Having a soft spot for short, elongated dogs since having a basset hound as a child, the girls and I decided to take Hanzel out for a stroll today. It was kind of late in the day but we were able to find a quiet spot by the river to walk.
Hanzel is such a good boy. He was a bit intimidated by the noise of cars by the parking lot and wasn’t a huge fan of the car ride so he sought solace on my lap. I reassured him with a scratch behind the ears but reminded him to stay on his side. He conceded and curled up on the passenger seat. Even in his rush to get out, he listened when I asked him to stay until I was ready for him.
He obviously loves his walks. Those squatty legs had no trouble keeping up with us and he wasn’t phased by bikers, joggers and the one motorized cart that zoomed by. In the kennels and out on the trail, he keeps his opinions to himself by playing mute.
I tend to think he’s housebroken by the fact that he didn’t even think of taking care of his business until all four paws were on the grass. He was ready to go on his merry way once finished.
The girls thought he was soft and though he didn’t want to admit it, Hanzel enjoyed the attention and hugs. He even decided he’d rather hang out in the backseat with the girls rather than me on the way home.
Hanzel was a bit reserved the entire time, but he has been at the shelter for a good while so he’s probably not received a lot of one on one attention recently. It’s a shame really–he’s a gentleman and I think would come out of his shell more and show his personality once he got to know someone, making him a wonderful companion. Until then, he’ll be welcome on more outings with us.
