Kennel behaviour

Reggie appeared anxious when we approached his kennel, he retreated and resisted having the lead on by moving away.  When he was caught, he showed tense body language and a whale eye, he showed no aggressive behaviour and exited the kennel when asked.  He was anxious passing the other dogs but showed no negative reaction.

Handling

Reggie was nervous and not happy to be handled at first, however after a period of play and receiving rewards he became much more relaxed and then was happy to be touched and showed no negative reaction.  He did pull on the lead but appeared very trainable.  His recall was good once engaged in play.

Sociability

Reggie had his assessment after recently arriving at the kennels and showed some nervousness, he appeared worried by the noise and the approach of strangers, however, there was no aggressive behaviour and during the assessment, he became playful and much more relaxed.  After the assessment, he greeted other dogs and showed no negative behaviour.

Arousal/reactivity

Reactivity is measured on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest level Reggie scored 1.

Reggie was motivated by the food treats and toys but showed very good impulse control.  He complied with cues given and showed good self, after initial nervousness he relaxed and became playful but was not over-excited.

Possession

Reggie enjoyed fetching a ball, he returned it to me and dropped the ball easily, he would also drop readily for a treat.

Summary

Reggie showed some initial nervousness which is understandable after his recent arrival, once he relaxed, he was playful and more sociable.  He was worried by the noisy kennel environment, but I feel that in a home setting, he would be much more comfortable.  Even with his initial heightened anxiety, he showed no aggressive behaviour and I feel that he will make a lovely sociable pet.