Date of intake:: 11/29/2025

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner Surrender (1 month)

Previously lived with:: 1 adult, 2 children ( 3 and 8)

Behavior toward strangers:: Lightening will hard bark, lunge, snap and bite

Behavior toward children:: Lightening will hard bark, lunge, snap and bite

Behavior toward dogs:: Lightening will hard bark, lunge, snap and bite

Behavior toward cats:: Lightening will hard bark, lunge, snap and bite

Resource guarding:: Universal resource guarding. Has tense body, growls, and bites if there is something he wants or feels is his.

Bite history:: Lightening bit the owner on the finger when they tried to remove an item from their mouth. The bite required two stitches. *During intake the original bite report detailed bites to the resident children. However recently the owner has changed their statement to reflect that Lightening only bit the children.*

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: High

Other Notes:: Lightening is mouthy and takes treats roughly. He is very anxious and can be fearful of loud noises and being left alone. He jumps up often, and on walks will pull hard and chew on the leash. Lightening is universally reactive on walks and will growl, bark, lunge, and bite.

Date of assessment:: 12/4/2025

Summary:: Lightening was brought to MACC following a bite incident. Lightening bit the owner on the finger when they tried to remove an item from their mouth. The bite required two stitches. In his previous home it is reported that Lightening will escalate to hard barking, lunging, snapping and biting towards strangers, children, dogs, and cats. Lightening also universally resource guards. He will have a tense body, growls, and bites if there is something he “wants or feels is his”. It is also reported that Lightening is universally reactive on walks and will growl, bark, lunge, and bite. During intake Lightening was barking at the other dogs at the shelter. He also actively avoided the MC scanner with a tense body. During his stay in care Lightening has allowed handling however when returning to kennel he is noted to baulk and had to be muscled into kennel. Due to the multiple bite incident, and the reported behavior, Lightening is not a candidate for a handling assessment at this time.

Summary (7):: 12/14/25- Lightening is at the front of his kennel with a loose and wiggly body, he is easily leashed and when walking in the hallway Lightening greets everyone with a soft body, jumping on them. He is taken for a street walk and he has a moderate pull to various spots to relieve himself. He is social with handler and gently takes treats. He jumps on handler and allows them to scratch his chin, neck and back. He has mild pull towards people passing wanting to greet with a soft body. He is easily clipped and returned to kennel without issue. 12/9/25: Lightening is reported to be reactive to dogs when on walks. 12/8/25: It was noted on the whiteboard that Lightening is dog reactive. When in the kennel room, he was observed to be hard barking at the dog in the pop-up crate in front of his kennel. 12/1/25: Lightening is standing in his kennel as handler approaches. He is able to be leashed with ease and is taken to the driveway. In the driveway, he had a tense body as he hard stares at dogs and people as they would pass by. He has no interest in treats and is then taken to the yard. In the yard, he has a neutral body frame as he explores around in the pens and around the perimeter of the yard. He is able to return back to his kennel with no issues. 11/30/25: Lightening is at the front of his kennel as handler approaches. He is offered treats and sniffs them but does not take them, he is leashed and taken to the street for his walk. While outside Lightening pulls moderately and frequently stops to sniff and relieve himself. He passes people on the street without issue and shows no reactivity toward dogs from afar, later on in the walk however when in closer proximity to a dog he hard barks once. Lightening is walked around the street for a while before being brought back inside, he allows handler to clip his leash and is brought back to kennel. At the front of kennel he baulks and refuses to enter, handler has to muscle him inside and he enters without further issue

Date of intake:: 11/29/2025

Summary:: Tense body avoidant of MC scanner, barking towards other dogs

Date of initial:: 11/29/2025

Summary:: Tense, but allows placement of muzzle and all handling for exam

ENERGY LEVEL:: Lightening 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 additional 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 Lightening.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

Recommendations:: No children (under 13),No cats,Single-pet home,Recommend no dog parks,Place with a New Hope partner

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to the bite history we recommend an adult only home. No Cats: Due to hard barking, lunging, snapping and biting towards cats we recommend a home with no cats. Single Dog Home/ No Dog Parks: Due to on leash reactivity we recommend a single pet home with 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,Mouthiness/poor bite inhibition,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Multiple-bite history/risk of future aggression,Separation anxiety,Anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Leash-biting,Strength/leash pulling,Bite history (human)

Potential challenges comments:: Resource Guarding: Lightening's previous owner states that he will universally resource guard. He will have a tense body, growls, and bites if there is something he wants or feels is his. Nothing should ever be taken directly out of Lightening'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: Lightening's previous owner states that he will jumps 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. Mouthiness: Lightening's previous owner states that he is mouthy and will take treats roughly. We recommend never playing with bare hands, always with a toy, and ending play or attention whenever Lightening puts teeth on skin. They should be rewarded with attention and treats when they stop and/or when they are seeking attention in alternate ways. Please see handout on Mouthiness. Fearful Defensive: Lightening's previous owner states that he is fearful of loud noises. It is important to move slowly with Lightening's, 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. Multiple Bite History/Bite History (Human): Please see bite history above for more details. Please see handout on Bite History and Potential for Future Aggression. Separation Anxiety/ Anxiety: Lightening's previous owner states that he is very anxious in the home and when being left alone. We recommend that potential adopters feel comfortable with separation anxiety behaviors and be prepared to manage and positively modify them should they appear in a home environment. They would do best in a home where a person is home for a large part of the day or with a plan so they are not alone for long periods of time. Please see handout on Separation Anxiety. On Leash Reactivity: Lightening's previous owner states that he is universally reactive on walks and will growl, bark, lunge, and bite. Lightening's 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. Leash Biting: Lightening's previous owner states that he will pull hard while on leash and chew on the leash. We recommend walking them with a toy to dissuade them from grabbing the leash. Positive reinforcement, force-free training is advised to teach them to focus on you rather than grabbing the leash. Please see handout on Leash Manners.