Date of intake:: 5/30/2026

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner Surrender (1 year and 5 months)

Previously lived with:: 2 adults and another dog

Behavior toward strangers:: Alert barks, Friendly & Outgoing

Behavior toward children:: Alert barks, Friendly & Outgoing

Behavior toward dogs:: Familiar dogs: Alert barks, Friendly & Outgoing, Playful; unfamiliar dogs - alert barks

Behavior toward cats:: alert barks

Resource guarding:: none reported

Bite history:: none reported

Housetrained:: Yes

Other Notes:: Goes potty on: Outside on walks (grass, cement, dirt, etc.) Accident frequency: Never Additional info: Not reported Behavior concerns: Anxious when left alone, Barks a lot Additional info: Not reported Reacts to on walks: Strangers that approach you/family members, Small dogs, Large dogs, Cats Reaction type: Alert bark Additional info: Not reported How this dog reacts when... - Held/restrained: Isn't bothered - Disturbed while resting/sleeping: Isn't bothered - Startled: Isn't bothered - Pushed/pulled off furniture: Isn't bothered - Paws are touched: Isn't bothered - Collar grabbed/touched: Isn't bothered For grooming, this dog: Loves bath time/water, Allows owner/family to bathe and brush Additional info: Not reported Walks on leash rating: 4 - Hard pulling (pretty strong, somewhat difficult to manage) Walk Frequency: 1-2 times per day Walk length of time: 10 mins Crate trained: Yes, but does not do well Hours in crate: 6 Type of crate: Square big one During car rides, this dog: Loves car rides! Additional info: Not reported

Date of assessment:: 5/31/2026

Summary:: Ricardo enters the office with a tense body and wide eyes. When a handler attempts to clip his collar with a drag leash, he immediately backs away, whale eyeing the handler. The assessor offers him sliced cheese and pieces of chicken breast but he does not take them. He pulls to the office door, begins pacing in front of it, before jumping on the door twice. Due to his fearfulness, he is returned to the kennel and a handling assessment is not attempted.

Summary:: Ricardo arrived at the care centers as an owner surrender, and is noted to alert bark at unfamiliar dogs. 5/31/26: Ricardo greets a novel male dog at the gate through a barrier off leash. Ricardo will approach the gate as the male is neutral bodied, and also sniffing through the gate. Ricardo is visibly shaking, stretching to sniff towards the gate and disengages on his own. Ricardo does not return to the gate and remains fearful, but tolerant of some handling from staff.

Summary (7):: 06/23/26: Ricardo is sitting on his kuranda bed and panting as the handler approaches. He comes forward and is leashed with ease. Immediately upon entering the hallway, Ricardo jumps up towards the handler. The handler stiff arms him, and Ricardo continues walking. Throughout his walk, Ricardo will occasionally turn around and attempt to jump towards the handler, but does not make contact with the leash or the handler's clothes. After his walk, Ricardo is returned to his kennel without issue, still panting. 06/22/26: A note written on the board states that Ricardo was attempting to leash bite, and when he could not get to the leash, he attempted to bite the handler's clothes. The note also stated that they were able to use a toy to redirect his attention. 6/16/26: Ricardo is at the back of his kennel standing on his kuranda bed panting. He is leashed with ease at the front of the kennel and will then pull hard out of the kennel room. Once out in the hallway, Ricardo will spin around towards the handler. Due to arousal exiting kennel, handler quickly stiff arms him as he attempts to jump two more times while handler grabs treat to toss ahead and encourage him to continue walking. He will pull hard out of the Care Center until the ramp where he again spins around, this time jumping up and lightly mouthing at the handler's sleeve. When stiff armed again, Ricardo will quickly jump up again towards their chest and lightly grabbing their PPE. The handler will toss some treats ahead and he will chase them. Ricardo will pull hard to the play yard where he will treats and sniff around the yard with a loose body. He will pull hard back to his kennel with no issue. 05/31/26 (dog to dog note): Ricardo is standing at the front of his kennel with a soft frame and allows the handler to leash him with ease. He is then brought to the play yard to meet a female playmate. Once inside the yard, a secondary handler places a collar on him. During the collaring process, Ricardo becomes tense but remains tolerant. Ricardo approaches the gate for a nose to nose greeting and displays heavy panting along with squarish body language, indicating signs of nervousness and discomfort during the interaction. Ricardo is returned to his kennel safely without any issues. For more information, see Dog to Dog Assessment.

Date of intake:: 5/28/2026

Summary:: Nervous and slowly approached staff; allowed leashing

Date of initial:: 5/30/2026

Summary:: tense body, head turns when touched, allowed handling with muzzle

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to how fearful and uncomfortable Ricardo is currently with touch and novel stimuli, we feel that an adult-only home would be most beneficial at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Ricardo 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.

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

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful: Ricardo has been fearful and mostly avoidant of interactions with handlers. To help Ricardo overcome his fearfulness, use gradual desensitization and positive reinforcement. Identify the specific triggers that cause him fear and introduce them at a low intensity while pairing them with high-value treats. Gradually increase the intensity of the trigger while ensuring Ricardo remains comfortable. This process will help him build positive associations with previously fearful stimuli. Always allow Ricardo to approach new situations at his own pace, and never force him into uncomfortable situations. Using a calm and patient approach will help reduce his fearfulness and build his confidence. Please see the handout on the decompression period. Separation anxiety: Ricardo is reported to become anxious when left alone in the home, barking persistently as reported from his prior home. To address this issue, a comprehensive behavior modification plan focusing on desensitization, counterconditioning, and providing mental and physical enrichment is recommended. Creating a safe and comforting environment, along with gradual departures and arrivals, can help Ricardo feel more secure and reduce his anxiety. Additionally, implementing management strategies such as crate training or confining him to a safe area when alone can prevent destructive behaviors. Please see handout on Separation anxiety. On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration: Ricardo is reported to bark at strangers that approach, Small dogs, Large dogs, and cats during walks. He may need positive reinforcement and 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 the handout on On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration.