Dixie 11-182

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Dixie sat like a queen in the car all the way to her foster home yesterday. I will get photos of her this evening. She is a short girl, with stocky legs, and a tubby torso.  But the tubbiness will most likely melt away now that she is on meds for hypothyroidism. Her curly red ears framing the slightly graying face are adorable. She has totally ignored my cats, and when hissed at, veers in another direction. She has also ignored my lab.  And ignored the yappy fence-snapping Eskie next door. Dixie is very calm, and very people-oriented. It will be interesting to see if she and lab Baxter interact a little more as they will be keeping each other company while I’m at work. Dixie appears totally housetrained, asks politely to go outside. She would like to barrel out the door in front of me, but listens wonderfully when I make her wait. She does seem to tinkle an awful lot, so I will take her to visit the vet shortly as I think she needs her heartworm also, will have to read the folder closer tonight that Stone Mountain gave me. The folder stated “she did not like some other dogs”. I am now taking that to possibly mean that she could care less if there are other dogs around, rather than any kind of snarkiness. Dixie would be the perfect gal-friend. Not demanding, not pushy, she is happy to lay at your feet. She will attempt to get attention, and once she gets it, will listen when you tell her that’s enough. She’s the dog who will curl up for a movie and popcorn with you, who will lay by your feet as you read a book.  She also likes to have a little fun, and was interested in a squeaky toy this morning, and I’m sure would have enjoyed a walk – Baxter and I will take her on one tonight if it is cool enough. Dixie would not be happy in a yard by herself for very long – once she does her business, if I am not outside, she plants herself in front of the door waiting to come back in. She woofed at the fence while outdoors last evening, so seems like she is happy to notify you if anything might be afoot. She didn’t like dry kibble last evening, but once a spoonful of canned food was mixed with a little warm water, she ate her meal just fine, not too far distant from Baxter (closely watched), with absolutely no signs of food guarding. The girl at Stone Mountain was right when she said Dixie was “a gem”.  Her bright brown eyes just ask for love and a person to call her own.

 

At a Glance #11-182

Golden Retriever Born: May 2004
Female Weight not specified

Status: Deceased

Profile

Dixie sat like a queen in the car all the way to her foster home yesterday. I will get photos of her this evening. She is a short girl, with stocky legs, and a tubby torso.  But the tubbiness will most likely melt away now that she is on meds for hypothyroidism. Her curly red ears framing the slightly graying face are adorable. She has totally ignored my cats, and when hissed at, veers in another direction. She has also ignored my lab.  And ignored the yappy fence-snapping Eskie next door. Dixie is very calm, and very people-oriented. It will be interesting to see if she and lab Baxter interact a little more as they will be keeping each other company while I’m at work. Dixie appears totally housetrained, asks politely to go outside. She would like to barrel out the door in front of me, but listens wonderfully when I make her wait. She does seem to tinkle an awful lot, so I will take her to visit the vet shortly as I think she needs her heartworm also, will have to read the folder closer tonight that Stone Mountain gave me. The folder stated “she did not like some other dogs”. I am now taking that to possibly mean that she could care less if there are other dogs around, rather than any kind of snarkiness. Dixie would be the perfect gal-friend. Not demanding, not pushy, she is happy to lay at your feet. She will attempt to get attention, and once she gets it, will listen when you tell her that’s enough. She’s the dog who will curl up for a movie and popcorn with you, who will lay by your feet as you read a book.  She also likes to have a little fun, and was interested in a squeaky toy this morning, and I’m sure would have enjoyed a walk – Baxter and I will take her on one tonight if it is cool enough. Dixie would not be happy in a yard by herself for very long – once she does her business, if I am not outside, she plants herself in front of the door waiting to come back in. She woofed at the fence while outdoors last evening, so seems like she is happy to notify you if anything might be afoot. She didn’t like dry kibble last evening, but once a spoonful of canned food was mixed with a little warm water, she ate her meal just fine, not too far distant from Baxter (closely watched), with absolutely no signs of food guarding. The girl at Stone Mountain was right when she said Dixie was “a gem”.  Her bright brown eyes just ask for love and a person to call her own.

