Date of intake:: 1/14/2018

Spay/Neuter status:: No

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

Bite history:: Yes, Spud bit the police officer who entered his home. Severity of the bite is not known.

Date of assessment:: 1/25/2018

Look:: 2. Dog pulls out of Assessor’s hands each time without settling during three repetitions.

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

Tag:: 1. Dog assumes play position and joins the game. Or dog indicates play with huffing, soft ‘popping’ of the body, etc. Dog might jump on Assessor once play begins.

Toy:: 1. Dog settles close, keeps a firm grip and is loose and wiggly. Dog does not place his/her body between you and the toy.

Summary:: Spud quickly approached the assessor in the assessment room and jumped up in a social manner. He displayed a high level of activity and movement. During tag, he began jumping very high and hard, grabbed the leash in his mouth, and did not relinquish, so the rest of the handling portion of the assessment was not conducted.

Summary (1):: 1/28: When introduced on leash to the male helper dog, Spud pulls forward in attempt to sniff, offers a brief bow. Though Spud arrived into our care with another dog, behavior in the home is unknown.

Date of initial:: 1/14/2018

Summary:: Spud was social, active, and allowed handling.

ENERGY LEVEL:: We have no history on Spud so we cannot be certain of his behavior in a home environment. However, he is a young, enthusiastic, social dog who 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 additional to physical exercise, to positively direct his energy and enthusiasm.

IN SHELTER OBSERVATIONS:: While Spud is very strong and has displayed arousal & stereotypical jumping likely due to excitement, he has responded well when ignored or offered a distraction. When petting Spud in a calm manner, he leans in for more petting followed by energetically jumping up to seek attention. Spud has thrived from play when handlers have offered toys to engage in.

BEHAVIOR DETERMINATION:: NEW HOPE ONLY

Behavior Asilomar: TM – Treatable-Manageable

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

Recommendations comments:: No children: Due to Spud’s bite history and his low threshold for arousal, we recommend an adult only home. Place with a New Hope partner: Due to Spud’s bit history and his low threshold for arousal, we recommend placement with a New Hope partner who can provide any necessary behavior modification (force-free, positive reinforcement-based) and re-evaluate behavior in a stable home environment before placement into a permanent home.

Potential challenges: : Basic manners/poor impulse control,Social hyperarousal,Fearful/potential for defensive aggression

Potential challenges comments:: Fearful/potential for defensive aggression: Spud bit a police officer who entered his home. While we have not seen this behavior in the care center and he has been social, in highly charged environments this behavior could surface. Guidance from a professional trainer/behaviorist is recommended if this does happen. Force-free, reward based training is advised when introducing or exposing Spud to new and unfamiliar situations. 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 him to control his impulses instead of simply reacting; proper management is also advised. Force-free, reward based training only is recommended. Social hyperarousal: Spud quickly becomes over aroused in the presence of people and excitement, jumping up and grabbing the leash. Positive reinforcement, force-free training should be used to teach Spud to remain calm when people and other exciting things are around. He should be rewarded with treats when calm. If he escalates to jumping or mouthing, people should immediately walk away from and separate themselves from Spud.