My First encounter with a Shiloh

The first time I saw a Shiloh was at the San Francisco airport were my family and I picked up "Crystal". I looked into the giant crate that was sitting there, and inside was a giant dog looking back me with an air of importance and command. I did not know much about the breed, I was only 14 at the time, and knew that they were supposed to be rather smart and could even open doors and turn on lights. That part I thought was "cool". After we brought her home, Crystal would not eat. All she would do is sulk, my dad, being an animal lover did not like seeing her "hungry" shoved a piece of the highest quality raw steak that any steak lover would have coveted, into her mouth. What dog could refuse that? But not Crystal, in her sulking, she did not like being "forced" to have to taste such food in such a undignified way! My poor Father, who was only trying to help the situation unfortunately, had himself marked as the least favorite person in the house! In her mind, we had taken her from her home in Texas, and were now shoving things in her mouth. 9 days later, when my mother came home from shopping Crystal was waiting. As soon as she opened the door Crystal was gone. We put up hundreds of flyers, posters with the picture being the size of poster boards, faxed every rescue, and vet, in California and the surrounding states. We knew her intent, Crystal was Texas bound. As the days went by, call after call, dog after dog, we were beginning to accept the fact that we had lost her. Three weeks of her being gone, my older sister Jessica, was driving up a steep mountain road looking at the thick forest as she drove, spotted a couple on the side of the road watching the sunset. She almost did not stop but she thought she would try any way. Jessica expecting to here the familiar “no” was taken aback when the lady burst into tears when she saw the picture. Our dog had just fallen down a huge waterfall.

After Crystal recovered, she accepted the fact that we were her new family. Then the process of what you might call “interviewing” started. Each day crystal would pick one of us (except my dad) to follow around and do what they did. Every time I would get a drink crystal would get a drink. In the end, my Mother was the lucky winner, I came in second. When my dad would leave in the morning to go to work, Crystal would literally dance around the house because he was gone for the day. That is when I knew I would love this breed.