Date of intake:: 12/21/2025

Spay/Neuter status:: No

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

Previously lived with:: 2 adults, 3 dogs

Behavior toward strangers:: No experience

Behavior toward children:: No experience

Behavior toward dogs:: Melo is shy and prefers contact on his terms, can become friendly and outgoing

Behavior toward cats:: No experience

Resource guarding:: None reported

Bite history:: None reported

Housetrained:: No

Energy level/descriptors:: Medium

Other Notes:: Melo does not have experience outdoors or with new people or new dogs. He is not bothered by being held, restrained, touched, or disturbed.

Date of assessment:: 12/28/2025

Summary:: Leash Walking Strength and pulling: None Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: None Leash walking comments: Tense body, retreats from people Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Fearful Call over: Approaches with coaxing Sociability comments: Retreats from handler, retreats when handler attempts to clip dragline Soft handling: Fearful Exuberant handling: Fearful Comments: Tense trembling body Arousal Jog comments: Follows handler with coaxing, tense low body Knock Knock comments: Approaches handler readily with wagging tail Toy Toy comments: Sniffs, No reaction

Summary:: 1/7/26: Melo greets another dog at the gate with a soft body. Off leash, he remains soft bodied while sniffing before moving away. He reapproaches to sniff again, still soft bodied.

Summary (6):: 2/2/26: Melo is lying down at the back of his kennel. Upon handler approach, he gets up and walks to the front of the kennel. He stands with a neutral body. He takes treats and begins a low tail wag. He takes more treats and now has a horizontal wagging tail. Interaction is ended. 1/31/26: PM WALKS: Melo is at the front of the kennel with a soft body and wagging tail. He is jumping up and down at the front of the kennel and barking. He is leashed with a treat lure and is taken out of the kennel. Upon exiting the room, Melo turns his head towards the lower part of the handler's sweater with an open mouth. He jumps around in the hallway and jumps to the handler. Melo is straight armed away. He is brought to the street and a leash is clipped to his harness. He pulls moderately on the street, sniffing his surroundings and relieving himself. He walks with a loose leash back to the shelter and becomes frantic in the hallway, pulling back and forth. He pulls hard back to kennel and is returned. As the leash is removed he bites the leash. Interaction is ended. 1/31/26: Melo is observed to jump on ACS and nip at their jacket around the chest area, after being stiff-armed away, Melo was observed to continue to be frantic, spinning and darting on leash. 1/31/26: It is reported on the behavior board that Melo is mouthy when taking treats. 1/29/26: It is reported on the behavior board that Melo pulls very hard. ACS suggests a harness.

Summary (7):: 1/24/26: Melo is at the front of the kennel with a soft body and wagging tail. He is easily leashed and pulls hard out of the hallway to the elevator. He jumps up on the handler with a soft body and leans his head into the handlers hands and allows petting. Melo is brought to the street where he continues pulling. He allows the handler to put him in a leash harness. Melo relieves himself and stops and stares at dogs with a neutral body. He is walked back to the shelter and is returned to his kennel without issue. 1/10/26: Melo is at the front of the kennel with soft body. He jumps up into the kennel bars as handler unlocks the kennel door. He is mot interested in treats but easily leashed without them. He is walked on the street where checks in with handler frequently, soft body and wagging tail. He will jump up and accept petting. He is still not interested in treats. When handler attempts to pet him on his head, he lowers his head and flinches. He easily returned to kennel. 1/6/26: Melo is reported to be walking well on leash for walks by staff. 1/2/26: Melo has been observed to tug on his kennel bars when the room is slightly active. 1/2/26: Staff reports upon entering elevator, Melo pancakes, verbal cues somewhat effective to coax forward, treats were not, is muscled in. This happened when both entering and exiting building. 12/28/25: Melo is standing at the front of his kennel with a loose and wiggly body as handler approaches. He is able to be easily leashed and is taken outside for a walk. On the walk, he has a tense body and low tail as he walks ahead and behind the handler. He has no reactions to dogs or people and is able to be slowly taken to the behavior room for his assessment. In the room, he has a tense body and low waging tail as he would slowly approach the handlers. He would have a tense body and turn his head while being petted. Please see behavior assessment notes for more details. He is able to return back to his kennel with no issues. 12/22/25: Melo is laying down in his kennel with a tense body as handler approaches. He slowly approaches the front with a tense body as the handler unlocks the door. He is able to be slowly leashed and begins to have a wagging tail as he approaches the door to come out. When the handler steps to the side, he is able to come out of kennel and he keeps his body low to the ground while being tense. He would take a few steps forward and then pull back to his kennel a few times before he is able to successfully exit his kennel room. He baulks to the ground when the handler opens the door to yard and is too nervous to continue moving forward. He is then slowly taken to the behavior room. In the room, he has a tense body but is comfortable approaching the handlers with a low wagging tail. He has to be muscled back into kennel due to not wanting to go in.

Date of intake:: 12/21/2025

Summary:: Pancaked, low body, refused to walk

Date of initial:: 12/22/2025

Summary:: Wagging tail

ENERGY LEVEL:: Melo is described as medium energy. They will need daily mental and physical activity to keep them engaged and exercised. And we recommend using force-free, reward-based training techniques for them.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to a low threshold for arousal we recommend an adult only home. 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: : Fearful,Low threshold for arousal

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful: Melo has been observed to be highly fearful while in care. Noted to have a tense low body and require a lot of coaxing. During intake Melo was noted to be pancaked on the ground and refuse to walk. They should never be forced to approach anything that they are uncomfortable with or submit to petting or handling. It should always be their choice to approach a new person or thing. Melo would do best in an initially calm and quiet home environment and should be given time to acclimate to their new surroundings. Please see handout on Decompression Period. Arousal: Melo has been observed to jump up at the handler repeatedly and nip at their chest area. Positive reinforcement training should be used to teach Melo to remain calm during arousing situations. If they begin to escalate, people should pause the interaction, and create distance from the trigger. Pattern games such as 1-2-3 treat and the cue “mat” can be used to reinforce calm behaviors. Please see handout on Arousal.