Date of intake:: 5/28/2026

Means of surrender (length of time in previous home):: Owner Surrender (5-6 years)

Previously lived with:: adults

Behavior toward strangers:: Friendly & Outgoing

Behavior toward children:: Friendly & Outgoing

Behavior toward dogs:: Familiar dogs: Playful; alert barks at unfamiliar dogs on leash; no experience off leash

Behavior toward cats:: Shy/Contact on their terms; hides at first

Resource guarding:: None reported - Owner has never attempted to take anything from Carmelo

Bite history:: none reported

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: Carmelo is reported to have a medium energy level.

Other Notes:: Goes potty on: Outside on walks (grass, cement, dirt, etc.) Accident frequency: Never Behavior concerns: None, my dog is the best! Reacts to on walks: Strangers that approach you/family members Reaction type: Shows teeth/Lifts lips How this dog reacts when... - Held/restrained: Unknown/Have not attempted - Disturbed while resting/sleeping: Isn't bothered - Startled: Isn't bothered - Pushed/pulled off furniture: Isn't bothered - Paws are touched: Isn't bothered - Collar grabbed/touched: Isn't bothered For grooming, this dog: Loves bath time/water Walks on leash rating: 2 - Very little pulling Walk Frequency: 1-2 times per day Walk length of time: Half hour Crate trained: Has never been crated Hours in crate: 3 Type of crate: Running in the park During car rides, this dog: Loves car rides!

Date of assessment:: 6/18/2026

Summary:: 6/18: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: mild pulling Reactivity to humans: ignores Reactivity to dogs: did not pass Leash walking comments: no reaction to dogs barking in crates Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): briefly solicits pettig from familiar handler, will accept treats from assessor but does not solicit Call over: approaches with coaxing Sociability comments: Handling Soft handling: sits, accepts contact, tense, lip lick Exuberant handling: hold breath, slow head turn to look at assessor, wide eyes Handling comments: Arousal Jog: follows, jumps up and begins to grumble on 3rd pass, settles on own Arousal comments: Knock: tenses, no further reaction Knock Comments: Toy: grips, moves away Toy comments: Carmelo has escalated to hard staring, lunging, growling, and snapping at handlers when attempting to remove from the kennel. Once removed, he remains tense and mostly avoidant of interaction. He initially does not take treats, but after some time begins to eat. Carmelo will continue to whale-eye a hadnler as they follow him around the room while he is kept on a lead. Due to these concerns, a handling assessment has not been conducted.

Summary:: According to Carmelo's previous owner(s), he is playful with familiar dogs, will alert bark at unfamiliar dogs on leash and has no experience with unfamiliar dogs off leash. 06/15/26 Carmelo is introduced to a novel female while off leash. He readily approaches and sniffs the female through the gate with a neutral frame. When meeting face-to-face, Carmelo and the female engage in mutual sniffing before Carmelo attempts to paw-over the female and mount her. Due to the female's discomfort, Carmelo is guided away.

Summary (6):: 06/15/26 (Dog to Dog note): Carmelo is standing at the front of his kennel and allows the handler to leash him with ease. He is then brought to the play yard to meet a female playmate. Once inside the yard, a drag leash is placed on him. Prior to the introduction, Carmelo seeks attention from handlers and solicits treats. When his playmate arrives, he is escorted to the gate for a nose to nose greeting. Carmelo displays a loose and wiggly body during the initial interaction. Once the gate is opened, he immediately sidesteps around his playmate, jumps up, and attempts to mount her. Due to this behavior, the interaction is ended and Carmelo is removed from the yard. He is brought back to his kennel safely without any further issues. For more information, see Dog to Dog Assessment. 6/8/26: Carmelo is standing at the front of his kennel as handler approaches. He begins to have a wagging tail as the handler unlocks the door and he tries to his head out the door gap as the handler leashes him with ease. He is then taken outside for a walk. On the walk, he would pull ahead as he would sniff the ground to explore. He would stare at dogs as they passed by but has no reactions. He is able to return back to his kennel with no issues. 6/6/26: Carmelo is siting on his bed at the back of his kennel as handler approaches. He comes forward to the door and begins to bark as the handler unlocks it. He is able to be leashed with ease and he then pulls on the way outside for a walk. On the walk, he would walk ahead of the handler with a loose body as he explored around with sniffing. He has no reactions to dogs or people and is able to return back to his kennel with no issues.

