Date of intake:: 10/6/2024

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner Surrender, 7 Years

Previously lived with:: 2 adults, 2 childern (13 and 9), 1 (med) dog, 1 cat

Behavior toward strangers:: Athena is tolerant, shy, and prefers contact on her own terms with strangers.

Behavior toward children:: Athena is friendly, outgoing, and playful with children.

Behavior toward dogs:: She hard stares, hard barks, and growls at unfamiliar dogs on leash. She has no experience with unfa

Behavior toward cats:: Athena actively avoids cats.

Resource guarding:: No resource guarding reported.

Bite history:: No bite history.

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: Medium

Other Notes:: During walks she will hard stare, hard bark, and growl at small dogs. It is unknown how she reacts on walks with larger dogs. She is fearful of loud noises. When held/restrained, disturbed while sleeping, pushed off furniture, or when collar is touched, she is unbothered. Athena is fearful when startled or when her paws are touched. Athena inside her previous home was a couch potato. She spent most of her time in the living room. She allows her family to bathe and brush her. during her walks she does very little to mild pulling. In her previous home she was walked 3-4 times a day for 15 minutes. She is crate trained and she does well in car rides. She knows the cue to sit. She likes all toys, and her favorite activities are fetching and walks.

Date of assessment:: 10/7/2024

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Mild Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: Highly dog reactive, lunging, spinning, snarls, vocalizing Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Highly Social Call over: Approaches Readily Sociability comments: Approaches handlers, leaning in, a bit tense for collaring, enjoys playing fetch to allow decompression after collaring Handling Soft handling: Accepts Contact Exuberant handling: Accepts Contact Handling comments: neutral body, leans rear at times, slow wagging tail, panting Arousal Jog: Follows loose Arousal comments: Follows jog with neutral body Knock: Approaches loose Knock Comments: approaches with loose body Toy: Grips, play bow, slow tail wag, remains very loose Toy comments:

Summary:: According to Athena's previous owners, Athena is friendly outgoing, and playful with familiar dogs. She hard stares, hard barks, and growls at unfamiliar dogs on leash. She has no experience with unfamiliar dogs off leash. 10/09/24 Due to Athena's dog reactivity, we couldn't conduct a dog-to-dog. From a distance, Athena sees the novel female dog and her hackles shoot right up. Her growling starts low and slowly as it builds up. Once the dog is a few feet away, Athena immediately starts to hop on her two front paws, hard barking, lunging and snarling. Athena is returned to her kennel to reduce stress amongst both dogs.

Summary (5):: 11/16/24 (Trainer Note): Athena is laying down in her kennel as the handler approaches. She is easily leashed and pulls mildly out to the play yards. Athena engages readily in two toy fetch with the handler, sitting in between repetitions. After a few minutes she tires and lays down, chewing on one of the toys. She is easily re-leashed. As they are walking back to kennel, Athena passes several other dogs. Handler hands Athena a toy each time and she takes it readily, grabbing and shaking it before dropping it again instead of reacting. She is returned to kennel without issue. 11/13/24: Athena was asleep on kuranda bed when handler approached. As handler was preparing to leash Athena, two dogs in neighboring kennels began kennel fighting. Handler had not correctly leashed Athena before she pushed her way out of kennel (but did not reciprocate kennel fighting), so handler used her martingale to guide her around the corner and into BA room where she was then leashed. Athena was unbothered by handler holding her collar for this purpose. Athena was playful and paraded all her toys around to handlers. She favored a rubber "oinking" elephant toy which she lay down on the couch with to chew on. Athena and her stuffed toy were returned to kennel with ease. 11/09/24: Athena is standing at the front of her kennel, patiently waiting for handler to open the kennel door and will allow handler to lease her with ease and Athena will be brought outside for a walk. While outside Athena will maintain a neutral frame while walking alongside handler on a loose leash as Athena and handler walk up the hill she will explore the leaves on the floor wow relieving herself. Shortly after Athena will be escorted back to the care center and return to her kennel safely.

Summary (6):: 10/30/24: Athena is standing at the front of the kennel with a loose body and wagging tail as the handler approaches. She is easily leashed and pulls mildly to the play yard. Athena sees another dog and tenses, pulling towards them and huffing, but is prevented from moving closer by the handler. She allows the handler to place a drag leash and engages readily with a toy, trading for treats and readily playing fetch. She occasionally shows interest in dogs but is easily verbally redirected. On the way back to kennel Athena has to pass several dogs at a close proximity and lunges and hard barks at the last one. She shakes off once she passes. Athena then lunges and hard barks at the dog she passes in kennel. She enters the kennel without issue. 10/22/24: Athena is standing at the front of the kennel with a loose body and wagging tail as the handler approaches. She is easily leashed and pulls mildly to the play yard. Athena sees another dog and tenses but is able to be redirected with toys. She is placed on a drag leash and allowed to explore the yard. Athena moves around the yard with a neutral body and wagging tail. She engages readily in two-toy fetch, willingly trading and offering "sit" when cued to do so. She pants moderately through the interaction. Athena tenses when she sees other dogs but is able to be redirected onto the toys. Athena leans into contact with a loose body and re-initiates contact when the handler pauses. She is easily leashed and returned to the kennel without issue. 10/15/24: Athena is standing with a loose body at the front of the kennel as the handler approaches. She is easily leashed and led with mild pulling to the play yards. She walks past several dogs, but is able to be redirected with verbal encouragement from the handler. She is place on a drag leash and explores the yard with a loose body. Another dog is walked past the play yard and Athena rushes to the fence line, hard barking with hackles raised. She is unable to be redirected by the handler. Handler begins to play two-toy fetch with her and Athena engages readily. A dog is walked past and she rushes the fence line but is able to refocus back onto the toy. She is easily leashed and walks without pulling back to the kennel. 10/9/24: Athena was leashed with ease and walked outside for a gate greet (see dog-dog summary.) Athena became reactive (hackles up, lunging) when another dog was passing by, so handler used parked vehicles as a visual barrier until they were out of sight. Athena was kept on a slip leash for brief interaction due to known dog reactivity. Once the other dog was moved out of sight Athena exited the play pens. Handler asked another handler to move his dog out of sight so Athena could enter the care center. The use of visual barriers was effective in managing Athena's on leash reactivity. She was not reactive while walking through kennel room and was returned to kennel with ease.

Summary (7):: 10/08/24: Athena comes to the front of the kennel with a loose, wiggly body and relaxed face as the handler approaches. She is easily leashed and walked to the play yards. Athena is offered the LATTE enrichment game, but shows no interest in treats. She accepts contact, but does not re-initiate when the handler ceases. Athena plays two-toy fetch eagerly for several minutes before being returned to kennel without issue. 10/07/24: Athena is sitting on her kuranda bed with a neutral body as handler approaches. She comes forward and is leashed with ease. Athena walks with a loose leash to the Canine Behavior Office for assessment (see Behavior Assessment for further details). Athena is loose and wiggly throughout her time in the room and will spend time playing two-toy toss with handlers. She takes treats gently from hand. Athena is returned back to kennel safely. 10/7/24: Athena is at the front of the kennel with a loose and wiggly body, tapping her paws as she is leashed and easily removed from kennel. Athena walks on the leash with a loose body, soliciting attention and walks outside. Athena is highly dog reactive towards the fake dogs along the fence line, and when seeing an actual dog begins to spin, hard bark and lunge on leashed with full display of hackles. Athena afterwards is brought back to her kennel where she goes in without issue, but does bark at the dog beside her, but does not pull towards them. (PM) Later in the day, Athena is brought into the behavior office with ease and begins to solicit attention from all handlers and engage in fetch with a toy, which she willingly relinquishes to the handler and begins to play Fetch. Athena tires herself out but will remain neutral, while also greeting the handlers leaning into them every so often. Athena is returned with no issue back to her kennel, and does not react to nearby dogs.

Date of intake:: 10/6/2024

Summary:: loose/wiggly, dog reactive

Date of initial:: 10/7/2024

Summary:: friendly, allowed for handling and tasks

ENERGY LEVEL:: Athena is described by his previous owners as having a medium energy level. He will need daily mental and physical activity to keep him engaged and exercised.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: Level 4

Recommendations:: No children (under 13)

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to Athena's dog reactivity and handling sensitivity around her neck, we recommend she goes to an adult-only home.

Potential challenges: : Handling/touch sensitivity,Anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration

Potential challenges comments:: Handling/touch sensitivity: Athena did tense a bit when being collared. Positive reinforcement, reward based training should be used to pair touch with good things such as food rewards in order to teach Athena to be more comfortable with this. Anxiety: Athena is a bit anxious in care. We recommend long walks and puzzle toys for Athena. On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration: Athena is reported to lunge at small dogs and observed to lunge/growl and hard bark at other dogs within the care center. We recommend a front clip harness or head halter to help manage this behavior.