[sscott87]

Meet Dixie, a known littermate of Jax. I posted a few days back in regards to "reuniting" littermates. Funny thing... the dog I had found on Craigslist that I thought could be a littermate of Jax wasn't, but shortly after, I'm at the dog park and this woman comes straight for Jax and loudly questions who he belongs to. "IS THAT JAX?!" Turns out she has Dixie, the sister I knew existed because Jax's previous owner even told me he knew someone with her. This was the lady, though she didn't have Dixie with her at the park that day. Anyway, we exchanged numbers with intentions to link up sometime with both dogs to see how they interact and to fill my curiosity as to how similar they look.

That day came today. And I've since taken Dixie home for the night and am considering taking her permanently, as Amanda (the lady with her) has just been fostering Dixie since November. Dixie escaped the yard of the previous owner several times and each time made her way to Amanda eventually, and the final time, apparently the woman didn't notice for 2-3 days that Dixie was missing and then tells Amanda that she was just going to dump her off somewhere when her husband deploys anyway. Amanda quickly took her in and has somewhat been trying to find her a home with little success.

So meet Dixie, the Husky x Blue Heeler (that's the claim of Amanda's vet, "if you put a gun to my head and make me pick a mix"). She does have heeler-like specks in her white patches on her nose and paws (unlike Jax), though the DNA test on Jax didn't show any heeler (though who knows? Those aren't perfect).

Oh, funny thing of this picture with them both playing tug. So Jax had been playing tug with a dog half his size, and pretty obviously letting the other "win" as Jax was being pulled around and letting the other dog do most of the tugging. However, once we got Jax vs Dixie, it was game on. They both went at it 100%, and growling the entire time. The dog park went fairly quiet as most of the people there began turning to observe, as they were rather loud and it went a good while. Jax eventually won and all was well with the world.

 

[Abbylynn]

Awwwe ... She is pretty!

 

[HollowHeaven]

And then you wonder if they remember each other. :3

That's sweet, and really neat

 

[sscott87]

Yep, but now I'm just digging myself a hole, wanting to keep her though I know I shouldn't lol

 

[hanksimon]

Why can't you keep her? Sounds like a good set up?

 

[sscott87]

It's just one of those things that I could do but know I shouldn't. I could financially, not an issue. But as things stand, my place is small and I don't have a fenced yard so those are obstacles. I'm in the army and my work day can often be from 6 AM to 6 PM without getting home anywhere inbetween, and while most days I try to either take Jax for a run, walk, or to the dog park, there are those times where in a week he may hardly get out of the house and I feel awful enough about that with one dog. I live alone and if any sort of training comes up for a few days or if I have to go somewhere for a few weeks, that's a second dog that I have to find a place for or cover the expense of boarding. While I'd love to take her in, she's not without a good home currently, just looking for a permanent one. If this were a year or two from now with my fiance living out here and likely in a larger place, I'd be all over it, but currently there are just too many questions/unknowns in the next year for me to take on the responsibilities and time required for a second dog. Jax is a first for me, and 5 months in there are still times where I when I feel horrible for the lack of time/attention I have for him some weeks.

Anyway, I took her back to her home this evening and I swear Jax hasn't been right since. We went for a run at the park, and while walking back to the car, he was very odd like never before. He'd hunker down on the ground, give his pitiful look, and when I stopped, he'd get up and start walking a different direction. Did it repeatedly. And I swear he's laying around the house now looking around for her. He's never acted this way after my friend's golden has gone home after spending a few days with us. Breaks my heart that I just know she's a responsibility I really shouldn't take on, as much as I'd love to. Great dog, even her current owner was impressed with the fact that I let her sleep out of her crate and had no issue.