Date of intake:: 11/16/2025

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray(Unknown History)

Date of assessment:: 11/19/2025

Summary:: Due to Big's defensive behavior, a handling assessment will not be conducted at his time.

Summary:: Due to entering the facility as a stray, there is no prior dog-to-dog history recorded. 11/26: Bigs is beginning to have symptoms of CIRDC. Once he is fully cleared, he will be introduced to another novel dog. 11/17 Bigs is reluctant to exit his kennel and cannot attend PG at this time. Will be revisited at a later date.

Summary (4):: 11/26/25: Bigs is waiting at the front of his kennel with a neutral body, and begins to loosen as the handler approaches. Once the door is unlocked, he loosens up even more and is easily leashed, giving a quick shake in the hallway before pulling moderately on the way to the office space. In the room, Bigs spends time sniffing and marking, and he’s comfortable approaching handlers for attention, readily sitting to ask for treats. He takes treats gently and rotates between handlers looking for more. Bigs finds a toy on the ground, and grabs it Bigs carries it around for the rest of the session. He is returned to his kennel without issue, pulling moderately. 11/25/25: Bigs is standing at the front of kennel with a neutral frame as handler approaches. His frame loosens as handler unlocks the kennel door and he is leashed with ease, shaking off in the hallway before pulling moderately to the Canine Behavior Office. Bigs spends time sniffing and marking along the room and will readily approach handlers and sit to solicit treats. Bigs takes treats gently from hand and will rotate between handlers soliciting treats. Handler tosses him a squeaky toy and Bigs carries it around the room for the remainder of his session. He is returned to kennel safely.

Summary (5):: 11/23/25 (PM): Bigs is standing at the front of kennel with a neutral frame as handlers approach. He loosens and begins to toe-tap as handler unlocks the kennel door. Bigs is leashed with ease using treats and pulls hard outside for a walk. Bigs relieves himself for several minutes before walking into one of the play yards and sniffing around the space. He is taken out to the street for a walk and will pull moderately to hard throughout. After his session, Bigs is returned to kennel safely. (AM): Bigs is standing at the front of kennel with a neutral body and soft face as handlers approach. He is easily leashed with use of treats and pulls moderately to the Canine Behavior Office, shaking off on his way there. Bigs spends time sniffing and marking along the room and will approach handlers but becomes conflicted quickly, maintaining a tense frame, but disengages by himself. Handlers cue him into "sit" and "down" and Bigs takes treats gently from hand. After his session, Bigs is returned to kennel safely. 11/23/25: During reviewing Bigs behavior in previous notes, it is observed that Bigs will approach staff for food, even to go past a threshold where he is uncomfortable and begins to tense afterwards but never escalate past tensing his body. Treat/Retreat protocol should be used to help Bigs decide if he would like to approach, and given space to retreat. 11/23/25: Bigs is at the front of his kennel sitting with a neutral body, and was previously lunging, hard barking and baring teeth at a staff member before the familiar handler entered. Bigs wags his tail slowly as the handler opens the door and begins to shake off, Bigs is taken out of his kennel with ease (and treats) and is taken to the office space briefly to be cleaned. Bigs will immediately relieve himself and engages with an unfamiliar staff member, engaging in downs, sits and is a bit tense during the interactions. Bigs is pet along side his upper back, which he tolerates and preforms a consent checks and rubs his upper back briefly alongside the handlers knee. Bigs is pet along his rear, and immediately vocalizes very high pitched, snaps but can immediately disengages and shake off, continuing engaging with the other staff member. Bigs is taken back to his kennel after several minutes after that, and enters kennel with no issue

Summary (6):: 11/22/25 (KSV): Bigs is standing at the front of his kennel as handler enters room. Handler tosses treats into kennel and Bigs readily searches for and eats treats. Bigs turns back to front of kennel, glancing at handler which is marked and rewarded. After a few repetitions, Bigs shakes off and looks back at handler. Bigs offers a down which is marked and rewarded with tossed treats. Bigs occasionally jumps to try and catch tossed treats. He maintains a neutral body, occasionally moving slower when asked for down, before readily looking for tossed treats. Handler presents target stick at a distance and marks and rewards when Bigs looks at it briefly. Bigs often opts to briefly glance at the target stick and instead look at the handler. Bigs is engaged with the handler, checking back in and coming back to the front of the kennel. Handler keeps repetitions quick to avoid frustration. Interaction ends after a few successful voluntary check ins. 11/21/25: Bigs is at the front of his kennel when approached, with a tense body and backs away initially but will approach again when baby talked. The handler opens the kennel door, places the leash in the loop as practiced and is easily leashed when high value treats. Bigs enters the behavior office with a tense body, high tail and raised hackles and begins to explore. Bigs remains tense throughout the interaction, and will approach staff for treats but immediately disengages. Bigs when being put back begins to soften during clipping of his leash, shaking off and when entered in kennel offers a down for treats and paws at the gate. 11/20/25: Bigs is visited several times throughout the day again, but instead of the leash not being presented, the leash is presented on the front of the kennel door in a loop where he can eat out of soon when he is comfortable. Bigs is softer this time around, still with a tense body but his tail is mid level and wagging. Bigs will eat through the kennel door, and baby talked the entire time. Bigs will head tilt at the word "outside" and the leash is pushed closer and closer inside of the kennel. Bigs sessions is a bit longer, about 5-6 min and is left alone.

