Date of intake:: 8/30/2026

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

Previously lived with:: 2 adults, 2 children, 7 dogs, 2 cats

Behavior toward strangers:: Toasty is shy and prefers contact on his terms

Behavior toward children:: Toasty is shy and prefers contact on his terms

Behavior toward dogs:: Toasty prefers contact on his terms with familiar dogs, will bark and snap at unfamiliar dogs

Behavior toward cats:: Toasty prefers contact on his terms, can be friendly and outgoing

Resource guarding:: Toasty will have a tense body/hovers over toys and food/treats

Bite history:: None reported

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: Medium to High

Other Notes:: **10/02/26: Previous assessment available upon request** Toasty has general anxiety and tends to jump up often or nonstop. He barks at other male dogs and strangers who approach. He sometimes growls/barks when being put into his crate. Held/restrained: unknown **10/Disturbed while sleeping: unknown Startled: fearful Pushed off furniture: un bothered Feet touched: unbothered Collar grabbed: fearful Toasty's previous owner describes him as social and affectionate.

Date of assessment:: 10/2/2026

Summary:: When brought to the behavior office Toasty is neutral bodied, social and jumping up on the handler who brought him into the office. He accepts treats but becomes tense during contact, head whips and displays clear signs of discomfort during handling, moving away whenever it is attempting. Due to his clear signs of stress during handling he is not a candidate for a handling assessment at this time.

Summary:: According to Toasty's previous owner(s), Toasty is friendly and outgoing, playful, shy and prefers contact on own terms with familiar dogs. He barks, snaps, is shy and prefers contact on own terms, and is tolerant with unfamiliar dogs. 9/3/26: Toasty is introduced to a novel intact female and is neutral at the fence with mid level wags. He disengages and sniffs and marks in the catch pen, then reapproaches with mid level wags. The other dog solicits play through the fence and Toasty initially flinches back, then stands on the fence and whines when she bounces away. He disengages and sniffs in the pen, frequently reapproaching and whining towards the other dog. Due to his discomfort with collaring, the meet is kept to the fence.

Summary (5):: 10/6/26 - Toasty is at the front of his kennel with a loose body high pitch barking and eager to exit, handler easily leashes him up and exits fine. Outside he pulls strong throughout the walk but with treats Toasty answers to verbal cues but once he is treated he goes back to pulling the handler eagerly sniffing. Handler continues to work on heel work with him, treating him as he walks beside handler, but in little spurts due to him losing focus after a few seconds. Handler lowers to take a picture of him and he moves forward to the handler's phone nudging their hand, handler does light petting which he tolerates with a loose body, he sits for a prolonged period of time for the handler to take pictures and has a loose wiggly body when handler treats him. Handler continues to work on heel with him but he is more interested in sniffing and pulling, handler does opt for a leash harness which helps significantly with the pulling, he is returned back to kennel and unleashed with no issues.

Summary (6):: 10/2/26 (reassessment): Toasty is at the front of his kennel with a loose body; he high-pitch barks and exuberantly jumps around as the handler approaches. Toasty is easily leashed and brought out the room; he is brought into the office for an assessment, but it is ended early. When it came time for the assessor to pet him, Toasty becomes tense; he would instead pull towards and sit in front of the handler and either whine and/or jump on them exuberantly. The assessor is able to redirect him with treats, but only briefly as Toasty then stands away from the assessor and looks at him with the same prior posture. After a few attempts, the handler leashes Toasty and brings him out the office; he is returned to his kennel shortly after. 09/29/26 (Late Entry): Toasty is at the front of his kennel sitting down as handler approaches. He is leashed while distracted with treats and is taken to the street for his walk, along the way he pulls toward dog crates but is distracted with more treats and pulling frantically in front of handler. Outside he settles slightly but continues to pull moderately, he passes people outside without issue and does not react to dogs he sees from afar. Toasty takes treats with mild pressure and sits when asked, after a bit he is brought back inside and returned to kennel without issue. 9/23/26: Toasty is at the front of his kennel when handler approaches. He takes offered treat (takes with soft mouth) and allows leashing. Toasty willingly exits the kennel and pulls hard all the way out of the room. He continues pulling toward the exit and has no reaction to other dogs in pop-up crates or staff members. When he gets outside, he starts sniffing around the driveway and relieves himself. Toasty continues walking slightly ahead of the handler with mild leash tension. He keeps his head low down to the ground and is focused on sniffing surroundings. He is not responsive, is not interested in treats or any attempts of engagement from handler. He has no reaction to any stimuli on the street. His body is neutral. During return handler is able to pre-clip the leash and bring Toasty back into his kennel with ease. 9/18/26: Toasty is being returned from a yard walk; he fixates on the dogs in the nearby crate, so the current handler pulls him away. The K9 handler places their leash on Toasty and the other handler removes theirs; they walk Toasty to the street. In the driveway, Toasty sniffs around and climbs on top of a push cart; he notices a dog walk into the driveway and presents a forward body as they enter. He also jumps on the handler with a loose, wiggly body and licks their face while standing on the push cart. Toasty walks with mild to moderate leash tension and no reactivity to people. He follows the sit command and takes treats with mild pressure. He also sniffs around and slightly fixates on certain spots. Upon entry, the handler clips their leash and returns Toasty to his kennel.

