Dixie joined my pack in 2000. We think she was 9 at the time. She was one of about 50 dogs HOTLR pulled from a failed rescue in east Texas, and was originally named Babs. She had a scar across her muzzle because her first people thought she barked too much so they tied her mouth shut. I fostered her almost immediately, and the entire time she was my foster dog she never barked. She saved the barking until she had wormed her way into my heart and was mine. And she never quit barking, but it was just fine with all of us that she talked - she was so happy when she did it. Before life with me she had never been in grass, but soon learned the complete ecstasy of rolling around on her back in thick grass. She also never knew what dog biscuits were, and my other dogs were thrilled with this because they quickly hoovered all of the crumbs that fell from her mouth. She learned pretty quickly, though, and the others were bummed. Sh loved to swim, although I often had to "cheat" on throwing things so she could have the fun of fetching a toy since she was a slow and steady swimmer. In her later years she wasn't very mobile, but loved going for car rides because it meant we were going someplace where she could lie in the sun and sunbathe. The end came quickly for her - yesterday she stopped being able to walk, and other bodily functions had also shut down. I made an appt. for later today to have the vet put her to sleep, but she beat me to it by going across the bridge on her own terms this morning. Now I know she is swimming in a beautiful river, taking breaks to roll in the thick green grass, and barking to everyone about how happy she is.