Dixie Celebrates Birthday #7! Love you little buddy!

Dixie celebrated his 7th Birthday on Sunday!  He was patient and posed for his birthday portrait!  We are so happy to have Dixie as a member of our family.  He offers love, companionship, humor, and even, sometimes, exasperation to our household!  I think we are very lucky to have had him all this time, because, as you know, if you read this blog, he's an escape artist!  We have him microchipped, but that will not save him from automobiles!  We have been blessed to have him and love him very much!  Even though he likes to take an errant run sometimes, he seems very happy to live with his elderly, people, parents!

April 14, 2013 Dixie has done it again!

Sunday, April 14, 2013, Dixie managed to get loose from his trolley wire in the back yard and reek havoc all over Pine Needles Golf Course.  This was the most frightening escape of them all, as there were lots of golfers out on the course and Dixie took it upon himself to cross the busy  state road which goes thru the golf course!  I followed him around the second hole for a long time.  He will not come back when he's loose, and all the golfers were sympathetic and tried to help, to no avail!  Then when he went for the road, a man with a cart took me to the road, where we screamed and hollered and waved arms, so that the traffic would stop.  Thank God and all the motorists,  he did not get run down by a car and continued on to the other side of the road and hole #8.  There, he ran around the green as different groups came and went.  Golfers tried to get hold of him, as my husband and I did, to no avail.  It was warm and he was getting tired, but not ready to come near anyone and be caught, so I decided to try to get him to follow me to the 7th green area, where there was a drinking fountain and he did, but continued beyond me, until he saw me running water in an old discarded styrofoam coffee cup.  I asked if he wanted a drink and he finally came to me, very thirsty.  I was able to grab his harness and Robert came along with his leash.  He drank plenty of water and then we headed out for the walk back to our house! 

I can't say how grateful I am that everyone was so helpful and that my Dixie did not get hit by a car, running in the roadway.  Dixie will be seven years old next month and has not been loose for nearly a year.  We do not allow him to run but he is walked EVERY day for a couple of miles and then again a couple of times for short jaunts.  I have worked on recall and had no luck.  Usually, food or drink or another dog will do the trick.  I plan to get another new wire for his grounded trolley, even though the present one is new.  I guess it needs a more secure catch? 

Boarding Kennel Wisdom

During our early morning walk, today, I was thinking about the fact that when my husband and I take a trip, where Dixie is not able to participate, I have to board my little charge.  I really don't like to use a boarding kennel, but really have no alternative, as Dixie is a very busy boy and is in the habit of running off if the opportunity presents itself!  To allay my fears of losing him, I have decided the boarding kennel is the best choice for us.  I used to use a kennel with NO outdoor runs, as it is convenient to our house, but have found that Dixie tended to get Kennel Cough on each visit, so we have gone back to a less convenient kennel, where outside runs are available and used regularly.  With the last three boarding sessions there has been no incidence of kennel cough!  If you can have home care, it's probably the best alternative, but I feel like the caregiver has to move in and stay with the dog....not always the way it is done.  My advice is to use only a boarding kennel with outdoor runs!  The security of the kennel allows me to feel confident about Dixie's confinement.