Dixon #2 Black Labrador Retriever Male 9 Years Old #3425

Meet Dixon!  This handsome gentleman came to Brookline by no fault of his own.  Some good Samaritan’s came to Dixon’s rescue when his owners up and moved and left Dixon behind in the backyard.  The wonderful people that initially helped Dixon contacted Brookline and he is now safe in a foster home.  Please read Dixon’s blog from the bottom up to learn more about him.

April 12, 2025

We’re checking in with Dixon. He will soon be ready for adoption. This week he will receive his vaccine boosters and then he will be ready to find his forever family.

We have spent time over the last couple of weeks getting to know Dixon and thinking long and hard about what is best for him. We’ve made a list of some things that have made him happy that we would love to see for him in his forever home.

First, we think he needs friends but not necessarily dog friends. We don’t have cats but we do know he lived with them and the couple who took him in while waiting for rescue help had cats, a dog and reptiles.

Second, he loves exploring outside. We do have a fence which was helpful during his neuter downtime to keep him quiet but he LOVES walks. I’ve been taking him to the nature trail along the river near my house and he loves sniffing and smelling and walking. He doesn’t even flinch when squirrels run by. I don’t think he’s a runner because he always wants to know where we are (even in the yard) though I would never initially trust that he should be unleashed because he can run fast! He is very strong and can pull but I’ve been using a prong collar from my old dog trainer and he got the hang of leash walking quickly. A harness would work too. I would say that having a fence is great but not necessary if he has an active family to walk him.Third, he LOVES the car and wants to go with you in the car whenever he can. He comes to the food store, carpool, the bank, Home Depot, you name it. He loves car rides.Fourth, he’s a not a picky eater exactly but he does not have a typical lab appetite where he inhales food. I had to play with canned, kibble, different flavors etc. He may have been a free feeder so he’s not used to having to eat his whole meal when everyone else does. Bella (lab) and Bruiser (beagle) are chow hounds who need puzzle bowls because they eat so fast. Dixon is a gentleman who eats one kibble at a time so I have to stand watch so the others don’t try to eat from his bowl. What I have been conditioned to, is mixing his kibble with rotisserie chicken (thank goodness for Costco) he LOVES chicken so much so that we call him “Dixie Chicken”

Fifth, he is getting used to puppy beds. It breaks my heart to see him lying on the hardwood floor but sometimes it must feel good if he’s hot. I coax him onto the bed and now I’ll find him sleeping on a bed sometimes but he must not have had a bed before. He seems uncertain about the squishy surface but is learning to trust its stability. Here he’s sleeping on the sofa in my office. This was a big deal!Sixth, he LOVES my kids. He does several rounds of checking their rooms. In the morning, he comes with me to wake them up, at night he checks on them while they’re doing homework, and before bed he goes to “tuck them in” before coming to my room to sleep with me. His favorite times of the day are in the morning when everyone is up and about for school and work, and in the afternoon when the kids get home from school. I work from home so he spends most days at my feet but when I have to leave him at home, he’s fine. He is trustworthy, doesn’t chew, no accidents ever, not trash picking etc. He sleeps with Bella and Bruiser (our dogs) and loves to talk and talk when I get back home. He has lots to say and we are always happy to listen!I was warned that his original owner was not so nice and was heavy handed with Dixon. I warned my husband and son to take it slow because I assumed Dixon would be leery around men but guess who he loves the most? My husband. It’s like a superstar walks in the house every evening when my husband gets home from work. So while I was prepared for some serious decompression and trust building, it’s been the opposite. That being said, I would definitely like interested families to know this though I don’t see it being a problem unless there was something very specific about the original owner that I haven’t come across yet. We’ve seen/met lots of men too including the vet, patients at the vet office, people on the nature trail and even the guys at the recycling center who love to give him milk bones. We’ve cautiously exposed him to other animals and people and he’s had no reaction. We did see a bike rider on the nature trail and he barked as it passed but I’m not sure how close he’s been to bikes before or if he’s ever even seen them.

I have definitely fostered dogs that NEED a fence or are so nervous and need a resident dog but I don’t believe this to be the case for Dixon. He needs some friends to keep him company while everyone is out but since he was once an only dog with cats, I think it’s fine to have cats for pals. He just needs lots of love, kids are a bonus and animal friends are pretty necessary since he does have some anxiety when everyone leaves though this has improved as he’s learned our schedule over the last almost 3 weeks. He is an absolute love. I feel like he transitioned seamlessly and it’s like he’s always been a part of our family.

He will be available for adoption this week- watch for updates!

April 7, 2025

Dixon is a few days out from surgery and he is doing great! He is resting, taking it easy and lounging inside on these chilly, spring days. We’ve been trying to do some yard work and have been getting lots of fresh air while the rain showers hold out. Dixon has become fond of talking to the goats and donkeys that live behind us. While the bushes and trees have not yet fully filled in, he can see through to his pals on the other side. We’re not sure what he thinks but he wags his tail and talks through the fence.We know he lived with cats seems to really like all dogs. He’s a very social fellow. He has also taken to riding in our old pick up truck. Trips to the dump and garden center are his favorite! He even made friends with someone who works at the garden center who carries puppy treats and made sure to give lots to Dixon and Bella.We celebrated our beagle, Bruiser’s, 11th birthday and we discovered that Dixon loves frosty paws! We had to hold it for him while he ate it but he savored it! He’s such a gentleman!Dixon continues to get used to the routine of people coming and going. He is adjusting to a quiet house during the day and is often snuggling with Bella or napping at my feet while I’m working. His favorite time of day is when the kids get back home from school. His whole body wiggles and he loves giving kisses.We’ll check back in with another update soon!

March 31, 2025

Well it’s been one week since we picked up sweet Dixon and it’s hard to believe that he hasn’t always been here! He’s figured out the routine and has come to grips with the loneliness of new week when everyone leaves for school and work. He watches out the window and gives the saddest howl/cry but now trusts that in a few hours everyone will come back home. Luckily I work from home so he has me and his furry siblings. He is the perfect office mate and likes to lay nearby and keep an eye on me.

Last week we went to the vet for a check up and to get him ready for his neuter surgery. He was such a good patient and the staff loved him!Tomorrow he will have surgery and will have to stay quiet for a couple of days so we made sure we got plenty of fresh air over the weekend where we played outside, practiced leash walking in the neighborhood and made several trips to the garden center! Dixon loves the car and going for a ride is his favorite!

We have been working on finding a food he likes and we think we have found one but he is not the most hearty eater. While Bella and Bruiser live to eat and find 6:00am to be the optimal time for breakfast, Dixon prefers to get up with us, go outside, go back to bed and then enjoy a light meal around 8:00am. He is a large fellow but is very lean. We practice leash walking and supply lots of “treats” so even if he doesn’t have a hearty breakfast, we use his kibble and some hotdogs to supplement. But I’m not worried, he does eat dinner.

I have also been trying to teach Dixon to trust the many squishy orthopedic beds because I just can’t imagine how the floor is comfy.  While he still doesn’t sleep on a puppy bed, he has a fluffy comforter on the floor right by my bed that is nice and cool for him to sleep on at night.

He has learned to climb onto my son’s bed and that is where I find him sleeping or watching out the window. Over the weekend I was changing sheets and found him waiting for me to make the bed up for him. He loves a fan so I think that’s why he likes Ethan’s room so much.Well tomorrow is surgery day so Dixon will be resting and recovering for the next few days. We’ll check back in but today we are going outside for some fresh air and walking before the rain comes.

March 25, 2025

It’s been a couple of days since we picked up 9 year old Dixon from the very compassionate couple who took him in when his owners abandoned him in their backyard before moving out. The couple lovingly cared for him over the last couple of weeks while trying to find a rescue to help. While in their care, Dixon was showered with attention and became friends with their Husky and cats. They reported that he used to live with cats so he gets along with them and even rubs up against people looking for love just like cats do!

Here he is on his rescue ride.