Date of intake:: 11/6/2025

Spay/Neuter status:: No

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray (No Known History)

Date of assessment:: 11/7/2025

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Moderate Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Distracted, does not approach Call over: Does not approach Sociability comments: Initially sniffs and greets handlers and accepts treats, explores the room thoroughly and does not respond when called. Soft handling: Accepts contact Exuberant handling: Tolerates contact Comments: Accepts initial handling with loose wiggly body but becomes slightly tense during exuberant handling, particularly around the legs Arousal Jog comments: Follows neutral bodied Knock Knock comments: Approaches exuberantly with wagging tail Toy Toy comments: Grips, disengages, becomes slightly tense

Summary:: 11/11/25: Baklava greets another dog at the gate with a tense body. He frustrates quickly, vocalizing and moving back and forth along the fence line.

Summary (4):: 12/5/25: Baklava is at the front loose wiggly body. He walks around the perimeter of the kennel before coming back to the front. He jumps up on the door. He is lured down and leashed with a treat. Once out of kennel he is given a toy which he carries for a bit before abandoning it. When seeing another dog, he is stands with forward body and looks at the other dog but can be easily called and moved away. He walks ahead of handler, intermitten hard pulling. He will check in often with handler and sit for treats. He is hypervigilant, looking around mostly, not stopping to sniff unless prior to marking. A person on a skateboard rides by and he pulls hard in their direction, bouncing but again handler can lead or call him away. He returns to kennel without issue. 12/03/25: Baklava is at the front of his kennel jumping at the door as handler approaches. He is leashed while distracted with treats and taken to the street for his walk, while outside he pulls moderately and accepts treats tossed by handler. Baklava passes people on the street without issue and shows minimal reaction to dogs aside from staring at them from afar momentarily. He sits for treats at crosswalks and waits with handler accepting gentle pets. He walks with handler for a while more stopping to sniff and relieve himself before he is brought back inside. Baklava allows handler to clip his leash and follows a treat into kennel without issue.

Summary (5):: 12/1/25: Baklava displays the same behaviors as of (11/30). Please refer to those notes. AC 11/30/25: Baklava is standing at the front of his kennel as handler approaches. He begins jumping at the door as the handler unlocks it and is able to be leashed with treats. He then pulls hard on the way outside for a walk. On the walk, he would continue to pull hard and would constantly stare at dogs across the street and would look for dogs behind him as he passed by. He is comfortable approaching the handler for treats and would pull towards trees to sniff and explore. He pulls on the way back to his kennel and is able to enter with no issues 11/29/25: Baklava at the front jumping up and down barking. He is easily leashed and a toy is tossed on the ground in front of him. Upon exiting the kennel, he picks up the toy. Baklava is walked to the street, carrying the toy and pulling moderately. He observes a dog and stares at them for a moment still holding the toy. Baklava is called away and walks on the street with mild pulling. He relieves himself a few times and drops his toy. He is then walked back to the shelter without the toy where he returns to his kennel without issue. 11/27/25: ACS reports that Baklava leash bites intensely. While waiting for the elevator, Baklava barks at a dog barking at him. He settles during the elevator ride. Once outside, Baklava jumps up high to bite the leash repeatedly, even alligator rolling. The ACS straight arms their leash and returns them immediately.

Summary (6):: 11/26/25: ACS reports Baklava's leash biting (when exiting room, waiting for elevator) is manageable with treats for AM walk. ACS reports no leash biting for mid-day walk. 11/25/25: Baklava was reported to be leash biting during a street walk. 11/22/25: Baklava is approaches kennel door with loose body, drops into sit when a treat is offered, is easily leashed. Baklava pulls moderately out of kennel, stands on hind legs in elevator with front paws on handler with loose body. Baklava exits to sidewalk, is social with handler, allows all petting with soft body and takes treats gently. Baklava stops to sniff areas of interest, relieves himself. Baklava is easily walked back to MACC and kennel without issue, takes treats offered. 11/20/25: Baklava is at the front of his kennel with a loose body and jumps on the kennel door as the handler approaches. He is leashed and brought out the room. While walking out the room, Baklava pulls towards a kennel but doesn’t react towards the dog in said kennel. The handler pulls him away and brings him out the room. Baklava is brought down the stairs and goes outside. On the street, Baklava walks ahead with little tension on leash; he shows no interest to passersby. The handler is able to clean up after Baklava. When the handler calls Baklava’s name, Baklava turns and jumps up to bite the leash; he does this several times, until the handler tosses a toy. Baklava picks up and chews on the toy briefly and then drops it on the ground. The handler shows the toy again, but Baklava shows no interest; he walks normally without leash biting for the remainder of the walk. The handler clips their leash and returns Baklava to kennel with ease

Summary (7):: 11/18/25: Baklava is reported to leash bite and mount on the street. As the ACS cleans up after Baklava, Baklava attempts to mount them; the ACS straight arms their leash to remove Baklava. When walking back, Baklava begins to leash bite; the ACS tosses treats and squeakers, which briefly distracts him. The ACS then runs Baklava back into the building, which stops the leash biting. 11/15/25: It is reported on the behavior board that Baklava will leash bite when overexcited and to walk him with a toy. 11/11/25: Baklava is observed to be barking repeatedly in his pop up kennel 11/10/25: Baklava is at the front of his pop-up crate with a loose body. He is easily leashed and taken out of the crate. He is walked to the street where he pulls moderately. Baklava relieves himself and pulls hard towards smells. He stares at dogs and walks away without issue. Baklava is walked back to the shelter and handler tosses treats. He avoids entering the crate and gentle leash pressure is used to coax him into the crate. As the crate is locked Baklava begins panting. He is left with treats and the interaction is ended. 11/8/25: Baklava is in a pop up crate in the hallway. He can be heard heavily panting and barking repeated. Handler tosses a few treats into the kennel and he takes them gently. Interaction is ended. 11/7/25 (for assessment): Baklava is quiet, neutral body in front of kennel as handler approaches. As kennel is unlocked Baklava attempts to push out with mild pressure, but is easily leashed. Baklava is neutral bodied, pulling moderately at times. On sidewalk Baklava maintains neutral body, moderate pulling, takes treats offered from handler. Baklava passes a car with dogs inside hard-barking, he shows no interest. He looks, head tilts at an occupied car with MOPs talking loudly. He enters MACC and behavior office for assessment, takes treats from handler. Upon completing assessment he is re-leashed and re-enters kennel safely, takes treats through kennel door.

Date of intake:: 11/6/2025

Summary:: loose and wiggly body, pulled hard, approaches when called and allows MC scan, pulls hard to kennel

Date of initial:: 11/6/2025

Summary:: loose body, lightly mouthy, jumps on staff socially, attempts to remove muzzle, thrashes, recovers

ENERGY LEVEL:: We have no history on Baklava so we cannot be certain of his behavior in a home environment. However, 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.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No Children: Due to Baklava's handling sensitivity and low threshold for arousal we recommend a home with no children. 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: : Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful,Leash-biting,Low threshold for arousal

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful/Handling/Touch Sensitivity: During his assessment Baklava was observed to become tense when handled exuberantly particularly around the legs, during his medical exams he was reported to thrash when muzzled and when preforming certain tasks. It is important to always go slow and give Baklava the option to walk away from any social interaction. They should never be forced to approach anything that they are uncomfortable with or to submit to petting or handling. It should always be their choice to approach a new person or thing. Baklava 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. Arousal/Leash Biting: Baklava has been observed to attempt to mount handlers and leash bite while on the street. During his stay at the care center Baklava has been obsvered to be highly rope reactive. Noted to jump up and bite the leash intensely and even escalates to alligator rolling. Positive reinforcement training should be used to teach Baklava to remain calm during arousing situations. If they begin to escalate, people should pause the interaction, and create distance from the trigger. Pattern games such as 1-2-3 treat and the cue “mat” can be used to reinforce calm behaviors. Please see handout on Arousal and Leash Manners.