Summary (7):: 11/19/25: Bigs is visited several times throughout the day and when approached is tense bodied at the front of the kennel, his body weight pushed forward and a wagging high tail. Bigs will eat treats that are tossed to him, but his body language remains the same. The handler begins to look for his threshold of which he would react, and when the handler steps a bit closer towards the kennel door, he will bare teeth and begin to vocalize at the handler but when tossed treats will stop. The handler backs up, pauses and Bigs remains quiet but still tense. Bigs is tossed treats behind him, and always chooses to approach the door eating. Bigs each session is about 3-5 min, and the leash is not presented. 11/18/25 (KSV): Bigs is standing at the front of his with a neutral body kennel as handler approaches. Handler marks and tosses treats for remaining calm without barking. Bigs searches for treats and readily eats them before returning to kennel door. Handler begins engaging Bigs in auto-check in, tossing treats to allow Bigs to opt back in. Bigs checks in with handler after eating treats. Bigs offers a down on cue and is marked and rewarded. After a few repetitions of practicing down, Bigs scratches himself and shakes off before checking back in with handler. Handler tosses extra treats and ends interaction. 11/17/25 (PM): Bigs is standing at the front of kennel with a neutral frame as handler approaches. Handler offers treats but he shows no interest. When handler cracks open the kennel door and presents the lead, Bigs becomes tense and will low growl, retreating to the back of kennel. Handler attempts to coax him to the front with a soft tone, but he remains at the back. Handler attempts to drop the lead over the back of his head and he lunges forward, hard barks and bares teeth. Handler attempts to leash a couple more times and he continuously hard barks, bares teeth, and bites at the lead. Handler discontinues contact, locking the kennel door and exits the room. (AM staff report): Staff report that Bigs is growling at the front of kennel and avoiding leashing. Three separate handlers attempted to leash him. Due to his kennel being clean, behavior handler chooses to leave him for the morning to decompress. 11/16/25 (PM): Staff request behavior assistance due to Bigs growling in kennel and avoiding leashing (He was sedated a few hours prior but was BAR and kennel was heavily soiled). Bigs is standing at the front of kennel with a neutral frame as handler approaches. He sniffs treats offered but does eat them. As handler leashes him, he will retreat to back of kennel. Handler drops the lead over his head and he walks on a loose leash with a slightly tense frame, tucked tail out to the play yard. Bigs slowly paces the yard sniffing. Handler is able to easily clip their lead into a figure 8 and Bigs is returned to kennel safely.

Date of intake:: 11/16/2025

Summary:: Officers told us he was growling in the crate while in the car

Date of initial:: 11/16/2025

Summary:: Kennel reactive, growling and tracking in kennel; pre-emptive sedation for exam and intake procedure

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): We reccomend Bigs be placed in an adult-only home at this time Place with a New Hope partner: Bigs came into the care center as a stray; due to this, his behavior in a home environment is unknown. Bigs has shown signs of denfensive behavior, particularly at the kennel front. He has had multiple incidents of growling, hard barking, baring teeth, and attempting to bite when handlers attempt to leash him. On several occasions, he has retreated to the back of the kennel and lunged at the leash when approached, requiring handlers to discontinue attempts and allow him time to decompress. Outside the kennel, Bigs is able to walk on leash with a slightly tense body and shows improved behavior once out of the highly arousing kennel environment. During structured sessions, he has demonstrated the ability to engage with handlers, eat tossed treats, remain calm after settling, and even offer behaviors such as “down” on cue. Bigs will require a New Hope placement experienced with fear-based and defensive kennel aggression who can offer a calm environment with low pressure, structured decompression, and positive reinforcement-based handling.

Potential challenges: : Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Kennel presence,Low threshold for arousal

Potential challenges comments:: Kennel presence/Fearful/potential for defensive aggression/Low threshold for arousal: Bigs has shown signs of denfensive behavior, particularly at the kennel front. He has had multiple incidents of growling, hard barking, baring teeth, and attempting to bite when handlers attempt to leash him. Use slow, non-threatening approaches and avoid reaching directly toward him. Pair calm behavior with high-value rewards and incorporate enrichment to reduce frustration. Please see the handout on Fearful/potential for defensive aggression/Low threshold for arousal.