Dixie The Wander Dog update

For those of you who have read all my posts, you know about Dixie the Wander Dog. For those of you who do not know the story I will recap it a little. Last year in July I was in Alabama. I stopped at a truck stop there that I really do not like. The restaurant is usually closed and when it is open the service is bad, and the food is worse. The parking lot is so full of holes that you can break a shock or a spring just driving through it, and it is always very hot there. This day it was well over 100 degrees, and the tarmac was melting under the truck tires as I parked. I had to go to the rest room bad, but as I walked towards the main building I noticed another driver trying to feed a little dog. When I asked if she was his he said, no but I think she is sick.
I gave her a quick glance, and she looked like about a four or five month old Doberman puppy. She was clean, but looked like she had been running wild for a few days. I went inside, bought a couple of hot dogs (the restaurant was closed for remodeling) and a bottle of cold water. I walked back to my truck, and for some reason the little dog was walking along the same row of trucks. I offered her a piece of hot dog, and she took it but surprised me when she examined it pretty closely before chewing it up. She then followed me to my truck. I opened the door, and put the hot dogs on the passenger floor, turned my back long enough to find a bowl to give the little dog some water. When I turned around she was gone. I put the water on the ground under the steps of the truck and closed the door and walked around the truck and got in. Then I remembered the hot dogs, I leaned across the seats and picked the paper plate up. The hot dog that I had torn a piece off was gone. Then I looked down and on the floor in front of the sleeper Air Conditioning vent slowly chewing the hot dog was the little dog. She looked at me wagged her tail and that was the start of a great friendship.
Dixie traveled every where I went, I even stopped training drivers for about 9 months. That first day was a little rough, I spent about three hours pulling tics off her neck and back. She drank some water, and I called Judy and told her about the pup, and of course Judy said I had to bring her home. That first night she managed to gnaw through the power cord for my lap top, but once I got her a chew toy she left that alone.
We took her to the Vet when I got home and found out that she was almost a year old, and was indeed sick. $500.00 later I had a truck dog. Dixie is pretty smart, and because of her Judy has started a small dog rescue. Dixie was the first dog adopted out by this rescue, and of course the first time she was brought back. I do not think that will happen this time. She has found a home. I miss her, but am glad that I picked her up and the time I had with her was great. She learned to do high fives, leave food until told to eat it, speak on command (that one she is picky about, no food no talk) and chase anything thrown for her for hours. She alarm barks very loudly, and of course loves riding in a vehicle. Her new family is very happy with her, we will see how long that lasts. The first family that adopted her liked her too, but she can be a real handful. She needs to be exercised a lot and given something to do so that she does not get bored.
So Dixie the Wander dog Wanders no more, again. Same deal as last time, if it does not work out she will always have a home in Wisconsin, and on my truck. At least I know now why I pulled off at that truck stop that day. It was because this little dog needed help and because I needed a truck dog. It all worked out well for both of us. Judy is right saving even one dog is worth the effort.

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