Bixie Vom Hohen Moorland

11 January 2010: First week in Finland (-23 C)

The trip to Finland went very well. Bixie slept most of the time. There are two other dogs living at Carita's home: Juxa (a female German Shepherd) and Niki (a male German Shepherd) and the female likes to nurs Bixie and play with her. The male dog just ignores her.

Bixie has eaten well and sleeps good during the night. Sometimes she even sleeps for 8 hours! A very quick and playful dog, according to Carita. She is trying to hide her bones in Carita's bag and other places. Bixie has not done anything inside, so far!

Very content and sleeping.

Outside in the cold.

Is she sleeping?

No, she isn't.

26 January. Carita writes:

Bixi's ears have risen! She now weighs about 9 kg, and she is not even fat , mayby even a little skinny, I guess she's growing to be a big girl. Bixi is all you can hope for a dog; playful, brave, she loves people and she's a very smart little dog. Thank you for choosing me Bixi!

Ears up!

"Huh, are you talking to me?"

Are you doing the dishes or am I?

In the snow outside.

10 february, Carita writes:

Bixi grows like a tree, she now weighs 10 kg and the legs seem to grow the most. Bixi is a lot of power and the house is like a bomb when bixi has been decorating the house. The toilet brush is the number one toy at the moment and the dishwashers is good to dine and rest on.

We have been walking with Bixi in the town for several times, and otherwise she is doing well, but she is afraid of big cars and trucks. So today we sat at the roundabout, and watch the cars for half an hour. Bixie was a little frightened, but she sat on my lap, so nothing could happen to her.

The people laughed when they saw us sitting in the middle of the roundabout. Bixi also teases the cat and we had to discuss it.

Bixie and Granit, Tomi's new male puppy.

12 february, Carita writes:

Bixi has the energy of a small tiger, she does everything you could ever imagine. She hides her food under the table, in shoes, bags and even in the shower. Bixi also has started to bark at everything she can see outdoors. She is the most energetic puppy I ever have had.

Bixie with two of the four dogs Carita now has

She's got Tosca's eyes

20 February:

Bixi loves the snow.She loves to run into it and dig and poke her nose in it. It is really fun to watch, says Carita.

When Carita was at work her mother called. Bixi jumped on the kitchen table, right from the floor. After that, she ran with the toilet brush in her mouth for about 2 hours. When Carita's mother finally was able to catch her, she put Bixi in her puppy yard but she jumped right out of it (the fench is about 1 meter high) so her mother had to put a ceiling on it.

She also chewed one box of firewood in between all her activitiies. I admire her mother that she still wants to baybsit Bixi when Carita is at work ;-)

I even told her to send her back to me ;-) but she told me no, never!

Carita now found something to make Bixi do whatever she wants and asks. I hope I understood correctly, but I think it's something like reindeer meat. Even tracking is going very well with it!

23 February:

Juxa, Bixi and Niki play together a lot and they seem to have a lot of fun!

The snow in Finland is so high that you hardly can see Bixi. Only her head is sticking out of the snow.

2 March:

Still a lot of snow in Finland.

Ehh... Carita discovered that I sold her a male instead of a female ;-) Bixi now has pretty much the same colour as Buffy. They look a lot like each other.

Indoor training because of the cold and the snow.

7 March:

Bixi is helping Tomi shovel away the snow. Is it a dog or a kangaroo? These puppies all like to jump, which I normally try to avoid as much as possible because it's not so good for the hips and other joints.

Carita writes that Bixi is growing and doing well. She has a inexhaustible energy. She is easy to motivate and training is going well. Bixi already understands part of following (heel) and lying down and come to the side. She can also come and sit in front.

She can pick up toys and bring them to Carita.

Her coat has grown darker now and the curls came back. She larned Juxa how to open doors so now Carita always has open doors in the house.

23 March:

Bixi was lame at her richt foreleg. Carita went to the vet to take some X-rays and showed them to an orthopedic vet. He concluded that she has panosteitis or growing pain. Nothing worse. She got some pain killers for a week and nutrition with glucosamine and chondroitine.

Bixi is helping with the spring cleaning ;-)

28 March:

Carita goes to a special dog 'wellness' with Juxa. There is a swimming pool (a water treadmill), dogs can have a massage and there is also a saltroom. This saltroom is good for the allergy of Juxa. Carita asked the physiotherapist if Bixi could come along and he said that 5 minutes at a time is good for her joints and muscles.

Bixi in the saltroom

Bixi with a life jacket on; ready to go into the water.

Bixi and Juxa

Bixi standing on guard on the table, with a toy rabbit in her mouth.

12 April:

Carita writes: " Bixi is doing well. She hasn't suffered from growing pains for 2 weeks now. Her puppy teeth are going now, exept for 3 corner tooth.

Carita is training obedience and once she worked on the table:

Bixi is getting more beaufitull every day and she is an awesome dog.

25 April:

"Bixi is like sunshine. Where ever she comes, everybody becomes in a good mood. Again some pictures of a training session on the table. Juha has a broom (a brush) to activates Bixi to bark".

A tracking session:

Tracing goes according to plan and obedience goes very well.

8 en 9 April: during the weekend, the club from Tomi, Juha and Carita had a visite from Peter Timm (a helper from Germany if I am correct). He helped them to train the dogs. He also did some protection work with Bixi and he said to Carita that she has a rough diamond in hand. He called Bixi a super super good puppy. He praised her strong and full bite and her courage and good instincts.

She has learned to bark to the sleeve already. On the fifth of June, Carita is taking Bixi to a puppy review (an exhibition).It will be a good experience, with a lot of people and other dogs and a judge who will examine the teeth and exterior of the dog.

May 2010: Working with Peter Timm

5 June: Carita went to an exhibition with Bixi.

Carita writes that Bixi behaved magnificently. Judges praised its color, but she said because Bixi is of a workingdog type, she only got a "L" (or "promising" ). There were 3 gray dogs and Bixi was number 1 of them.

This is the report of the judge:
Kleine, mit sehr schönen grauen farben akseptierend typ,gute kopf, helle augen, gute hals, flache widerrist, gute rucken, kurze adfallende Kruppe, kurze steile oberarm, hinten normal gewinkelt, gerade front, hinten gerade tretend, vorne konnte ellenbogen besser liegen, kurze gänge, sehr gute temperamen. L

10 June: pictures of obedience training.

20 June: Bixi's got a little accident. She slipped on the dog pen and all the skin of her right hind toes got off. It had to be sewn and she got a bandage and Carita gave her a plastic shoe to keep the bandage clean. Fortunately, Bixi has no pain and is able to walk normally in the garden. Her foot has to be cleaned daily and in two weeks the sutures can be removed.