Wherever she goes, this little pooch gets a lot of attention, and a lot of questions. A whole lot. In fact, the same bunch of questions are asked so often, it seemed a good idea to write them down somewhere. Chances are pretty good that you’re here because you met Pixie out walking and got a calling card, or know someone who did.

So, let’s get all those questions answered and out of the way…

 

 

 

What are her stats?

Pixie is about 8 lbs, and about 10 inches from paw to shoulder, or about 13 inches from paw to ear tip. she’s about 11 inches long, from booty to schnozz, not counting her tail.

Is she going to get any bigger?

Nope.

How old is she, and where did she come from?

Pixie’s sordid past is uncertain, but what little information exists reads like a Frank McCourt lullaby. Pixie found her current, foreseeably permanent, home on or about May 7, 2005, when she was given as a birthday present. While this is not recommended, for Pixie, things worked out pretty great.  She was born into the brothel of  a West Virginia puppy mill, which had been abandoned and all the animals left to starve to death. 100+ animals were found in various states of malnutrition and abuse, (it was bad, like, crash-landed Chilean soccer team bad) and many didn’t survive long after rescue. The lucky ones were evacuated & fostered by the amazing folks over at A Forever Home, who work every day to try and disprove the generally accepted principle that human beings suck.

Although technically an adult, Pixie (who was called “Fifi” by her foster folks) weighed only 4 pounds, and had almost no hair. Her teeth were in terrible shape, and there was significant evidence of physical abuse (her snout was broken at some point, and she has scars and other bite marks) and she had given birth to at least one litter of puppies. Some estimates were that she was about 2-3 years old at the time of adoption, so that would make her 8 or 9 as of May 2011.

Besides an initial post-adoption visit to the vet to have 14 infected teeth extracted, her life has been pretty flippin’ sweet since. Though he doesn’t dress her up in weird outfits or anything, Pixie found one of those crazy dog folks to live with.

Squee! She is SUPER CUTE!

Yes. Yes she is. Not really a question, tho.

She looks like a little fox/marmot/weasel/monkey/Tasmanian devil!

Doesn’t she? When her hair grows out, she kind of resembles a skunk too, in an adorable Pepe LePew kind of way…also, again, not a question.

What kind of dog is she?

Pixie appears to be a pomeranian mix. Each vet she’s had swears she’s something different (from a long-haired chihuahua to a miniature schipperke) but the current vet seems pretty sure about the pom. Pixie’s face is very “chihuahua-y”, though,  and when her hair gets long, her ear fur pops out like a papillion. Unless someone wants to spring for the DNA testing shenanigans, in deference to her humble origins and stature, she is usually referred to as a “Smoky Mountain Tchatchke.”

Do you breed her? Can I get a Pixie puppy?

Pixie was spayed as part of the adoption process, so she won’t be having any more puppies. There were, apparently, some puppies in her past though, and it’s likely they are super cute too. Happy hunting!

Where did she get her name? Does she love the movie “Fight Club”?

Pixie was named after the Pixies, as she found her home right after her person caught up with their reunion tour at Constitution Hall. It was a great show, and it was kind of a perfect fit. A big Fincher fan, Pix often wonders how they did the cheek blowout effect sequence when Ed Norton shoots himself in the mouth…

Does she bite? What is her demeanor?

Pixie is, by and large, a dream dog. She is quiet, polite, tolerant, and amazingly patient for a little pooch. She does none of the negative stuff generally associated with small dogs (yapping, jumping, biting) and, for a creature with a brain roughly the size of a walnut, she displays remarkable intelligence and comprehension of her environment and the intentions of humans. However, due to her background as a mostly feral animal, Pixie does manifest some strange behaviors. She doesn’t like to eat in front of people, preferring instead to take a mouthful of food away to a corner, finish it off and come back for more, which means if you offer her a treat she may not eat it right there in front of you (but she will eat it later!) She’s also a bit of a hoarder and scavenger, and if she is left alone with any accessible, and preferably juicy, trash, she will find a very clever place to squirrel it away for a rainy day. Waking up with a dog kibble stuck to the forehead, or finding the tallowy cooked fat slab from last night’s brisket tucked discretely under the couch comforter are occurrences that one wishes could be rarer, but the occasional mess is more than worth her company. Pixie is also, understandably, afraid of most other animals. She shies away from all but the most familiar pets, and has been known to balk at the occasional lifelike stuffed animal too. Another manifestation of her feral background is her lack of play. She doesn’t “do toys”, and doesn’t chew socks or fetch balls. About the only recreations she enjoys (besides food treats and sniffing/exploring outdoors) is chasing and nesting. She loves to chase squirrels and other small mammals (rats!), and at home she will build elaborate blanket/laundry nests on the couch, preferably up high, and likes to lounge and survey the action from the protected perches.

She’s also proven to be a pretty incredible office dog. She fits on the corner of a desktop, and is quiet and content to chill and look out the window all day. She’s even gone unnoticed at meetings (on more than one occasion, the phrase “Holy smoke! There’s a dog on your desk!” has been uttered 15 minutes into a presentation.)

As well-behaved a dog as Pixie is, it is important to remember that she is still a dog. If you are a little kid and scare her or pull her tail she might snap at you to make you stop. If you are an unfamiliar mailman at the door she may bark once or twice. But overall, Pixie is about as perfect as any dog can be expected to be. Plus, if she’s in a good mood, she will totally slap you five.

Does she eat much?

Not really, no. Maybe a couple tablespoons of kibble per day, plus the assorted treat.

Do you carry her around all day, like in a Paris Hilton bag?

Nope. Pix carries her own weight. She loves to run around, investigate, chase squirrels, etc., and is not really into being picked up unless near a big dog, or really, really exhausted. She is, however, carried when visiting a store, juuuust in case…

Where does Pixie hang out? Where can she be lookey-loo’d by the paparazzi?

Now, see, here we are venturing into the realm of celebrity endorsements, which Pixie doesn’t do unless she’s gettin’ PAID. No Crops, No Props. Feel me? That said, there are a couple local businesses that treat her right. As an active dog, it’s not unusual for Pixie to walk 5 miles a day, and can often be seen chilling with a cookie or a croissant on the patio at Big Bear, or a little later in the evening on the patios of Solly’s Tavern or at Rustik (where she gets attention from the entire staff, sometimes all at once!) She has been spotted at coincidentially named Miss Pixie’s, buying art supplies at Utrecht, getting a warm welcome at Good Wood, and is always offered a treat and some sugar from the nice dog-friendly folks when she visits Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams. For eats, a favorite time out is the Greek Spot at 11th and U St, or at the sidewalk seating of Logan Tavern or Veranda. On wednesday nights in the summer months, Pix can sometimes be seen at the NoMa Summer Screen events, watching movies under the stars!

One endorsement Pix will happily offer is for her veterinarian. Pixie goes to the Union Veterinary Clinic. These folks have been professional, kind, and generous with information and assistance. If you live in the nation’s capitol and have pets, this is the place you want their health care to happen.

Is Pix the bestest dog in the world?

Pretty much, yeah.

Can I have her?

Sorry, no.

How about if I offer you, say, $2,000? (really happened)

Seriously, there aren’t enough zeroes on planet earth that you could add to that number that would get a yes to that question. Ask anyone we know, they’ll tell you. However, if you are willing to shell out a couple grand, then go adopt your own pooch! It’s far more rewarding, and has a better chance of you ending up with a dog in your life than trying to buy mi muy pequeña amiga
…

Well, can I be her friend, then?

For sure! Pix loves attention, and has a ton of friends. The easiest way to keep up with her, like with most folks, is on Facebook.