 

Updates

Friday, May 9, 2014

 

Dear Ragom,

We have adopted our last 4 goldens from RAGOM, and just sadly lost our beloved Dixie who died suddenly and unexpectedly this week. We still have Rufus who will be 13 this month, who we adopted in 2009.

We adopted Dixie in June 2011.  She had been a stray found wandering the Air Force base in Grand Forks, and was estimated to be about 8 years old.  She then shared nearly 3 years of our lives and earned a special place in our hearts.  She fit right in and became instant best friends with our other Golden Rufus.  She was a natural to become a therapy dog and subsequently made many people happy at hospitals, senior facilities and mental health units.  In fact 3 days before she died she spent the afternoon at Camp Courage putting smiles on many faces.  She showed no signs of illness or discomfort until about 12 hours before she died, and then heart and breathing stopped just minutes after arriving at the vet.  We learned from the necropsy that she had a very aggressive kidney cancer that had spread to her lungs and had resulted in a pneumothorax (lung collapse) which is what likely caused her last minute symptoms.  We were told that she fortunately did not suffer due to the rapid series of events.

We will dearly miss Dixie, but will always remember the happiness she brought to everyone she met. 

The V family

 

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Here are a couple newer pix of Dixie. She has lost some more weight with diet, exercise and her thyroid medication, so she is now about 60 pounds. She has passed all the tests and observations and is now an official registered therapy dog. She loves her work and the people she sees thinks she is wonderful. And we do too! She and our other RAGOM Golden, Rufus adopted in 2009, are best friends. Dixie's favorite place in the house in on the living room couch.


Tuesday, July 5, 2011

From Dixie's forever family...

Dixie is now a lady of leisure! Here she is at her forever home, helping out in the garden with her brother Rufus.


Monday, June 20, 2011

Dixie had a busy weekend!  First she got to go to the annual Collie Frolic, where she hobnobbed with collies and other collie wanna-be’s.  She even won the “shortest schnoz” contest, but deferred her prize to another short nosed contestant, as foster mom was in charge of the collie games, and Dixie didn’t want anybody to think she was getting favored treatment because of that!  Attached are a few photos of Dixie having a great time. She later laid down by the Animal Communicator, who noticed her and said that “Dixie is going to fill an empty space in somebody’s heart. She has a very special purpose in her life”. 

 

After a full day of collie-frolicking, Dixie joined foster brother Baxter for a trip to the farm, where she got to go for a nice long walk on a flexi-lead. Dixie needs to be on a leash or in a fenced yard, at least for the time being, until she learns her name, and that she should come when called.  Sunday Dixie got to do some snoozing, and then came back to her Minneapolis foster home to meet Willie, a collie that also needed a foster home.  Foster mom thinks Dixie might have a little crush on Willie!  I think that Dixie may never have had other dogs to interact with in her previous life.  And now she is learning that it might be kind of fun to have dog friends.  Dixie is a very happy little girl - constantly smiling.  What a sweetie she is.  She goes in for her spay on Thursday.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Here are photos of Dixie. She and my lab Baxter played for a couple of seconds, instigated by Baxter. They went on a very companionable walk together. Dixie walks very cutely - can't tell if it's a waddle, or because her legs are rather short. She looks like her undies are on too tight.She kept up the pace real well for about a mile, even though she had to pant a little to do so. She walks pretty well on a leash - likes to smell the roses, but that's fine. We ran into a neighbor's lab mix who was loose from his yard. Dixie did just fine when he approached us.

 

Tonight she ate her kibble lying down, but she ate it dry, anyway, until she got sidetracked by Baxter getting his pill with some canned food.  She has settled in very well, slept thru the night - waking me up once to let her outside to  potty. She had no accidents at all today while I was at work, and it's a full day, so I of course was pleased with that. She enjoyed a good backrub roll in the grass, and has made herself quite at home here.  Dixie is certainly a good girl - she knows "sit", and is having to sit before she goes in and out of doors. She doesn't seem to know "shake". She also doesn't know her name at all. So I will be working on that, and on her recall.  Dixie's going to be a very good girlfriend to the lucky person who adopts her.