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As my dachshund Bonnie became older, I knew I wanted another dog but didn't relish "shopping" after the inevitable. I also knew I wanted another dachshund, but with no reputable dachshund breeders in our area, I started watching the local dachshund rescue sites looking for the right dog to adopt.

One day, up popped a photo of a dog whose eyes spoke to me, even in the photo. It turned out he was a chiweenie (dachshund/chihuahua mix), but the eyes begged me to adopt him. I traveled three hours to meet the foster family. Within three minutes of handing him over, while we were standing there talking, the dog viciously bit my hand to the point that I was dripping blood.

I almost handed him back, but again, the eyes spoke to me. We had a two-week trial period, so I brought him home. Before the week was out, he had once again bitten and drawn blood. While I don't recommend this as a rule, I was desperate (by this time, we were already in love with him) and actually bit him back on his ear. Not hard, just enough to make him squeal, and I said, "No biting!"

He is definitely a special needs dog and he bites out of fear, but he is so loving when he feels safe. He is so smart, he figured it out and has never bitten anyone since. We adopted him in November 2012 and discovered quickly he is quite agile.

After we watched him leap and capture the loaf of bread off the kitchen counter, we decided his name should be Rudy after Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer. He is my buddy and I can't imagine life without him.

Story submitted by Cathy Nestor from the Chicago area, Illinois.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!