Date of intake:: 9/4/2026

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner Surrender (5 months)

Previously lived with:: adults

Behavior toward strangers:: social and outgoing

Behavior toward children:: playful and excited

Behavior toward dogs:: unknown

Behavior toward cats:: unknown

Resource guarding:: Jollof's previous owner reported that he would become tense while eating and will growl almost the entire time. If there attempts made to take or touch his food, he will snap and attempt to bite.

Bite history:: June 2026 - Jollof bit the previous adopter's cousin and broke skin. Jollof had grabbed a piece of food from the floor, and the cousin tried to take it from him. Jollof bit the cousin on the hand and released. This left one puncture, which was treated at home. 

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: Jollof is reported to have a very high energy level.

Other Notes:: September 2026: Second stay; surrendered by previous adopter Crate-trained but can only be left alone for 2 hours. pulls hard on the leash and is used to atleast 2 walks a day. enjoys car rides. March 2026: First stay; surrendered as a stray His finder reported that Jollof began growling while eating after they fed him food.

Date of assessment:: 3/18/2026

Summary:: 9/9/26: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: mild pulling Reactivity to humans: did not pass Reactivity to dogs: did not pass Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): loose body, explores room, occasionally checks in with handlers Call over: approaches with coaxing Sociability comments: distracted by exploring scents in room Handling Soft handling: leans in, seeks contact Exuberant handling: leans in, seeks contact Handling comments: maintains loose body Arousal Jog: follows, bouncy Arousal comments: Knock: no response Knock Comments: Toy: freeze, lip quivers on first pass, growls and snaps when prop hand touches toy Toy comments: slow to trade toy for treats 3/18/26: Previous handling assessment available upon request

Summary:: Due to entering the facility as a stray, there is no prior dog-to-dog history recorded. 9/19/26: Jollof greets a novel female dog off leash, displaying loose, wiggly body language. Both dogs intermittently engage in reciprocal play, including chase and mutual sniffing, while also comfortably coexisting in the yard. When the novel female runs into Jollof to initiate play, Jollof delivers a correction, communicating discomfort with the body contact. The novel female responds appropriately by creating space, and both dogs continue to comfortably coexist and intermittently engage afterward. 04/14/26 Jollof is introduced to a novel female while off leash. He maintains a loose frame at the gate and engages in mutual sniffing once the gate is opened. Jollof and the female engage in push-pull play for several minutes. He is tolerant of body contact and would run around the yard with her. 04/12/26 Jollof is introduced to a novel female while off leash at the Care Center. He approaches the gate with a loose, wiggly body and will play bow at the female at the gate. Jollof will demand bark before running along the yard with a loose frame. Due to female's anxiousness, the gate is not opened at this time.

Summary (4):: 09/29/26 (Trainer Note): Jollof is observed spinning in kennel as the handler approaches. He is easily leashed and pulls moderately to the canine training room. The handler works with him on the doggie zen game and then the leave it cue. He is able to leave a treat in a flat hand, but stops taking food after a few minutes. The handler then moves over to the snuffle mat and begins to play the up/ down game with him. He will play a few rounds before spinning in a circle and then returning. After a few minutes, he disengages from that as well and is no longer taking food. The handler leashes him and he is returned to kennel without issue.

Summary (5):: 09/22/26 (Trainer Note): Jollof is standing in the middle of his crate with a loose body and barking as handler approaches. He is easily leashed and taken to the community room for a training session. He is put on a drag leash and he sniffs around the room briefly. He keeps a loose body throughout interaction. Handler tosses some plush toys which he briefly sniffs but is uninterested in engaging with them. He walks over to the kuranda bed and handler begins working on the "leave it" cue. Jollof is sniffing handlers closed fist persistently but is able to disengage and is rewarded. After a couple of rounds Jollof is leaving handlers closed fist readily. He is returned to his crate without issue.

Summary (6):: 09/16/2026 (Trainer Note): Jollof is at the front of his crate with a loose and wiggly body as handler approaches. He is leashed using a treat as a lure and taken to the community room for a training session. He pulls hard as he is walked down the hallway. He remains loose bodied throughout interaction and uninterested in treats. He is able to focus intermittently. Handler begins polite exchange and is able to trade a couple times before he loses interest. The fire alarm goes off and Jollof flinches, becomes tense, and hypervigilant of his surroundings. Handler returns him to his crate without issue. 9/5/26: Jollof is at the front of his crate with a wiggly body as the handler approaches. He is leashed with ease and then brought to the behavior office where he is wiggly and bounces around the room, greeting handlers and hopping onto their laps with a loose frame. He will greet handlers that walk into he room with a loose and wiggly frame as well. When handler tries to guide him out of the office, he hesitates briefly without placing any tension on the leash, just backing away. The handler coaxes him forward with baby talk and he is then returned to crate with no issue. 09/05/26: It is reported that Jollof began to alligator roll when being placed into crate. A hook had to be used to remove leash once secured 4/19/26: Jollof is reported to leash biting intensely on his walk, having to be refocused with treats and almost catching a staffs hands. Jollof is also reported to still spin and now chase his tail in kennel. 04/16/26 (Trainer Note): Jollof is standing at the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. He is easily leashed and pulls moderately to the canine training room. Jollof engages with mild interest in doggie zen and eats treats off of a snuffle mat. He is easily leashed and returned to kennel without issue. 04/12/26 (D2D Note): Jollof is standing at the front of his kennel, jumping on his hind legs with a loose, wiggly body and allows handler to leash him with ease. He is escorted to the play yard to meet a female playmate. Once inside, a drag leash is placed on him. As his playmate arrives, Jollof approaches the gate and engages in a nose-to-nose greeting while maintaining a soft, loose frame. He displays play bows and vocalizes, soliciting play from his playmate. Jollof is returned to his kennel safely without any issues. For additional details, see Dog-to-Dog notes. 04/08/26: Jollof is observed spinning and barking in his kennel as other dogs are walked in the room.

Summary (7):: 04/08/26: Jollof is bouncing back and forth in his kennel as the handler approaches. He jumps as much as he can before the kennel is opened, but settles and allows the handler to clip his collar. Jollof jumps out of the kennel and pulls moderately throughout the building. Outside, Jollof walks on a loose leash for the majority of the walk. He stops to sniff frequently, sometimes switching which side of the sidewalk he is walking on. He occasionally stops walking and sits, waiting for a treat from the handler. When the handler cues Jollof with "up up!" and points, Jollof will jump up onto or stand on an object like a high curb or bench. Jollof also responds to his name and a whistle to return closer to the handler. When Jollof encounters an object he is unfamiliar with (like a parked Vespa or a box on a lamppost), he will get low and approach it with a tucked tail. He will sniff it or touch it with his nose, then return to the handler for a treat. When returning to the shelter, Jollof pulls moderately throughout the building. He enters his kennel without an issue and allows the handler to unclip his collar. He is given treats, and once he finishes them, Jollof begins jumping in the kennel again. 4/7/26 - lose and wiggly in bank - took treats gently. Later seen spinning in kennel when dog enters the room. He will soften and pause when spoken to but continues to spin when staff member leaves his kennel side. 04/01/26: Jollof is observed spinning and barking in kennel. 03/31/26 (Trainer Note): Jollof is observed panting and spinning in kennel as the handler approaches. He is easily leashed and pulls moderately to the canine training room. Jollof struggles to engage with the handler and makes wide circles around the room. He intermittently engages in doggie zen and leans into contact before being returned to kennel without issue. He is later observed spinning and barking in kennel. 03/24/26 (Trainer Note): Jollof is standing at the front of his kennel with a loose body as the handler approaches. He is easily leashed and pulls moderately to the canine training room. Jollof engages readily with doggie zen, though he takes treats with a hard mouth. He hears a knock and turns and barks with a tense body and raised hackles, but settles after a moment. He is easily leashed and returned to kennel without issue. 03/18/26: Jollof is standing at the front of his kennel with a soft, loose frame and allows handler to leash him with ease. He is escorted to the assessment room. Inside, he displays anxious behaviors including heavy panting, pacing, and difficulty settling. He head whips during handling but eventually tolerates it. He runs without becoming aroused, becomes alert upon knock, and will sniff the toy before disengaging. Jollof is returned to his kennel safely without any issues. For additional details, see behavioral assessment.

Date of intake:: 9/4/2026

Summary:: loose, wiggly, allowed all handling

Date of initial:: 9/9/2026

Summary:: solicits attn, allowed for handling, muzzled for ear cleaning

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to Jollof's reported resource guarding, anxiety, and handling/touch sensitivity, we recommend an adult-only home at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Due to the concerning level of resource guarding Jollof has consistently displayed in a home enviournment and during both stays in care, we recommend for Jollof to be placed with a New Hope rescue partner that ccan address his challenges with the use of force-free, reward based training

Potential challenges: : Resource guarding,Handling/touch sensitivity,Anxiety,Bite history (human)

Potential challenges comments:: Resource guarding | Bite history (human): During his first stay, Jollof was reported to growl while eating after being fed by his finders. In his previous home, his owner reported similar behaviors with the addition of he has escalated to snapping and biting. Jollof did bite the previous owner's cousin when trying to remove a piece of food that had fallen on the floor from Jollof's mouth. During his recent handling assessment, Jollof displayed similar behaviors during the toy portion. We recommend that Jollof be left alone while eating, and that food guarding behavior modification steps be utilized if this behavior is problematic in his future home. Nothing should ever be taken directly out of Jollof's mouth, and any time something is removed, he should be rewarded with a high-value treat or toy. He should be taught the "drop" cue and trade-up games. Please see the handout on Resource guarding. Handling/touch sensitivity: During his first stay in care, Jollof had shown sensitivity around his head/neck area. He did grumble at handlers when they initially attempted to collar him. Please see handout on Handling/touch sensitivity. Anxiety: Jollof was highly anxious during his previous assessment - panting, pacing, unable to settle, needing several resets before the actual handling could start. If it does appear in a future home, we recommend puzzle toys, long walks, and giving Jollof other things to focus on to alleviate his anxiety. Positive reinforcement, force-free training only should be used. Please see handout on Anxiety.