I found Petfinder online and began to scroll through available dogs on there. I had certain criteria, one of which was an adult dog. I didn't want to deal with house training a dog. Another criteria was not so much shedding and medium/large sized. I found a page for Hannah that labeled her as a German Shepherd/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix about 3 years old (yeah...I clearly did not know about German Shepherds and their notorious shedding). She had no tail, which was not something I liked. A dog should have a tail. After some thought, this was not a deal breaker and could even be a positive thing since she wouldn't be able to knock over glasses on the coffee table by wagging her tail. I thought she was cute and interesting, so I contacted the foster parent (yes! dogs need foster families so they don't have to stay in a shelter).
Here is the sad part of her story...Hannah was placed in a shelter in L.A. sometime around August. I don't know why. She remained there until her time was about to end. The workers thought she was too sweet of a dog for this to happen, so they contacted someone who loved dogs and she came down to rescue her and foster her. She was fostering Hannah, but there were other dogs in the picture and it was decided it was better for Hannah to go to another location that could board her. Eventually she was moved again to a trainer who worked with her and helped her out some with behaviors. At that trainer's business is where I first met Hannah.
Hannah had this adorable look on her face, her coloring was beautiful, and she was a little timid. I quickly fell for her. I went up to visit her a few more times and the trainer brought her down to me on January 8th, 2009. My roommate and I were very excited to get Hannah, but I remember feeling the gravity of the responsibility after I took ownership of her! Hannah absolutely stole my heart and became more than just some pet. You may say fur-baby, fur-child, whatever phrase you'd like, but for sure she is a part of the family.
Hannah is definitely adventurous and quirky. Her six different moves in a time span of three months may be why she has some separation anxiety when it comes to me. She doesn't like change much and feels the most comfortable at home or out on a trail. We are sure she has German Shepherd in her, but we really aren't so sure what the other parts of her are. We just know she is a lovable mutt. She definitely has the guard-dog tendencies of a German Shepherd, but she has a strong hunting instinct. She will chase anything that moves quickly - lizards, rabbits, squirrels, Fed-Ex trucks, UPS trucks, mail trucks... She has a fearlessness about her when the hunt is on and she is a very strong muscular dog. Her coat is thick in the winter and sheds like crazy in the summer. She has the most beautiful brown/black markings on her face and ears with a white patch coming up her chest. Her little bob where her tail used to be moves up and down in excitement when she greets someone. She is much older now, which is betrayed by all the white/gray hairs on her muzzle. She sleeps more these days, snoring away, but she still has these deep brown eyes that melt my heart every time. I am forever grateful to all the people who kept her alive and gave me the opportunity to love her. I understand even more the importance for people to rescue dogs from the shelters when I think of Hannah's real story.
Here is a favorite picture of Hannah and I taken out on a hike the last year, doing what we love best to do together.
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