Harper is 5 year old entire brown bitch. She was rehomed by us earlier in the year but came back a few weeks ago after showing some worrying behaviours with mouthing, barking and not allowing people into the home.

We quickly realised that her behaviours are not aggressive but that she is unsure and once reassured she is fine.  She came from a very difficult home life originally and this is where her manageable issues have stemmed from.

She has shown that she can be spooked by some people in hi viz, and some men.  She will bark and this has been mistaken for aggression, all she needs is a command to sit or if it happens in the home give her a safe place and send her to it.  Once she is calm she can be introduced to a new person, the best way is for people to ignore her and let her go to them.

She has been tested in our office and her kennel with strangers coming in and out, walked past joggers and cyclists with no issues, the key with her to remain calm and positive.

Harper is a very sweet and affectionate girl who likes to be on your lap and with you as much as possible. She will bark at you if she wants something, which is generally a treat or if her ball has been lost under the sofa. She is very strong on her lead to begin with but does settle down once into the walk, she is very manageable.

She does have a high prey drive and will pull towards birds, squirrels etc – she absolutely hates cats and is very vocal towards them. A big garden for her to potter around in/run in and then a long lead walk would be the ideal scenario for her.

She is a lovely girl who will bring such joy to a home, she will make a fabulous companion.  She is eager to please and bond and will seek reassurance and cuddles.  She does need to lose a few pounds which we are working on now so this will need to carry on in a new home.

Harper’s Assessment

Kennel behaviour

Harper was pleased to see us when we approached her kennel. She greeted me straight away but there was no jumping up. She waited to have her lead put on but did pull as she walked down to the paddock. There was no reaction to any dogs in adjacent kennels.

Handling

Harper wasn’t very responsive at first and just wanted to run around the paddock. But she soon started to approach and was happy to be handled. She was motived by treats and was keen to comply with instructions. I touched her all over and she showed no negative responses. She was affectionate and pro-social. She does pull on the lead but this should be easily resolved with positive training with food rewards. Her recall was good and she was keen to respond.

Sociability

Harper appears to be very sociable with other dogs. She greeted them calmly and in a friendly manner.
She has an excellent calm temperament around people and showed no negative reactions at all. She can be a little pushy for treats and will show some impulse control when asked. She enjoys engagement with people but does not know how to play with toys.

Arousal/Reactivity

Please give details of reactivity on a scale of 1 to 5 (where 1 = low & 5 = high)
Reactivity – 0

Harper was not reactive to anything at all in her environment during the assessment..  

Possession

Harper has little interest in toys but is motivated by treats.

Comments

Harper is a lovely, calm dog who should fit easily into a new environment with an adopter. There is no jumping up and she is generally relaxed and well mannered. She is very motivated by treats and this can be used to a new owner’s advantage, making her easy to train. She has a good recall but does need some work on her lead walking. Although she currently has little interest in toys, this could be developed. She is a mild mannered and friendly dog and enjoys engagement with humans. She is excellent with other dogs, greeting them calmly and without any reaction. I would definitely recommend Harper and feel confident that she will quickly settle into a new home.