Kennel behaviour

1. Does the dog charge at the gate aggressively? No
2. Does the dog rush up to the gate playfully? Yes
3. Does the dog retreat to the back of the kennel? No
4. On exiting the kennel, is the dog calm and relaxed? No
5. Does the dog react when passing other kennel dogs? No

Lennox was very excited to see us and jumped around in his kennel and up at the gate.  It was difficult to put on his headcollar and lead due to his excitement.  On exiting the kennel, he was very excited and pulled on the lead.  He did not react to other dogs.  He was attempting to remove the headcollar.  I suspect that he is not used to wearing a headcollar.  He was very pro social towards me.

Handling

1. Is the dog happy to be handled?  Yes
2. Can you touch the dog all over without any adverse reaction? Yes
3. Does the dog walk well on the standard lead? Yes
4. Does the dog walk well on a figure 8 or headcollar? No
5. Does the dog have a good recall? No

Lennox was happy to be handled and showed no reaction at all.  Touched him all over including head, ears, feet, tail, tummy, rear end. He pulled on the lead exiting the kennel and down to the field but once exercised, he was much better on the lead and walked on a standard slip lead.

His recall was good at times, and he was motivated by the treats but when he was running or sniffing, he did not respond to recall cues. 

Sociability

1. Does the dog pass other dogs outside calmly? Yes
2. Does the dog show hostility around other dogs? No
3. Does the dog show aggression around other dogs? No
4. Does the dog show anxiety and fear around other dogs? No
5. Is the dog relaxed meeting or seeing strangers? Yes
6. Does the dog show anxiety to specific genders? No

Lennox showed no reaction at all to dogs in adjacent kennels.  He showed no anxiety around people and was excited to see us.  All pro social behaviours but a little over excited. 

Arousal/reactivity

1. Does the dog become excited by a treat? Yes
2. Does the dog become excited by a toy / ball? Yes
3. Does the dog become excited by other dogs? No
4. Does the dog become excited by children? Not observed
5. Does the dog become excited by cyclists? No
6. Does the dog become excited by traffic? No
7. Does the dog travel well in a car? Not observed

Lennox was motivated by treats but not over excited.  He did not snatch when taking a treat.  He responded well to Sit and Wait when cued.  He was motivated by a ball but again, not over excited.  He was happy to fetch a ball but did not want to retrieve and drop.  He would drop eventually for a treat.  He showed no interest in a tug toy. 

Reactivity – 1

Possession

1. When the dog is given his prime motivator (treat or toy), does he:

a.       Surrender it willingly? No

b.       Retain possession? Yes

c.       If he retains it, will he surrender on command? (NB dogs having been trained for IPO will have been taught to retain possession). Yes

Although Lennox was reluctant to drop the ball, he showed no resource guarding and did drop for a treat.  Once the ball was on the ground, he made no attempt to snatch the ball back.  I feel he just needs a little work on the retrieve. 

Assessor’s general comments

Lennox is a lovely dog who just needs a little training.  He is a young dog and shows typical excitement patterns but does have good impulse control when cued.  He showed no negative reactions at all and remained pro social throughout the assessment.  I feel that once exercised appropriately, he would show calmer behaviour.  He is responsive and I feel that he would respond well to training.