Date of Intake: 1/27/2018

Basic Information:: Ace is a large mixed breed male dog who was surrendered due to his previous owner having personal problems that did not allow him to be taken care of properly.

How is this dog around strangers?: Ace is friendly, outgoing and plays gently with adults

How is this dog around children?: Ace has lived with children ages 4 years and older around them he is relaxed and playful.

How is this dog around other dogs?: Ace has spent time with one large dog who he was relaxed and playful around.

How is this dog around cats?: Ace has never been around cats so it is unknown how he will react towards them.

Resource guarding:: Ace is friendly when someone touches his food/bowl while he is eating or takes a treat/toy away.

Bite history:: Ace has never bitten another person/animal.

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: Very High

Other Notes:: Ace is friendly when someone pushes/pulls him off of the furniture, holds/restrains him, disturbs him while he is resting/sleeping, gives him a bath, and trims his nails. If an unfamiliar person approaches his family/home Ace will be friendly towards them.

Has this dog ever had any medical issues?: No

Medical Notes: N/A

For a New Family to Know: Ace is described as friendly, affectionate, playful, confident, mellow, and excitable. When at home Ace will follow around his owners and likes to play with all toys. Ace was kept indoors only and was fed dry food. Ace is house trained and uses the bathroom on the grass outside. Ace is crate trained and does well for 4 hours. Ace knows the commands sit, come,down and stay.Ace likes brisk walks on a leash and will stay close when off leash.

Date of intake:: 1/27/2018

Spay/Neuter status:: No

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

Previously lived with:: Adult

Behavior toward strangers:: Friendly, outgoing, gentle

Behavior toward children:: Relaxed, playful with children he has lived with (aged 4+)

Behavior toward dogs:: Playful

Behavior toward cats:: Unknown

Resource guarding:: None reported

Bite history:: None reported

Housetrained:: Yes

Energy level/descriptors:: Friendly, affectionate, playful, confident, mellow, and excitable with a medium-high activity level.

Date of assessment:: 1/30/2018

Summary:: Though seemingly social, based on the high levels of arousal displayed in the care center, the behavior department believes Ace is not an appropriate candidate for an assessment at this time. Please use owner surrender profile as a guideline for his behavior in a home environment.

Summary (1):: Ace’s previous guardian reported that he has spent time with another large dog and he was relaxed and playful around him. 1/28: When off leash at the Care Center, Ace initially ignores the other dog, pacing around the pen, head turning when she approaches. He eventually greets her face to face and then genital sniffs. Ace then becomes very sexually motivated, chasing her around the yard attempting to mount and does not respond to our interruptions.

Date of intake:: 1/27/2018

Summary:: Ace had a loose body and a wagging tail during intake.

Date of initial:: 1/28/2018

Summary:: Readily approaches people, dog is active and moving around for exam and treatments.

ENERGY LEVEL:: Ace is a high-energy dog and in the care center he has been active and enthusiastic. He may have a low threshold for arousal and needs guidance to learn how to appropriately channel that energy when he becomes overstimulated. He will need daily mental and physical stimulation and exercise, and a force-free, positive reinforcement-based training class may help him to learn impulse control and to train desirable behaviors that can be rewarded.

IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:: Ace remains difficult to manage in the care center as he makes attempts to grab and climb the leash when removed from his kennel and while being walked. Because Ace is unable to readily settle and escalates quickly, this poses a safety concern in the shelter environment.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: NEW HOPE ONLY

Behavior Asilomar: TM – Treatable-Manageable

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

Recommendations comments:: Place with a New Hope partner: Due to the heightened state of arousal in which Ace becomes when handled at times, he is considered to be a safety risk in the care center. Ace begins to leash bite, climb the leash towards handler’s hand and will begin to hard mouth with pressure increasing as he arouses. We feel that placement with a New Hope partner who can provide any necessary behavior modification guidance in a stable home environment will best set Ace up for success in a future adoptive home. We recommend only force-free, reward-based training methods as more aversive techniques will likely increase fear and increase the risk of aggression. No children (under 13): Based on concerns with Ace’s threshold for arousal, we are recommending an adult only home at this time.

Potential challenges: : Basic manners/poor impulse control,Social hyperarousal,Anxiety

Potential challenges comments:: Basic manners/poor impulse control: It is recommended that default behaviors such as “Leave it”, “Sit/Stay”, “Down” are reinforced to substitute any frustration and teach Ace to control his impulses instead of simply reacting; proper management is also advised. Force-free, reward based training only is recommended. Anxiety: Ace has shown some signs of potential anxiety in the care center, vocalizing, panting, barking continually throughout his stay. This behavior was not reported at intake nor in his previous home so we cannot be certain whether similar behavior will be seen in a future home environment. Social hyper-arousal: Ace has displayed a low threshold for arousal, rapidly escalating with the potential to tip over to aggression (hard mouthing, snapping). Immediate intervention and consultation with a qualified veterinary behaviorist/professional trainer is strongly recommended to aid in addressing this issue to prevent further behavioral concerns that may appear in the future if not treated right away. We recommend only force-free, reward based training when introducing or exposing Ace to new and unfamiliar situations.