River is the kind of dog who makes you stop and take notice. He leans into your hand when you pet him, takes treats gently, and stays close, happy just to be near you. He watches carefully, curious but calm, showing patience and trust in every movement. There's nothing aggressive or unsafe in his behavior, just a good dog who wants connection and a chance to be loved. The shelter's notes tell a very different story: Shelter notes verbatim: “Dog is extremely fearful and sensitive to surroundings. When tossed treats dog runs from treat, circles back around to eat later. Dog backed into a corner and became defensive with a low head, ears tucked, and a low growl. Dog's foot touch something on the ground and dog reacted with a head whip towards foot and a growl. Dog is unsafe to handle. Dog comes forward barking at handler. Dog is more Offensive aggressive (moving forward while barking with high tail, direct eye contact and ear erect) than previous evaluation."