Monday, March 31, 2014

The Heart of Dixie

My sweet pup turns 12 years old today. She received an electronic birthday card from her veterinarian, and while she's a smart girl she is not computer savvy, so I read it to her. She loved it.


This girl is so much a part of our family I cannot remember her not being here. She likes to be in the middle of things, and we call her 'the party girl'.  She took over the best chair in the house at an early age. It was supposed to be my chair, but I had to wave the white flag there.  I used  to try to sit in that chair. I'd chase her out of it and get all settled and comfy. Then she'd come stand in front of me and bark, and then run to the door like she wanted to go outside. So I'd get up from the comfy chair to open the door and she'd quickly hop in the chair behind my back.


Told you she was smart.

Dixie was only a year old when we moved to England. Due to their strict quarantine laws, there was a six month waiting period before she could enter the country. Some people opt to put their dogs in quarantine in the UK, but our kennel in Maryland agreed to a long term board.  Actually they agreed to a short term board, and my sister said she'd take her the last three months, but the kennel got so attached to her they said she could stay.

I remember the day she finally arrived in England. We'd used a service that moves animals, so they collected her at Gatwick and brought her right to the front door.  The deliveryman had me come outside and he set the air crate down on the driveway. She's long legged so I envisioned her slowly, tentatively, ever so gently stepping out, stretching her legs, and taking a second to get her bearings. Ha!

The deliveryman said, 'I'm going to open the crate now' and when he did Dixie came tearing out at full speed, ran straight into the house (a house she'd never before set foot in until that very minute), wound her way back to the sitting room, and hopped in her chair without missing a beat.


Never were a dog and a place more perfectly matched than my Dixie and my England. She loved exploring the Commons, the woodlands, and most especially being off lead in her fvaorite place-the Camp. The Camp was an old Roman camp in our little village. It was not physically fenced, but more or less naturally fenced, and Dixie could run to her hearts content. We used to say she ran five miles for every one we walked, and it was the perfect place to grow up Setters.

She was welcomed everywhere around town, and we often traveled with her.  One of her favorite holidays was the Easter we spent hiking in Dartmoor.  Wide open spaces anyone?


And while she's not a Jersey girl, she has grown pretty fond of the Garden State.


Or at least it's wildlife!


I'm not one of those people who think dogs are human.



 But this one almost is.

24 comments:

  1. Sweet post about a sweet friend! And being from Dixie...I like her name! :-)

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  2. oh sweet! Happy Birthday to Dixie.

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  3. Awwww, happy, happy birthday to your Dixie!

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  4. Happy Birthday to your pooch-i-doo!!!! They do have a way of imprinting on our hearts!

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  5. That's the first time I've heard you mention her name - sweet name for a sweet puppy!

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  6. Love it! The trick to get you up out of HER chair was too funny. I feel like such an idiot when my dog outsmarts me, too.

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  7. Awww…hope your sweet Dixie gets an extra doggy treat on her special day. Sounds like every day is special for a dog at your house. :) Oh, the life of a dog. They surely are part of the family.

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  8. Sweet post! Happy birthday to your Dixie!

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  9. What a nice tribute to a very special member of you family.
    Happy birthday to sweet Dixie.

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  10. I loved your post about Dixie! I hope she has a happy birthday :)

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  11. Aahh! We love our doggies! Some times they are BETTER than human!

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  12. Hi Joyce.
    This is just a pre-AtoZ Challenge visit as one of the assistants representing Alex's Team Ninja Minions.
    Good luck with the challenge!
    See you around on the A to Z circuit!

    Writer In Transit

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  13. oh my heart. I miss sweet Dixie. Can't wait to snuggle with her in her chair at Easter. give her a happy birthday belly rub for me.

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  14. I love the way our pets get inside us. They just do. Your Dixie is so special. Wishing her a very happy birthday!

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  15. Happy Birthday Dixie! Whatta' you mean, animals aren't human? (smiles and giggles)--try saying that to our German Shep Coffee. lol

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  16. Aww. So sweet. Sometimes Cooper is very human like. Scary, even.

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  17. Pets become such a part of our family! She is a pretty girl :)

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  18. Pets become such a big part of our family, don't they? :) She is a pretty pup!

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  19. Ah, that is sooo sweet! Pretty remarkable that she knew exactly where that chair was!

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  20. Awe, Dixie, is just beautiful and how cute, her attachment to her/your chair. A Reader's Digest sort of post!! Loved it!

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  21. I love this post! No kidding they sure are part of the family. I always wondered how a dog dealt with those months of separation during quarantine. I bet it was hard on all of you too. But what a wonderful story of a lovable and seriously smart dog!!

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  22. Happy birthday to Dixie! Had to laugh at how she got you out of her chair :)

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  23. These are really great, but I LOLed when I realized (after the first paragraph) that Dixie was the dog, not a daughter/granddaughter. I thought to myself, she looks like she could figure out an ecard!haha

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