Spay/Neuter Status: Unknown

Basic Information:: Bellissimo is a white and tan large male dog that was tied up and left outside of the ACC.

Previously lived with:: Unknown information

How is this dog around strangers?: When meeting the staff at the ACC for the first time he was friendly and outgoing. he allowed the counselor to pet him with no problem.

How is this dog around children?: Unknown information

How is this dog around other dogs?: Unknown information

How is this dog around cats?: Unknown information

Resource guarding:: Unknown information

Bite history:: Unknown information

Housetrained:: Unknown

Energy level/descriptors:: Unknown information

Other Notes:: Unknown information

Medical Notes: Unknown information

For a New Family to Know: Unknown information

Date of intake:: 1/9/2018

Spay/Neuter status:: No

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

Date of assessment:: 1/11/2018

Look:: 1. Dog’s eyes are averted, ears are back, tail is down, relaxed body posture. Dog allows head to be held loosely in Assessor’s cupped hands.

Sensitivity:: 1. Dog leans into the Assessor, eyes soft or squinty, soft and loose body, open mouth.

Tag:: 2. Dog is not fearful, but is unresponsive when touched. Approaches the Assessor when the game ends (may need coaxing to approach). Dog is focused on stimuli other than the Assessor.

Paw squeeze 1:: 1. Dog does not respond at all for three seconds. Eyes are averted and ears are relaxed or back.

Paw squeeze 2:: 1. Dog does not respond at all for three seconds. Eyes are averted and ears are relaxed or back.

Toy:: 1. No interest.

Summary:: Bellissimo came into the room loose and wiggly, he was friendly and social towards the handlers but very distracted in the room with the smells.

Summary (1):: Bellissimo was surrender as a stray so his past behavior with other dogs is unknown. 1/10: When off leash at the Care Center, Bellissimo at first greets with a loose, wiggly body. However, once he is let into the pen he becomes persistently sexually motivated and is difficult to interrupt. 1/12: Bellissimo continued to be persistently sexually motivated; ignoring all interruptions.

Date of intake:: 1/9/2018

Summary:: Friendly and allowed all handling.

Date of initial:: 1/9/2018

Summary:: Active, seeking attention.

ENERGY LEVEL:: Bellissimo displays a very high activity level in the care center.

IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:: 1:00pm- 1/16/18: It has been reported that Bellissimo has begun to pose handling challenges for both staff and experienced volunteers when being returned to his kennel in adoptions. He is lunging and snapping at the other dogs in his aisle, and once he his being placed back into his kennel, he has head-whipped and mouthed at both the leash and the handler’s hand. Due to the safety concern of this behavior, Bellissimo is no longer a candidate for the public adoptions room. 2:34pm- 1/16/19: When being moved to a holding room, Bellissimo was reactive towards several dogs (lunging and snapping) at other dogs in their kennels. He became difficult for the handler to maintain control of, spinning around the handler’s leg and re-directed, biting the handler on his foot. He left several puncture wounds in his work boot but did not break skin. Bellissimo also held on and shook for 4-5 seconds.

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: Based on Bellissimo’s propensity to redirect his frustration towards handlers in a state of high arousal, the behavior department believes he would be best set up to succeed with placement though a New Hope rescue group. Bellissimo currently poses a safety risk in the care center and is no longer a candidate for public adoption. No children (under 13): Based on his low threshold for arousal and propensity to redirect, we are advising against a home with children at this time.

Potential challenges: : On-leash reactivity/barrier frustration,Strength/leash pulling,Low threshold for arousal

Potential challenges comments:: On leash reactivity/barrier frustration: At the care center Bellissimo has been observed to react to other dogs on leash, lunging towards them and hard barking. We recommend a front clip harness or head halter to help manage this behavior. He will need positive reinforcement, reward based training to teach him to look at you rather than other dogs. Low threshold for arousal: Bellissimo has displayed a low threshold for arousal in the care center while on leash passing other dogs. He becomes highly aroused, hard barking, lunging and growling and is unable to be safely refocused. Bellissimo has redirected this frustration towards handlers on multiple occasions (snapping towards hands, leashes). We advise exercising safe and appropriate management when attempting to work or modify this behavior. Force-free, reward based training only is recommended. Strength/leash pulling: Bellissimo is large, strong dog with the capability to pull over an average adopter. His adopter must be prepared and able to handle a dog of this size and strength. It is recommended that he be walked on a front clip harness or head halter, which help diminish his strength through leverage, and that he be trained using positive reinforcement, reward based training to not pull on leash.