Date of intake:: 11/20/2025

Spay/Neuter status:: No

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

Previously lived with:: 2 adults

Behavior toward strangers:: Cheeto is friendly and playful with strangers

Behavior toward children:: Cheeto is friendly and playful with children

Behavior toward dogs:: Cheeto is shy/prefers contact on his own terms

Behavior toward cats:: No experience

Resource guarding:: No resource guarding

Bite history:: No bite history

Housetrained:: Partially

Energy level/descriptors:: High Energy

Other Notes:: pulls hard on leash, anxious when left alone. can be reactive towards large dogs and smaller dogs fearful when pushed or pulled off furniture is not bothered when feet/paws are touched and when collar is grabbed

Date of assessment:: 11/21/2025

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Mild Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Distracted Call over: Does not approach Sociability comments: Explores the room, sniffs near the office door heavily, does not approach when called, allows petting and collaring Soft handling: Seeks contact Exuberant handling: Tolerates contact Comments: Leans into initial contact, moves away when touching legs for exuberant handling Arousal Jog comments: Follows neutral bodied Knock Knock comments: Approaches exuberantly, jumps on handler Toy Toy comments: No response

Summary:: 12/4/25: Cheeto greets another dog at the gate with a tense body. He goes into a play bow position while methodically hard barking.

Summary (6):: 12/23/25: Cheeto curled up in crate. He sits up when handler approaches and he is easily leashed. Cheeto walks slowly out of the crate. He is taken downstairs to the backyard. Cheeto is placed on a drag leash and walks slowly around the pen. He approaches the handler and leans into their leg. He allows petting along his head and back. Resting his head on the handler's leg. A dog walks past the pen and Cheeto walks towards them quickly with a tense body and stiff tail. As they walk away he follows. Handler calls him over and he approaches with a soft body and leans on the handler for more petting. After some time outside Cheeto is easily re-leashed and walked back to the shelter. He is brought up stairs and is returned to his kennel without issue. 12/15/25: Cheeto is at the front of the kennel with a soft body and wagging tail. He pushes his way out of the crate before handler can leash him. Handler grabs his collar and he is easily leashed without issue. Cheeto is taken to the street. He walks with the handler with a loose leash. Cheeto takes treats gently and relieves himself. After sometime, Cheeto is walked back to the shelter and pulls to his crate. He walks into the crate without issue and the leash it removed. 12/7/25: It is reported that Cheeto is rubbing his nose on the kennel bars causing his muzzle to bleed, it is also noted that there is blood in his kennel. 12/7/25: Cheeto is at the front of the kennel with a loose and wiggly body. He is easily leashed and taken out of the kennel with a loose body. Cheeto approaches a familiar handler with a soft body and wagging tail. Pulling and attempting to jump up on them. Cheeto is brought to the street and walks with a loose leash and mild pulling. He spots a small dog and stares at them with his head raised and slight tense body. Cheeto is easily called away and given a treat. He takes the treat gently. Cheeto relieves himself. He is walked back to the shelter and enters the kennel room. Once the kennel door is open, Cheeto quickly turns to retreat. Handler quickly returns him with gentle leash pressure without issue. He is left with treats and the interaction is ended. 11/27/25: Cheeto is at the front of his kennel as handler approaches. He is leashed while distracted with treats and taken to the street for his walk. While outside Cheeto is soft bodied and allows pets along his back while leaning into handler. While walking he pulls mildly and stops to sniff spots on the street or to relieve himself. Cheeto passes people and dogs on the street without issue, after a while he is brought back inside and allows handler to clip his leash. He walks up to the front of kennel and baulks, he does not respond to treats so handler uses moderate leash pressure to return him to kennel.

Summary (7):: 11/24/25: Cheeto was reported to baulk and thrash when returning to the kennel room. During his walk, Cheeto reported he would "kangaroo bounce" on the street as he walked. Handler walked Cheeto back to the shelter and he follow the handler beside them with a loose leash. Cheeto was walked to the entrance of the kennel room and he planted. Handler offers a treat and he turns away and pulls in the opposite direction. Handler applies leash tension and Cheeto walks in without issue. Once at the entrance to the kennel, Cheeto baulks. Handler applies gentle tension and he thrashes and bucks back avoiding to go into the kennel. Handler begins to muscle him and Cheeto continues to buck and grabs the handler's leash that they are wearing with his front paws. Handler undoes his paws carefully and Cheeto is able to be muscled into kennel without further issue. 11/24/25: Cheeto was observed to baulk and thrash on the leash as he is returned to kennel. Cheeto was jogged inside. He then begins to thrash and buck with the handler placing his paws outside the kennel pushing him away. K9 Behavior assists and he is muscled into kennel without further issue. 11/21/25: Cheeto is sitting towards the back of his kennel as handler approaches. Once he spots the handler, he would then sit up and approach the front with a soft body and wagging tail. Shortly after, he is then easily leashed and removed from kennel where he would have a mild pull ahead of him. Cheeto is then taken to the street, where he would continue a mild pull. He would walk ahead of the handler and remain aloof throughout the duration of the walk. As people and dogs would pass by he would watch them with a neutral body. Cheeto is then brought back to the shelter, where he would continue a mild pull and is brought into the assessment office. He would begin to explore the room and remain social with handlers, he is then easily collared. Shortly after, he is easily re-leashed and returned to his kennel with no issue. 11/21/25: It is reported on the whiteboard that Cheeto would jump towards people on the street in a social manner.

Date of initial:: 11/21/2025

Summary:: loose body, seeking attention, tense when muzzled but allows all handling

ENERGY LEVEL:: Cheeto is described as active and enthusiastic. He will need daily mental and physical activity to keep him engaged and exercised. We recommend long-lasting chews, food puzzles, and hide-and-seek games, in additional to physical exercise, to positively direct his energy and enthusiasm. We recommend feeding with puzzle feeders and food-dispensing toys. And we recommend only force-free, reward-based training techniques for Cheeto.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: Level 4

Recommendations:: No children (under 13)

Recommendations comments:: No Children: Due to Cheeto's exuberant nature we recommend a home with no children.

Potential challenges: : Fearful,Separation anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful: Cheeto has been obsvered to thrash and buck when reentering kennel. This behavior is not able to be redirected and he has to be muscled into kennel. They should never be forced to approach anything that they are uncomfortable with or submit to petting or handling. It should always be their choice to approach a new person or thing. Cheeto would do best in an initially calm and quiet home environment and should be given time to acclimate to their new surroundings. Please see handout on Decompression Period. Separation Anxiety: Cheeto's former owners report he is anxious when left alone for long periods of time. We recommend that potential adopters feel comfortable with separation anxiety behaviors and prepared to manage and positively modify them should they appear in a home environment. He would do best in a home where a person is at home for a large part of the day or with a plan so he is not alone for long periods of time. Please see handout on Generalized Anxiety. On-Leash Reactivity/Barrier Frustration: Cheeto's former owners report he is reactive on walks to small and large dogs. Cheeto may need positive reinforcement, reward based training to teach him to look at you rather than other dogs. We recommend a front clip harness or head halter to help manage this behavior. Please see handout on On-Leash Reactivity and Barrier Frustration.