RED ROSE – 34774

A volunteer writes: I met Red Rose few days ago. I spotted her right away, a big middle aged girl in a  vermillion  dress, looking at me gently with slightly wary eyes, a timid smile on her face and batty ears going slowly up and down. I felt then that there was a silly girl under all  that shyness. It was love at first sight. Red Rose was easy to leash and to walk.  The rain was heavy and we did not go far, just to allow Red Rose to stretch her legs and do her business. Other dogs were neared in the hallway . Red Rose did not seem to mind. We towelled her uneventfully and then enticed her to play with squeaky toys. She seemed to like it and a smile appeared on her face. I think that  would we have been in the yard, Red Rose would have made good use of a tennis ball or a toy.  She relaxed with drying her coat and appreciated caresses.  She was not keen going back to her kennel. Red Rose came to us because of housing issues. She is said to be a well mannered pet, obedient,  lived and played well with the many young children of the house and  welcame strangers. She would be shy at times. No wonder that Red Rose came in to the care center all happy , wiggly and with a wagging tail but  became edgy when she realized,  she was not going home. Many pets hit a bump on the road which throws them off until  new loving owners  are found for them. Red Rose seems to have been a good dog to her former family and we very much hope that soon enough she will have the chance to show again her skills. Red Rose is at the Manhattan Care Center dreaming of you!

Let’s get to know each other a bit more…

Basic Information: Red Rose came in to our facility as an owner surrender due to the owner living in NYCHA housing. This owner had Red Rose for 6 months. She is an older, intact female large mixed breed dog, but definite age is unknown at this time.
Previously lived with: 2 adults, 4 children
How is this dog around strangers? Around strangers, Red Rose is friendly and outgoing. She will play with adults exuberantly, but never roughly.
How is this dog around children? Red Rose lived with children ages 1, 4, 5, and 9 for six months. Around those children, she was generally relaxed and would play with them. She would play fetch, chase, and hide and seek. However, Red Rose can become timid if they are being very loud and would hide or lay down in a corner when things became too much for her. She growled on one occasion after the youngest child stepped on her paw by accident.
How is this dog around other dogs? The previous owner had never let Red Rose off leash to interact with other dogs, but she was reportedly friendly and seemed to want to play with other dogs while they would go on walks.
How is this dog around cats? Red Rose has not been around cats.
Resource guarding: Red Rose has no know history of resource guarding and understands the “drop it” command.
Bite history: Red Rose has no know bite history against people or other animals.
Housetrained: Yes
Energy level/descriptors: High
Other Notes: Red Rose will be nervous when there are really loud sounds. Red Rose never jumped on furniture and the owner never had to hold back or restrain her. She is not bothered when given a bath and enjoys being brushed. The previous owner did not try to trim her nails, but stated that Red Rose allowed her to paint her toenails without issue. She is not bothered when someone unfamiliar approaches the home and she is friendly when a stranger approaches her family.
Has this dog ever had any medical issues? Yes
Medical Notes : For the past two weeks, Red Rose has been experiencing increased urination, occasionally dripping urine, and will lick her genital area often. She last went to a mobile vet truck in March for an unrelated reason.
For a New Family to Know : Red Rose is described as being friendly, affectionate, playful, mellow, and timid. When you are home, she likes to lay in her dog bed, She likes stuffed toys and squeaky toys. She will play fetch, chase, and hide and seek. She has been kept mostly indoors. When taken outside for her walks (usually 4 times a day), she does not pull on the leash and understands the heel command. The owner would walk Red Rose while pushing a baby stroller. Red Rose is used to sleeping in her dog bed. She ate Pedigree wet and dry food three times a day. She likes any treats but particularly enjoys biscuits and bacon flavored treats. She is fully house-broken. She prefers to use the bathroom on grass, but will also use any other surface as well. She has never been left alone in a yard or crate trained. When left home alone, she is well-behaved, She knows the following commands: sit, out (if Red Rose was in the baby’s room), drop it, and heel. She is used to slow walks on the leash and playtime indoors for exercise. When walked off leash, she will wander but comes back when called. Her favorite thing to do is lay around. The owner’s favorite thing about Red Rose is how she is just so sweet.
Behavior Notes: Upon intake, Red Rose had a loose, wiggly body and a wagging tail. She enjoyed being pet and scratched on her hind end. She was easy to walk on the leash and allowed all handling without a problem.

Details on my behavior are…

Date of assessment: 19-Jul-2018
Summary: Due to the panicked behavior Red Rose has demonstrated in the care center, she is not a candidate for a handling assessment at this time. Please refer to the owner profile for information on her behavior in her previous home, and the In Shelter Observations section for more details about her behavior in the shelter.
PLAY GROUP :
7/18: Red Rose stiffens, growls, hard barks when meeting the helper dog at the fence.
Date of intake: 17-Jul-2018
Summary: Loose, wiggly, allowed all handling
Date of initial: 17-Jul-2018
Summary: Tense, allowed handling
IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:
7/18: Red Rose was wary of handlers when brought outside for her first playgroup session. She was able to be collared with a very slow, patient approach, but she was visibly stressed and uncomfortable with handling. While being walked back to her kennel she balked at the door and was not receptive to treats, coaxing, or taking a running start. She began to panic on leash, snapping and alligator rolling, and then escalated to growling, jumping up, snarling, and snapping, at her handlers with an apparent intent to bite. She continued flailing and snapping and required multiple staff members to place in her kennel safely. She is an extremely strong dog, particularly in these heightened situations.
BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION: NEW HOPE ONLY
Recommendations: No children (under 13) , Place with a New Hope partner
Recommendations comments:
Due to Red Rose’s clear discomfort with handling and rapid escalation to panic and threats of aggression, we are recommending placement with a New Hope partner at this time. We recommend an adult foster home while her behavior is further explored, before placement into a permanent home, in order to keep children around her safe. Her previous owner describes a playful, affectionate dog, but this is unfortunately not the behavior we have observed in the care center. We cannot be certain what behaviors will appear in a home environment once Red Rose is comfortable.
Potential challenges: Fearful/potential for defensive aggression
Potential challenges comments:
Handling/touch sensitivity: Red Rose appears to be overall uncomfortable with human interaction (with new caretakers at minimum) and allows only mild handling.

Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: When stressed or afraid, Red Rose escalates quickly to threatening behaviors and does pose a bite risk in these emotionally heightened states.