NUNU – A1106129

NUNU – A1106129

**SAFER: EXPERIENCED HOME**

SPAYED FEMALE, BR BRINDLE / WHITE, AMERICAN STAFF MIX, 3 yrs
OWNER SUR – EVALUATE, NO HOLD Reason PERS PROB
Intake condition EXAM REQ Intake Date 03/13/2017, From NY 10301, DueOut Date 03/13/2017,

Medical Behavior Evaluation BLUE
Medical Summary; Scan negative; Barh.; Female ~ 3 years old.; Nervous, tense but allowed  to handle; No ectoparasite seen; Ambx4; EENT : wnl.; Nosf.; Weight 65.0

RE EXAM:  friendly;  BCS 5/9; EENT:  Eyes clear, ears clean, no nasal discharge noted; Oral Exam:  mild/moderate dental calc; PLN:  No enlargements noted; H/L:  NSR, NMA, CRT < 2,    Lungs clear, eupneic; ABD:  Non painful, no masses palpated; U/G:  FI, no vaginal discharge; MSI:  Ambulatory x 4, skin free of parasites, no masses noted, healthy hair coat; CNS  mentation appropriate – no signs of neurologic abnormalities; Assessment; mild/moderate dental disease; Plan okay for spay

RE EXAM: 4/4/17 Subjective   observed to be bleeding after going outside; Objective   BCS 5/9; EENT:  Eyes clear, ears clean, no nasal discharge noted; Oral Exam:  mild/moderate dental calc, mm’s pink, no petechia seen; PLN:  No enlargements noted; H/L:  NSR, NMA, CRT < 2,    Lungs clear, eupneic; ABD:  Non painful, no masses palpated; U/G:  FI, no vaginal discharge; MSI:  Ambulatory x 4, skin free of parasites, no masses noted, blood oozing from paw pads, especially RH, pads and one nail appear abraided but no wounds seen; CNS:  mentation appropriate – no signs of neurologic abnormalities; Assessment; mild/moderate dental disease; bleeding from paw pads- R/O trauma from concrete vs coagulopathy vs other; Plan; monitor for additional bleeding; if bleeding continues, recommend bandaging and bloodwork recommend to use booties when walking outside and limit walks

A Staff member writes : Sweet Nunu was brought to us because of personal problems and eviction. NuNu’s owner tried to find another option for her but was not successful. She is friendly with staff but we can see she is a bit confused as to why she is here.  She has been in a home since a very young puppy and grew up with a family. As per her previous owner, NuNu has lived with children but has not been around other animals. Her spirit is declining and all she wants is a home

A volunteer writes: NuNu has just about the most expressive eyes I’ve ever seen, and I fell for her at first sight. NuNu likes hanging out with the volunteers, she didn’t mind us dressing her up in bunny ears and a scarf. NuNu can be a bit shy at first, but once she gets to know you, she’s your best friend. Watch NuNu’s video–it shows what a great dog she is. If you’re interested in meeting NuNu please go to the Staten Island Care Center. She’s ready and waiting.

PROFILE:

Basic Information:

Nunu is a 3 year old female American Staffordshire that has no past or current medical issues that the owner is aware of. Owner has had Nunu in the home since she was 3 weeks old but had to surrender due to personal problems in the home.

Socialization:

According to the owner, around strangers Nunu is very friendly and wiggly or will bark depending on the person. She has been around children ages newborn, 6 and 7 years old and was always relaxed and respectful around them. Owner did not have any other pets in the home so behavior is unknown.

Behavior:

When there are fireworks or thunderstorms outside, Nunu becomes nervous and tries to hide. She is not bothered by having her food, treats or toys taken away, being pushed off furniture, being held/restrained, being disturbed while sleeping, having her coat brushed or having her nails trimmed. When owner would try to bathe Nunu, she would try to hide. When unfamiliar people would approach the home or yard, Nunu would growl and bark.

For a New Family to Know:

Nunu is described as friendly, affectionate, playful, excitable and independent. She has a high activity level and loves to play with balls.  In the home, she liked to follow the owner around from room to room and snuggle with the owner. Nunu was kept mostly indoors and is very house trained. She was fed dry food only brand Purina. When she was left alone in the home, Nunu was always well behaved. Owner stated that when she was left alone in the yard, she would sometimes try to dig holes around the yard. Nunu is crate trained and would spend a few hours a day in a crate without any issues. She knows the cues sit, come and stay. For exercise, owner used to take Nunu on brisk walks outside. When on the leash, Nunu tends to pull very hard. Owner was never able to take her on off leash walks outside as she would run away.