Summary (7):: 9/8/26: Toasty is at the front of his kennel with a loose body; he is easily leashed and brought out the room. As he pulls hard out, Toasty pulls towards the small dog kennels; the handler shortens the leash and pulls him away. On the street, Toasty walks with mild to moderate leash tension and no reactivity to dogs or people. Toasty pulls to fixate on multiple spots on the street. After the walk, he is brought inside for his assessment; however, it's ended early to reduce FAS (see notes). Afterwards, as the handler walks him out the office, Toasty fixates on a large dog in a beardy crate, pulling towards him with a neutral body twice; the handler shortens the leash and pulls him away. By his room, Toasty looks at a volunteer and then sniffs on the ground; the handler applies some leash pressure to walks Toasty inside, and returns him to his kennel. 9/3/26 (midday): Toasty is at the front of his kennel with a loose body; he is easily leashed and brought out the room. Toasty is brought to the yard for playgroup. (See D2D notes). When the handlers attempt to put a collar on him, Toasty backs away repeatedly. Afterwards, the handler clips their leash and returns Toasty to kennel. 9/3/26: Toasty is at the front of his kennel with a loose body, taking treats with mild pressure; he is easily leashed and brought out the room. On the street, Toasty walks with mild to moderate leash tension, with no reactivity to people; he notices a dog but doesn't react. Toasty is mostly aloof, briefly paying attention to the handler when they call him and use their squeaker; they even toss treats at him, but he shows no interest. Upon entry, the handler clips the leash and returns Toasty to his kennel. 9/02/26 (PM walk): Toasty is at the front of his kennel when handler approaches. He gently takes offered treat and allows leashing. Toasty willingly exits the kennel and passing neighboring dogs with no reaction all the way out of the room. When he gets outside he sniffs certain areas and relieves himself. Toasty continues walking slightly ahead of the handler with moderate leash tension. He is not actively seeking interaction and remains aloof most of the time. He will hard stare at other dogs but disengages after recall and light leash pressure. Toasty has no interest in people passerby. He remains slightly lowered body during the walk. Upon return handler is able to pre-clip the leash and bring Toasty back into his kennel with no further issues. 9/2/26: Toasty was observed to be reacting towards a dog that passes the pen. Toasty displays a forward body, he is standing on his hind legs. He has a tense face and begins to vocalize quietly by whining. 9/2/26: While a handler is recording Toasty on their phone, Toasty begins to hard bark and growl towards them.

Date of intake:: 8/30/2026

Summary:: Fearful, warmed up overtime

Date of initial:: 9/2/2026

Summary:: Hard barking and growling when approached in kennel. Opted to sedate

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

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 fearful behavior, we recommend an adult only home. No Dog Parks: Due to barking and snapping at unfamiliar dogs, we recommend no trips to the dog park. We recommend placement with a New Hope rescue partner who is able to provide an experienced, adult-only foster home. Force-free, reward based training and/or consultation with a professional trainer/behaviorist is highly recommended.

Potential challenges: : Resource guarding,Basic manners/poor impulse control,Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration

Potential challenges comments:: Resource Guarding: Toasty's previous owner states that he will have a tense body and hover over toys, food, and treats. Nothing should ever be taken directly out of Toasty's mouth, and any time something is removed they should be rewarded with a high value treat or toy. Please see handout on Resource Guarding. Basic Manners: Toasty's previous owner states that he will jump up often. It is recommended that default behaviors such as "Sit" and "Off" are reinforced to substitute any frustration and teach them to control their impulses instead of simply reacting; proper management is also advised. Force-free, reward-based training only is recommended. Please see handout on Basic Manners. Handling Sensitivity: Toasty's previous owner states that he will sometimes bark and growl when being put into his crate. Positive reinforcement, reward based training should be used to pair touch with good things such as food rewards in order to teach Toasty to be more comfortable with this. Please see handout on Handling and Touch Sensitivity. Fearful Defensive: Toasty has been observed to hard bark and growl at handlers while in kennel. During his assessment he was observed to be tense and did not allow handling. It is important to move slowly with Toasty, to build positive associations (treats/toys/praise), and to allow them to initiate interactions with new people. They should never be forced to greet or to interact if they are not comfortable and soliciting attention. Please see handout on Fearful and Defensive Aggression. Anxiety: Toasty's previous owner states that he is anxious in the home. If Toasty displays anxious behavior in their future home, we recommend puzzle toys, long walks, and giving them other things to focus on to alleviate their anxiety. Positive reinforcement, force-free training should be used. Please see handout on Generalized Anxiety. On Leash Reactivity: Toasty's previous owner states that he will bark at dogs and strangers that approach. Toasty will need positive reinforcement, reward based training to teach them to look at you rather than dogs and other stimuli. We recommend a front clip harness to help manage this behavior. Please see handout on On Leash Reactivity and Barrier Frustration.