Date of intake:: 9/30/2026

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

Previously lived with:: 5 adults, 3 children, 2 cats

Behavior toward strangers:: Hides at first, shy and prefers contact on own terms.

Behavior toward children:: Shy and prefers contact on own terms.

Behavior toward dogs:: Hides at first, shy and prefers contact on own terms.

Behavior toward cats:: Friendly and outgoing

Resource guarding:: No known reports of resource guarding.

Bite history:: No known reports of a Bite history.

Housetrained:: Partially

Energy level/descriptors:: Alexa is noted to have a medium energy level in the prior home.

Other Notes:: Alexa tends to pull hard on the leash. She will growl or hard bark at strangers and dogs she sees outside. Held/restrained: unknown Disturbed while sleeping: unbothered Startled: barks/growls Pushed off furniture: unbothered Feet touched: unknown Collar grabbed: unbothered Alexa is an independent and solitary dog who prefers contact on her own terms. She can usually be found in the living room. Alexa does not allow for bathing, brushing, or nail trimming. She is used to going on walks once or twice per day and pulls hard on the leash. She knows sit, stay, and up. Alexa loves belly rubs!

Date of assessment:: 10/6/2026

Summary:: 10/03/26 Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Loose Reactivity to humans: No response Reactivity to dogs: No response Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Neutral body Call over: Aloof- curved tail, stiff Sociability comments: Handling Soft handling: Tolerant- curved tail Exuberant handling: Tolerant- curved tail, stays in handling position Handling comments: Conflicted Arousal Jog: 2 passes, shakes off Arousal comments: Knock: No response Knock Comments: Toy: No repsonse Toy comments:

Summary (7):: 10/5/26: (mid-day) Alexa is lying down in her kennel upon approach. Handler unlocks the kennel and Alexa stands up with a soft tail wag. She is easily leashed and removed from kennel. Alexa exits the kennel without issue and walks down the hallway towards the backyard. She pays no interest towards passing pop-ups. Alexa is taken outside and enters a pen with several other handlers. She interacts with an unfamiliar person. She approaches with a neutral body and soft tail wag. The person presents their hand towards her and she sniffs it. She tolerates a brief scratch under her chin. The person then reapproaches again. Alexa is observed to become stiff. Before she is kept away and the interaction is stopped. Alexa vocalizes and snaps towards the person's hand. She is kept away. The snap does not break skin but makes contact. Alexa is then walked around the pen. She relieves herself and walks around aloof. When the person re-approaches and stands at a distance. Alexa stares towards them tense and will vocalize. When the person leaves, Alexa will make more vocalizations. Treats are tossed and Alexa ignores them. She makes multiple laps around the yard and relieves herself again. She is then walked back to her kennel and is returned without issue. 10/5/26: It is reported that when seeing the dog in the pop up crate Alexa spun towards the handler and attempted to redirect onto their leg. When the handler tightened the leash, Alexa began to vocalize and thrash. The handler attempted to return Alexa to kennel but they stopped in front and had to be muscled in. 10/03/26 [assessment]: Alexa is lying down at the back of her kennel when handler approaches. She does not take offered treats but allows leashing. She slowly exits the kennel and follows the handler in the hallways with no reaction to other dogs or staff members. She briefly sniffs around the driveway and relieves herself. She crosses the street and continues walking alongside the handler on the loose leash. She has no reaction to any stimuli on the street. She is not responsive with handler and does not take treats. She tolerates petting but does not seek interaction with handler herself remaining aloof. Her body is neutral. Once walk is done, Alexa is taken to the Canine Behavior office for the assessment (see notes). During return handler clips the leash and brings Alexa back into her kennel with ease. 10/03/26: It was reported that when Alexa was on a top kennel, she attempted to snap at handlers when they picked her up. 10/2/26 - Per whiteboard Alexa will flee, be careful - 9/30/26: Alexa is observed to bite at the kennel bars; when the ahndler approaches and speaks to her in a soft voice, Alexa whines and paws at the kennel bars.

Date of intake:: 9/30/2026

Summary:: fearful, trashed with leash pressure

Date of initial:: 10/1/2026

Summary:: Tense and vocalizing throughout exam and tasks. Limited tasks due to behavior

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to Alexa's defensive behavior, we reccomend she is placed in an adult-only home. Place with a New Hope partner: Alexa came into the care center as an owner surrender due to her owner passing and her next of kin moving to a home that didn't allow pets. Alexa's caretakers describe her as an independent and solitary dog who prefers contact on her own terms. She can usually be found in the living room. Alexa does not allow for bathing, brushing, or nail trimming. She is used to going on walks once or twice per day and pulls hard on the leash. She knows sit, stay, and up. Alexa loves belly rubs! In the care center, she has displayed signs of kennel stress, including biting at the kennel bars. She has also been noted to snap when being picked up and is noted to have redirect onto a handler's leg when reacting to neighboring dogs, did not break skin. Additionally, she is noted to thrash in response to any form of leash pressure. Due to her behavior, Alexa is available for placement through one of our New Hope partners.

Potential challenges: : Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Strength/leash pulling

Potential challenges comments:: Handling/touch sensitivity/Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: In Alexa's prior home, she is noted to barks/growl when startled. In the care center, Alexa was noted to snap when picked up and taken out of the top kennel. In the care center, she is noted during an interaction to snap, making contact on the person's hand but didn't break skin.Continued support should focus on low-stress handling techniques, respecting her boundaries, and carefully monitoring her body language to prevent escalation. Please see the handout on Handling/touch sensitivity and Fearful/potential for defensive aggression. Anxiety: In the care center, Alexa is noted to show kennel stress and will bite at her kennel bars.Providing consistent routines, enrichment opportunities, and stress-reduction strategies may help improve her ability to settle and feel more comfortable in her surroundings. Please see the handout on generalized anxiety. On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration: In Alexa's prior home, she is noted to growl or bark hard at strangers and dogs she sees outside. It is reported in the care center that when seeing the dog in the pop-up crate, Alexa spun towards the handler and attempted to redirect onto their leg. When the handler tightened the leash, Alexa began to vocalize and thrash. Training should focus on creating distance from triggers, proactively moving her away from distractions, reinforcing calm behavior, and building positive associations with environmental stimuli. Please see the handout on On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration. Strength/leash pulling: In Alexa's prior home, she is noted to pull hard on the leash. Continued leash-training efforts should focus on reinforcing loose-leash walking. Please see the handout on Strength/leash pulling.