Behavior during intake: Nunu had a loose and wiggly body during intake and approached counselor right away. Counselor was able to scan for a mc and collar without any issues. Nunu kept jumping on counselors lap throughout intake.

BEHAVIOR:

KNOWN HISTORY: Full profile

Unaltered female, Owner surrender (in previous home for 3 years, since she was 3 weeks old)

Previously lived with: Adults, newborn, children ages 6 and 7 years old

Behavior toward strangers: Friendly and wiggly but may sometimes bark

Behavior toward children: Relaxed and respectful

Behavior toward dogs: Unknown

Behavior toward cats: Unknown

Resource guarding: None reported

Bite history: None reported

Housetrained: Yes

Energy level/descriptors: Friendly, affectionate, playful, excitable, and independent with a high activity level.

Other notes: Nunu will try to hide during fireworks, thunderstorms, or when having a bath. Nunu is crate trained and will spend a few hours daily in her crate without issue. Nunu may growl or bark if unfamiliar people approach the home or yard.

SAFER ASSESSMENT:

Look: 2. Dog’s eyes are averted. Her body a bit tense; her tail is low and not moving. She allows head to be held loosely in Assessor’s cupped hands.

Sensitivity: 2. Dog stands still and accepts the touch, her eyes are averted, her tail is between her legs, body a bit tense, mouth closed

Tag: 2. Dog is not fearful, but is unresponsive to the Assessor, she is focused on stimuli other than the Assessor.

Squeeze 1: 1. Dog does not pull back paw.

Squeeze 1: 2. Dog does not pull back paw, body a bit tense.

Toy: 1. No interest – This may be due to environment as owner reports Nunu loves balls.

Dog – dog: 2. Dog approaches the helper dog, tail above spine level, a bit stiff.

Summary: Nunu was intently focused on exit during her SAFER assessment. She was fairly distracted though displayed no behavior concerns and managed her discomfort well.

PLAYGROUP:

Pending.

MEDICAL BEHAVIOR:

During her initial medical exam, Nunu was tense but allowed all handling.

ENERGY LEVEL:

Her previous owner describes Nunu as a high energy dog. In the care center Nunu pulls hard on leash and seeks exit. We recommend a front-clipping harness to manage the pulling, along with rewarding Nunu for walking nicely on leash. We recommend only force-free, reward-based training techniques for Nunu.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Experience (suitable for an adopter with some previous dog experience, especially with behaviors outlined below)

_X_No young children (under 5): While Nunu lived with children previously, she reportedly growls at strangers and has shown interaction avoidance in the care center. We feel she may be intimidated by very young children. She may initially benefit from a calm, quiet, structured environment so she can relax and know what to expect. We recommend adopters prepared to go slowly with Nunu and allow her to warm up to her new home and new family at her own pace.

Potential challenges:

_X_Fearful: Though she has improved, Nunu has displayed fearful behavior during her stay in shelter, attempting to increase distance, showing appropriate warning signals. We recommend allowing Nunu to interact at her own pace and never have to submit to any forced petting or interaction.

_X_Anxiety: Nunu has shown some signs of potential anxiety in the care center, pacing in the yard and focusing on exits, aloof with handlers. This behavior was not reported at intake, so we cannot be certain whether similar behavior will be seen in a future home environment. We recommend that potential adopters be prepared to work to help Nunu feel comfortable and secure in her new home. She should continue with crating when home alone, and always left with engaging, high value chew items.

_X_Kennel presence: It has been observed that when in her kennel, Nunu growls at people approaching.  While we cannot be certain if this behavior will appear in any other contexts, in highly emotionally charged or stressful environments Nunu may show behavior similar to what she is currently demonstrating in her kennel. We recommend potential adopters be comfortable managing this behavior and keeping themselves safe in any similar future situations.

ENRICHMENT

Nunu is very sweet and relaxed in her kennel, easy in and out. In the yard she is very anxious, she paces a lot from any fence opening to another, and she looks for an exit constantly. She allows petting and handling, solicits for treats, and knows sit and paw.

GROUP BEHAVIOR

When greeting a tolerant male on leash, Nunu mostly keeps to herself and does not allow lingering greeting. She did greet politely but was kept on leash due to the male dog being selective with her.

3/30: When greeting male and female dogs, Nunu displays stiff body language as she paces the gate. Due to the lack of a tolerant helper dog, she was not introduced to another dog today.

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