Date of intake:: 8/25/2026

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Stray; limited history

Bite history:: Sirius was surrendered along with 3 other dogs. One of the other 3 dogs was found to have bite wounds, but it is unknown if Sirius was the one that has bitten or if it was a different dog.

Date of assessment:: 8/28/2026

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: none - loose leash Reactivity to humans: ignores Reactivity to dogs: ignores Leash walking comments: immediately bit and pulled lead into kennel; released for spray cheese Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): explores room, soft body, jumps up for treats, then begins searching room for treats Call over: readily approaches Sociability comments: Handling Soft handling: accepts contact, briefly leans in Exuberant handling: accepts contact, briefly leans in, tail low, ears pinned Handling comments: Arousal Jog: follows, neutral Arousal comments: Knock: no response Knock Comments: Toy: grabs prop hand, walks away holding it Toy comments: easily drops for treats

Summary:: Due to entering the facility as a stray, there is limited prior dog-dog history recorded. Sirius was surrendered along with 3 other dogs. One of the other 3 dogs was found to have bite wounds, but it is unknown if Sirius was the one that has bitten or if it was a different dog. 09/06/26 Sirius is introduced to a novel female while off leash. He readily approaches the gate with a neutral frame and becomes increasingly tense and will lightly muzzle punch the gate. He walks away and when he reapproaches, he will bite the gate.

Summary (6):: 9/19/26: Sirius was showing excitement and barking at handler as handler was preparing to take him out for his walk. Handler gave Sirius a milk bone in order to leash him, after successfully leashing him Sirius walked out his kennel and made is way towards outside. Sirius didn't show any interest towards other dogs while outside and stayed by the handlers side the entire walk. Returning back to kennel handler threw in another milk bone to distract Sirius in order to take leash off. 9/9: A medical handler approaches the behavior team, needing assistance with retrieving their lead from Sirius, as he had pulled it into his kennel. When the behavior team arrives, part of the lead is sticking through the kennel door, and Sirius is holding onto the piece that is still in his kennel. He is biting and pulling on the lead but stops when he sees the new handlers enter the room. The medical handler stated that they were attempting to leash Sirius from his kennel for his morning walk. One of the behavior handlers tosses treats into the kennel so the kennel door can be opened. When he sees the lead being removed, he attempts to grab it again. The behavior handler uses a longer piece of jerky to feed Sirius while leashed. Once leashed, he is taken for his walk.

Summary (7):: 08/31/26: Sirius is at the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. The handler is able to leash him by holding a treat outside of the kennel bars. In the office, Sirius eats treats and plays with toys. He investigates several areas of the office thoroughly. When returning to kennel, he is re-leashed and returned with no issue. 08/30/26: Sirius is at the front of his kennel as the handler approaches. When the leash is inserted into the kennel, Sirius immediately grabs it and begins tugging. The handler drops the leash and Sirius lets go. The handler tries again to leash Sirius, this time using a toy to guide him through the leash loop. Sirius grabs the toy and tugs, but the handler is able to get the leash on him and bring him to the office. In the office, Sirius is clipped to a drag leash. He explores various areas, but frequently returns to handlers for attention. He plays with toys that are thrown for him, and the handler plays with Sirius with the flirt pole for a bit before Sirius tries to catch the stick itself. After a while, Sirius is returned to his kennel without issue. 8/28 (AM): Sirius is jumping to the top of his kennel while high-pitched barking once he sees a handler enter the room. The handler puts some spray cheese on the kennel bars for him to lick as the door is opened. Once he sees the door open, Sirius immediately latches on to the lead and pulls it into the kennel. He releases when the handler points to the cheese. Sirius resumes licking, and the handler is able to successfully leash him. He is taken to the behavior office. Sirius enters with a soft body, greets a seated handler before walking away to explore the room. He allows collaring and resumes his exploration. Sirius engages in play alone with toys and readily accepts treats. Once his kennel is ready, he is returned. Once in the kennel, he stops to drink water as the lead is removed. As the handler is pulling the lead out of the kennel, he makes a grab for the lead but is unable to catch it. 8/27: A medical handler requested assistance from behavior handlers as they were unable to remove their lead from Sirius's kennel due to his leash biting. They did report that he leash-bit when taking him out for a walk and when returning. Once out of the kennel, he was able to go on the walk without issue. When they tried using a hook to retrieve it, he began biting the hook. A behavior handler approached and offered Sirius chicken breast that he accepts readily. When he intially sees the hook and his bedding move, Sirius bites at it once before being redirected with the chicken. While the medical handler feeds him chicken, the handler can remove the lead with a hook. Several minutes later, the behavior handler returns with his kennel tags, and he begins jumping up with his mouth open, hitting the kennel bars.

Date of initial:: 8/25/2026

Summary:: Nervous but Friendly, soliciting attention

ENERGY LEVEL:: We have no history on Sirius so we cannot be certain of his behavior in a home environment. However, he is a young, enthusiastic, social dog who 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),Single-pet home,Recommend no dog parks,Place with a New Hope partner

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to Sirius's low threshold for arousal and leash biting, we recommend that he be placed in an adult-only home. Place with a New Hope partner: Sirius 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. Single-Pet Home/Recommend No Dog Parks: Due to the concerning behaviors that Sirius has shown during playgroup (see DOG-DOG SUMMARY), we feel that he should not visit dog parks and be the only resident dog. The Behavior Department recommends that he be socialized in a more controlled setting until his behavior towards other dogs can be further addressed. Reward-based, force-free training can be utilized to help Sirius associate dogs with things he enjoys like toys or treats.

Potential challenges: : Leash-biting,Low threshold for arousal,Bite history (dog)

Potential challenges comments:: Bite history (dog): Sirius was surrendered along with 3 other dogs. One of the other 3 dogs was found to have bite wounds, but it is unknown whether Sirius was the one that has bitten or if it was a different dog. Leash-biting | Low threshold for arousal: Sirius is quick to grab the leash in his mouth when being removed from the kennel and returned. We recommend walking him with a toy to dissuade him from grabbing the leash. Positive reinforcement, force-free training is advised to teach him to focus on you rather than grabbing the leash. Please see the handout on arousal.