Envy is adopted. Envy is a 3 year old black and tan entire bitch. She is fine with dogs but has not had a lot of interaction with strange dogs.  She came from a home with dogs.

We think she will be ok with dogs that are not full on and will respect her space. She is unknown with cats as she has never seen one.

She is a little nervous but with time she will be fine. She has not lived with children, but has been around children from 8 upwards.

She is a very affectionate lady who we feel will bond easily and become a great companion.

Envy’s Assessment

Kennel behaviour

Envy is a calm but nervous girl who allowed her lead to be put on and exited her kennel calmly, passing other dogs who were barking with no reaction. She walked straight to the door and was spinning slightly on lead.

Handling

Envy allows people to touch her all over. Her body language suggests that she is not completely comfortable with this but she does not show any signs of aggression or trying to move away, she instead shows tense body language and freezes. In the office Envy was more happy to be handled than outside in the secure area.

Envy was walked on a slip lead during assessment. She does spin at times whilst on lead, this appears to be when she is feeling nervous. Doesn’t pull excessively on the lead. Envy responds to her name but is reluctant to recall at times. With some confidence building and reassurance she will come to people for a treat reward.

Sociability

Envy passed dogs who were behind a gate calmly. Within the kennel block she showed some spinning behaviour when the other dogs were barking but did not react in any other way to them. Envy did greet another of the calmer kennel dogs through the kennel but this was very brief. Upon meeting me (a stranger) Envy was extremely cautious and seemed reassurance from the kennel manager who she knows a little better. This behaviour was evident when in the secure outside area too. Envy orientated to the person she knew best. Within the office Envy was slightly more relaxed and did approach me for high value treats.

Arousal/Reactivity

Please give details of reactivity on a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 = low & 5 = high)
Reactivity – 3

Envy is excited by treats but does not snatch these when outside. In the office she was a little more pushy for the treats and was a little more snatchy when taking them.

Envy shows no interest in toys, I don’t believe she knows how to interact with a toy at present

Envy shows nervous displacement behaviour around other dogs in the form of spinning.

Envy showed no reaction to traffic passing on the nearby road. However a car and trailer passed the secure area whilst we were in there and she became very anxious. She was unable to be distracted with treats, affection or toys at this time.

Envy appears to have had little to no socialisation and will need gentle and careful socialisation going forwards in her new home. She reacted to a phone ringing and is very alert to noises within the environment.

Possession

Envy shows no interest at all in toys. She takes treats well but isn’t overly forceful in asking for them. Envy can snatch treats from a stranger but I believe this is due to fear. There is no malice in her approach whatsoever.

Comments

Envy is a gentle natured girl who has quite a few anxieties. She will need positive reward based training and socialisation going forwards. I believe Envy would be most suited to a quieter home with adults and possibly calmer older teenagers. I feel if she went to a home with a single person she may over bond with them as she’s already started to rely on the kennel manager for reassurance in situations she is unsure of. Envy would quickly retreat in a busy home environment and may become more fearful. Overall Envy is a very sweet and calm natured girl who will show her new family lots of love in return for kind and gradual training and socialising.