Date of intake:: 5/13/2025

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

Previously lived with:: Not Noted

Behavior toward strangers:: Friendly and outgoing.

Behavior toward children:: Relaxed and affectionate.

Behavior toward dogs:: Relaxed and affectionate.

Behavior toward cats:: No experience.

Resource guarding:: He will try to bite if his bowl is moved while he is eating bur is unbothered when his treats and toys are touched or moved.

Bite history:: No bite history.

Housetrained:: Partially

Energy level/descriptors:: Very High

Other Notes:: Is unbothered by being pushed off furniture, disturbed while sleeping or is brushed. He is fearful during baths and will try to bite when his nails are being trimmed. He has no experience with being held or restrained and has very little experience with strangers. When left alone in the home he will bark, cry ad destroy/eat things. He is a very affectionate, self assured and happy dog who enjoys jumping and running. He enjoys playing with toys that have squeakers and with frisbees, he enjoys tug of war and wrestling. He is accustomed to relieving himself outdoors and rarely has accidents indoors, he is accustomed to walking on a leash, he will pull and off leash he will wander but returned when called. He will bark when left alone in a yard or patio. He eats dry and/or wet food twice a day and his favorite treats are cookies.

Date of assessment:: 7/24/2024

Summary:: 5/13/25 Leash Walking Strength and pulling: Loose leash exiting kennel Reactivity to humans: None Reactivity to dogs: hx of severe reactivity Leash walking comments: Sociability Loose in room (15-20 seconds): Moderately Social Call over: Approaches when coaxed Sociability comments: aroused, chattering, scenting, unable to settle/focus, approaches on squeaker call over, trembling (arousal) when touched Handling Soft handling: Tolerates Handling Exuberant handling: Tolerates Handling Handling comments: thrashes a bit, head whipping, open mouth, tolerates handling, flinches at first Arousal Jog: Follow- neutral body, aroused, dilated pupils Arousal comments: Knock: Approaches- soft body Knock Comments: Toy: Grabs, moves away, soft Toy comments: ***5/14/25: Due to Nickel's Anxious behavior, a handling assessment is not conducted, and he is given more time to decompress.*** ***7/24/25:Due to dog reactivity, a handling assessment was not conducted at this time.***

Summary (4):: 5/18/25: Nickel is at the front of his kennel with whining, with dilated pupils and bloodshot eyes. Nickel is easily leashed and brought outside where he passes a kennel room and lunges/barks towards the dog on the end kennel and is quickly walked passed. Nickel is brought outside where he pulls mildly, briefly pulling hard in short burst and heavily panting. Nickel is walked down a quiet street, where he is coaxed with treats/toys but shows very little interest, sniffing them and walking away. Nickel notices another dog across the street that is walking away from him, and he stops and begins to stare with his hackles raised. The dog is about 30-40 yards away approximately, so he disengages when the dog in no longer in sight and passes a corner. Another dog begins to walk across the street about 10 yards away and begins to lunge/hard bark and vocalize intensely on his hind legs, and as he reacts/being pulled away he begins to head whip and try to redirect and grab the handlers shirt twice. Once the other dog is out of sight, Nickel will be heavily panting, whining louder and pulling hard back to his kennel, where he again trys to lunge towards dogs in the first kennel in the room he previously passed. Nickel is clipped and placed inside of his kennel with no issue.

Summary (5):: 5/17/25: Nickel greets the handler at the kennel door with a stiff posture and a wagging tail. As the handler opens the door and prepares to leash him, Nickel begins jumping and pawing at the door and the handler. The handler pauses briefly to allow for decompression before attaching the leash. Once leashed, Nickel rushes out of the kennel. The handler pauses again before proceeding to escort him out of the kennel room. While walking down the hallway and approaching another kennel room, Nickel stiffens and scans the area with ears forward. As they pass the room, Nickel attempts to lunge toward it. The handler, maintaining a short leash, continues walking while Nickel tries to “bunny hop” forward. Outside the care center, they walk up a ramp. Nickel again stiffens, adopting a forward posture with ears up. Upon seeing a passing dog, he emits a low growl that escalates into loud barking and lunging. The handler holds him on a short leash and restrains him. Nickel attempts to use the wall for leverage to intensify his lunge. The handler maintains control and continues walking, while Nickel continues to “bunny hop” until the other dog is out of sight. When passing another dog in a yard, Nickel initially reacts but then disengages and avoids further interaction. As they continue down the block, Nickel eventually shakes off, indicating a release of tension. His body posture becomes neutral, and his ears begin to relax. As the walk progresses, he loosens up but begins panting. On the return to the care center, Nickel disengages from the first dog he sees but becomes reactive again when encountering another, displaying the same lunging, growling, and barking behaviors as before. The handler escorts him back inside, where Nickel resumes scanning the environment with ears forward. He again tries to lunge at the kennel room while passing. Finally, the handler guides him back to his kennel and secures him safely.