Summary (7):: 6/4/26: Carmelo is at the front of his kennel standing on his bed already hard barking at a passing staff member when the handler approaches. Carmelo continues to hard bark at the front of the door and the handler puts there leash in, drop it over Carmelo's head and Carmelo will stop barking and start nudging the door with his head. Carmelo is brought into the office briefly and paces around, sniffing certain areas of the floor and avoiding staff. Carmelo is offered some treats and at first does not eat them, but will eat one from the staff members hand and continue to reapproach on his own. Carmelo at times will approach, tense and whale eye the handler so the handler begins to play treat and retreat. Carmelo seeks food despite still being fearful on approaching staff, so he is tossed treats away from the handler for the duration of the interaction. Carmelo is neutral bodied, and if the handler were to stare at him briefly he would tense and his hackles would grow. Carmelo is walked back to kennel where he will whale eye the handler that tries to clip him, so he is placed back into kennel and thrown treats behind his front legs for the leash to fall off naturally. 5/31/26: Carmelo is at the back of his kennel laying on his bed when the handler approaches. Carmelo when seeing the handler will get off his bed, hard bark, whale eye and lead off his front feet getting closer to the door every time he barks. Carmelo will begin to bare teeth as the handler opens the door to leash him, but stands in the middle of his kennel continuing to hard bark and bare teeth. Carmelo is leashed over the back of his neck and once the kennel door is opened will walk out pulling hard towards the office space. Carmelo will begin to sniff around thew office, whale eyeing the handler as they follow him and is aloof to staff. Carmelo will continue to pace around the hallway, and is left alone to explore. Carmelo is coaxed with a toy, which he head tilts and begins to run and chase, picking it up before dropping it. Carmelo will look at the handler as they get a second toy, and he will begin to show brief interest in that one too. Carmelo is brought back to kennel, is easily put into kennel and once the door is closed will begin to whine, nudge the door with his nose and remain at the kennel door as the handler uses a tool to un leash him with no issue. 5/30/26: Carmelo is siting in his kennel with a tense body and widened eyes as the handler approaches. He continues to have wide dilatated eyes as the handler unlocks the door and then begins to lip lip. He hard stares at the handler as they slowly slide their leash in. He remains still and allows the handler to leash him. Once leashed, he then lunges, growls, hard barks and snaps towards the handler's hand. The handler then quickly closes the door. He continues to growl as the handler uses the hook to retrieve their leash back. The handler then locks the door and ends the interaction.

Date of intake:: 5/28/2026

Summary:: social with staff, allow pets, jump up playfully

Date of initial:: 5/29/2026

Summary:: ard barking and low growling in kennel when approached, elected to sedate for exam

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to Carmello's potential for defensive escalations, we recommend that he be placed in an adult-only home at this time. Place with a New Hope partner: Carmello 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.

Potential challenges: : Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: Carmello has escalated to growling, snapping, and lunging on multiple occasions, both at his medical exam and during his time in the care center. His signs of discomfort must be respected; Carmello should never be forced to interact; he should always be allowed to walk away from situations or people he finds uncomfortable. We recommend a slow approach, and we recommend only force-free, reward-based training methods for Carmello. More aversive techniques are likely to increase fear, increase the risk of aggression, and decrease his quality of life. Please see the handout on Fearful/potential for defensive aggression. On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration: Carmello is reported to bare teeth and lip curl at strangers during walks. Please see the handout on On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration.