Roxy Fall

Roxy’s mum Christine said: “On 5th October we had to say goodbye to our lovely Roxy.

It happened so suddenly, she walked up the garden with me and within five minutes she had lost the use of her legs. My son and I rushed her to the vets but there was nothing to be done and we let her go to the Bridge.

Roxy joined us in June 2010 as a friend for our other Retriever, Dillon. Despite the fact she came in and completely took over from him, they became best buddies.

Roxy was not your average Retriever. She was as quick as lightning, a fighter, and she was good at catching and killing rabbits and birds. A habit, I am glad to say, which did stop eventually. Bossy, stubborn, greedy, affectionate and oh so needy! Together with Dillon she was with me through the most difficult times of my life. I had many a long walk with the pair of them to clear my head and give me the strength to keep going.

Roxy is coming back to us next week and we will scatter her with Dillon. Together again at last. Run free and fast at the Bridge my sweet Foxy Roxy and know that we will never forget you. I love you and miss you but most of all thank you for being my special friend.”

History

Roxy is just under 3 years old and is spayed, vaccinated and microchipped. She was initially fostered by Jane who said. “She arrived with us just over 48 hrs ago full of beans and raring to go, she acts just like an overgrown puppy. She does not know right from wrong but just can’t help herself. She is quite a small GR and could do with putting on a little more weight. She is house trained.

Have taken out in the car once so far and she was not too impressed but we will persevere with that one.

She has obviously had some training as she will sit, lie down and walks OK on a lead. She does crave attention and will jump up but as soon but as you tell her ‘down’ she will. Roxy loves to be with people but I am sure she will gain confidence as times goes on and be a little more independent. She is fine with our own dogs but gets a little excitable with our elderly cat so that’s work in progress at the moment. We have walked her through the chicken pen and she is not too phased by them.

Roxy is absolutely gorgeous and has got a fantastic personality and with a little more training will make a lovely family pet, might be a little bit to jumpy for someone with small children though.”

As Jane was going away, Roxy was moved to live with Wendy who said: “Roxy is the most gorgeous three year old girl with a very gentle nature. She gets on well with the other two elderly dogs and is calm and steady around them. She loves going out in the car, where she curls up and goes to sleep until we arrive at the destination. She walks excellently on the lead after the initial pull of excitement.

She can be rather crazy, running madly round in circles, flying upstairs and down and you will hardly ever see her without a soft toy or three in her mouth. Although she doesn’t destroy them, if there is a spot she can pull the stuffing out from, she will do. She equally loves shoes and will run off with them but doesn’t chew them. I have to hide my walking boots though as she will often get them out and present them to me with the look of oh come on lets go walkies again!

She does understand basic commands, sit, lie, out and off and will sit and wait until told to eat, however she can challenge sometimes when she wonders well what’s in if for me.

All in all a beautiful girl and with further training she will go far.”

ROXY IN HER FOREVER HOME

Barry said. “Roxy travelled back to our home from Dave and Wendy’s really well, sitting on back seat with Dillon. Dave and Wendy made Chris and I really welcome and it was lovely to meet Prince and Lucy!!

Roxy has settled in so well we wonder who has been here longer, her or us. She bounced into the house and set about making herself a Daddie’s girl (who says dogs are stupid!). Roxy has been eating well and loves her walks, at least three a day. The only down side is she is a water baby and we have a lot of water round here, she lies in it, rolls in it, swims in it and loves to encourage other dogs to jump in with her! Dillon only paddles so I must look really strange walking home with one dog bone dry and one soaking wet! Had a problem yesterday when she jumped in a deep pool after the ducks and couldn’t get out, fortunately there was a fellow dog walker on hand to help me scrabble down a steep bank and pull her out, a few frantic moments there though.

I have a large circle of dog walking friends and the first time we all met up Roxy was a little hesitant and wary, but faced with 15 dogs ranging in size from a Great Dane to a Yorkie who could blame her! However on the second day she was playing with them all really well, she has had a lot of people saying that you wouldn’t believe she was a rescue dog and only been with us two weeks as she is so happy, confident and playful!!.

Dillon was a little shell shocked for the first couple of days as Roxy pinched all his teddies and his bone. If he did manage to get hold of one of his toys and had to walk past her he did so with his head turned away from her so she wouldn’t notice, she did! However the last couple of days he has starterd to try and get them back with some success. We had brought Roxy new toys but she wants what Dillon has!! It has taken some time but they are now quite friendly and both love to rough and tumble in the garden together. The only two things that Dillon insists on is walking in front when they are on a lead and he will not sleep with her. His place is at the base of John’s bed, we did try having Roxy upstairs it was not succesful as she wants to be in bed with you, so she now sleeps in the kitchen or in the hall and seems quite happy.

I think we can safely say Roxy has found her forever home. Many thanks to all at IRR for looking after her and letting her come and live with us. She’s beautiful!”

UPDATE 5 JAN 11

Christine said. “Well, after a very good first few weeks, when I thought I’d adopted an angel, Roxy found her feet, which she uses mainly to dig huge holes in the lawn!!! Then her recall disappeared, hours my friend and I have spent looking for her! I then found out to my dismay we have welcomed a lean, mean killing machine into our home, yes the Pigeon and Dove population has decreased around here. The Pheasants all take off vertically as she leaps easily five foot in the air, rabbits and squirrels run like the wind as Roxy is like greased lightening, outrunning the local Greyhounds. So I’m afraid she gone to being off the lead to an extendable one, which she managed to loosen by pulling it out of my hand chasing Rabbits into a six foot deep and as high thicket of brambles, small trees and nettles and causing me to mount a half hour rescue mission with another dog walking companion.

At one point she stopped moving and I was sure she had strangled herself, major panic! However we managed to release her and she was so grateful she ran off and took ages to come back!! So now she is on a short lead and not happy, she would rather be off chasing anything that moves. Also she has turned out to be aggressive towards some dogs, this is a real puzzle, I have lots of helpful advice, like “oh she’s jealous” or “she’s trying to be top dog”. I just can’t work it out, small white dogs are a real problem, other Retrievers are not popular although she loves Dillon. I got really concerned when she took on a huge Rottie, but I needn’t have worried as the Rottie beat a hasty retreat!!

However despite all of these minor problems we love her and Roxy loves us! Roxy is definitely a people dog, all of my son’s friends who come to our house adore her, the postman and all the delivery drivers want to know where she is. We had some plumbing work done in the summer and it took a lot longer than we thought and I’m sure it was because the Plumber spent most of the time fussing her!! Roxy is happy as long as she can be with you, usually with one paw touching you, and she is at her happiest cuddled up next to Barry on the sofa.

Roxy and Dillon are getting on really well and play for hours in the garden, although Dillon still can’t hang onto his toys or bones! When Roxy first started to disappear in the park, he would join in the hunt, frantically running around (he always was a worrier!), now he lies down, has a snooze and when she does come back he tells her off by jumping all over her and biting her ears! it’s quite funny to watch. Roxy is also very funny, in the morning she waits outside my bedroom for me to get ready, then as I’m coming down the stairs to get my boots on, she will plant the broad of her head into the small of my back and push as is to say “Hurry up, there are Rabbits to chase!!”.

Now we know she is really settled we are going to take her to a training club where they do agility and gun dog training, we think she will benefit from that. Roxy can be difficult and a bit perplexing but we don’t regret having her, with time and patience she will be fine.”