Summary (6):: 05/16/25: Nickel is standing at the front of kennel with a neutral frame as handler approaches. He begins jumping up onto the kennel door excitedly and shows no interest in tossed treats. He will attempt to push through the cracked kennel door but is able to be leashed with a treat lure as distraction. Nickel pulls mildly to the Canine Behavior Office where he is clipped to a drag lead and free to explore the space. He readily engages with a snuffle mat offered to him and will approach handlers, accepting petting with a loose frame. He engages with squeaky toy tossed to him, running around the room with it, shaking it, and will begin vocalizing as he plays, becoming highly aroused. Handlers toss him treats to slow him down and he will begin to self-regulate and settles, stopping to eat treats before jumping up onto the couch. After his session, he is leashed and returned to kennel without issue. 05/15/25 Nickel is sitting down firmly as the handler approaches. Nickel is leashed with ease as he willingly places his head in the loop of the lead, proceeding outside for a walk. Nickel displays a tense frame as he is panting on his way out of the building. He will attempt to lunge into one of the kennel rooms at one of the dogs in their kennels. He doesn't get a chance to enter the room due to the handler using directional leash pressure. He arrives outside, less tense but still panting heavily. Nickel is taken on a lengthy walk where he will explore grassy and dirt patches. He will allow handling as the handler pets him and he wags his tail, displaying a soft frame. Nickel is returned to the facility where he will maintain a moderate pace trotting alongside the handler. When returning, he will see a dog in the distance with a novel handler and fixate, stopping and tensing up. Nickel is kept away from said block that dog is on, proceeding in the opposite direction. Nickel will enter the building and is walked down the medical wing for his comfort, entering his kennel room and kennel with no issue.

Summary (7):: 5/15/25: Nickel was sitting calmly at front of kennel as handler approached. He jumped up on door but sat when asked. He was leashed with ease and walked to the BA room for his assessment, appearing alert to noise with his ears up and his tail raised. Nickel showed interest in toys. When returning to kennel he walked straight back in. Nickel remained at front of kennel while handler was present and ate a few pieces of freeze-dried liver. 05/14/25 Nickel is at the front of his kennel, willingly wanting to come out. He is leashed with ease and taken outside. He will pull his way towards the exit, displaying a tense frame. Nickel will ram his muzzle into the metal-plate dogs along the outside fence, indicating dog reactivity. When seeing dogs with novel handlers on their walk, Nickel will pull towards them as well. Nickel is returned to the facility, where he will pull his way back into the building. Nickel will pass by kennel rooms, attempting to pull inside the rooms but directional leash pressure is applied. He will enter his kennel quickly. 05/14/25 (trainer note): Nickel was lying down on his kuranda bed as handler approached. Handler tossed treats, which he ignored. Handler spoke to him in baby talk and presented their leash. Nickel slowly approached with his tail low and ears back. Handler was able to loop him and walked to the live room. He was not wearing a collar, so handler kept him on leash. He presented conflicted behavior, as he would go from approaching handler with a loose tail wag to seeking exit at the door while vocalizing. He was not interested in treats or toys. Handler cut the session short due to Nickel continuously pacing at the door while vocalizing and panting and being unable to settle. He was returned to kennel with ease. 5/14/25: Nickel was sitting at front of kennel as handler approached. He ate a piece of beef jerky and was leashed with ease. Nickel walked to the live room where he was switched to a slip leash with stopper. Nickel had a loose frame and wagged his tail. He engaged with a snuffle mat but was disinterested in a cheese lick mat. Nickel displayed FAS by panting, whining, and exit seeking in front of the door. He accepted brief pets but was not settled enough to collar. He played with toys enthusiastically and was vocal when shaking them. Nickel walked back to kennel without issue. He was observed a short time later sitting at front of kennel appearing relaxed. **Enrichment notes from previous stay available upon request.**

Date of intake:: 5/13/2025

ENERGY LEVEL:: Nickel is described as active and enthusiastic. He will need daily mental and physical activity to keep him engaged and exercised. We recommend long-lasting chews, food puzzles, and hide-and-seek games, in addition to physical exercise, to positively direct his energy and enthusiasm. We recommend feeding with puzzle feeders and food-dispensing toys. And we recommend only force-free, reward-based training techniques for Nickel.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: New Hope Only

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

Recommendations comments:: No children (under 13): Due to dog reactivity and lunging towards handlers we recommend a home with no children. 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,Handling/touch sensitivity,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression,Separation anxiety,Anxiety,On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Leash-biting

Potential challenges comments:: Resource guarding: Nickel is reported to attempt to bite if his food bowl is touched or moved. Handling/touch sensitivity/Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: Nickel gives clear warnings when he is uncomfortable and does seem to choose to avoid or retreat when given the opportunity, but if prevented from moving away, there is a potential to escalate to higher-level warning behaviors and possible fear-based aggression. Nickel will bite if his nails are touched. Nail trims should be approached with extreme caution or avoided unless desensitization training has been successfully implemented. It is important to move slowly with Nickel, to build positive associations (treats/toys/praise), and to allow Nickel to initiate interactions with new people. He should never be forced to greet or to interact if he is not comfortable and soliciting attention. Nickel would do best in an initially calm and quiet home environment and should be given time to acclimate to his new surroundings. Separation anxiety/Anxiety: Nickel is reported to experience separation anxiety in a home environment. When left alone, he barks and whines constantly. 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. He would do best in a home where a person is at home for a large part of the day, or where there is a plan in place so he is not left alone for long periods of time. See handout on Separation Anxiety. On Leash Reactivity/ Leash Biting: Nickel has been observed to fixate, become tense, and lunge towards dogs while on leash and has attempted to redirect onto staff. Nickel has also been observed to thrash on leash, leash bite, and lunge towards handlers while reactinging to dogs. In the kennel room Nickel is observed to lunge towards other dogs in the kennel room. Nickel will need positive reinforcement, reward based training to teach them to look at you rather than other dogs. We recommend a front clip harness to help manage this behavior. We recommend walking Nickel with a toy to dissuade them from grabbing the leash. Please see handout on On Leash Reactivity and Barrier frustration. Please see handout on Leash Manners.