fearfulness. Lt. Limeade paces the room seeking an exit. He avoids interaction, whale-eying and moving away when he realizes the hadnler is still holding the lead. He also still does not eat any of the high-value treats. Once his kennel is cleaned, he pulls hard back to the room. Lt. Limeade drops and begins army crawling into the kennel when he hears the other dogs in the room barking. The handler uses a hook to remove their lead while he is looking away. Lt. Limeade turns his head at the same time the hook makes contact with the ring and is startled. He jumps high but backward, eyes wide, ears pinned, and soils himself. The hadnler removes the lead quickly as he silently snaps at the hook and locks the door.

Date of intake:: 7/31/2026

Summary:: hard barking, growling in crate

Date of initial:: 8/2/2026

Summary:: staff able to leash and bring into exam room, timid, shaking, low growling in kennel, sedated

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 Lt. Limeade's potential for defensive escalations, we recommend an adult-only home. Place with a New Hope partner: Lt. Limeade has not acclimated well to the kennel environment and has allowed only minimal handling since intake. 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. Recommend No Dog Parks: Due to the concerning behaviors that Lt. Limeade has shown during playgroup (see DOG-DOG SUMMARY), we feel that he should not visit dog parks. The Behavior Department recommends that he be socialized in a more controlled setting until his behavior towards other dogs can be further addressed. Reward-based, force-free training can be utilized to help Lt. Limeade associate dogs with things (he/she) enjoys like toys or treats.

Potential challenges: : Fearful/potential for defensive aggression

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: Lt. Limeade has escalated to hard barking and growling during his intake and his stay in care. Once out of her kennel, he avoids interaction with handlers, choosing a spot to hide and will growl when approached. Guidance from a professional trainer/behaviorist is recommended to assess behavior after decompression in a new home environment. Force-free, reward-based training is advised when introducing or exposing Sasha to new and unfamiliar situations. Please see handout on fearful/potential for defensive aggression.