Dixie's PAWsome Family

10/02/2025

2 plus years ago! Momma Dixie and her beautiful babies filled my world with love.

10/02/2025

09/29/2025

A great tip to help your dog feel close to you when you're gone is to leave an unwashed piece of your clothing, like a worn t-shirt or hoodie, in their favorite resting spot. Your scent provides genuine comfort and can help reduce separation anxiety by creating the feeling that you're still nearby.

09/28/2025

Here we are! After every shift, my tiny lap dog, Casper, lays in my lap as if I've been gone for 10 days!! Yes Casper, I missed you too!💙💚💛

09/28/2025

The Inappropriate Risk of Pediatric Spaying for Giants

In shelter medicine, early spay/neuter (pediatric procedures, sometimes as young as 8 weeks) is often done to ensure population control. However, performing major surgery on puppies this young, particularly large breeds, carries grave and documented risks:

Anesthesia Complications: Tiny bodies have less ability to regulate blood sugar and temperature, leading to higher risks under anesthesia. Denver, tragically, experienced aspiration (inhaling fluid into her lungs) from the surgery, which ultimately cost her life a week later.

Growth Plate Disruption: For large and giant breeds, s*x hormones play a critical role in the proper closing of growth plates. Early spaying/neutering can lead to orthopedic problems later in life, such as hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament tears.

🗓️ The Recommended Spay/Neuter Timeline for Giant Breeds
As an advocate for emotional intelligence (Lumina EQ), our mission is always informed, responsible care. For giant and large breed dogs, the current, widely accepted veterinary consensus strongly recommends DELAYING sterilization to allow for proper skeletal development.

Breed Size Recommended Spay/Neuter Window
Small/Medium Breeds 5–9 months
Large/Giant Breeds 9–18 months or after growth plate closure

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For new pet parents, please discuss this with your trusted veterinarian. There is no one-size-fits-all answer, but for a giant breed puppy, 5.5 weeks is dangerously, tragically too soon.

We share Denver's story not for vengeance (well maybe a little vengeance🤬 ), but truely to honor her with advocacy and education. May her memory save another giant puppy from this horrific, unnecessary risk.

09/28/2025

In Loving Memory of Sweet Denver: A Lesson That Cannot Be Ignored 💔
This beautiful, inquisitive face belongs to Denver, one of our sweet rescue puppy girls. She was meant to be one of our Dixie's PAWsome Family giants, but she tragically passed away due to a catastrophic complication from an ill-timed spay surgery performed by the organization we rescued her from.

Denver was spayed at just 5.5 weeks old—a shocking and unacceptable age for any puppy, and especially a giant breed dog like a Great Pyrenees/ Bernadoodle mix.

09/28/2025

🐾 Sneak Peek: Casper's Next Big Adventure! 🐾
Our big "house pony," Casper (the miracle boy!), is trading his mudroom memories for marble floors! We're thrilled to announce the subject of his next book project: “A Pawsitively Grand Stay: Casper’s Trip to the Hotel Bethlehem.”

09/28/2025

Welcome to Dixie’s PAWsome Family!
Hello, friends! I’m so excited to officially launch Dixie’s PAWsome Family, the place where our giant, loving, and slightly chaotic canine crew shares their adventures.

If you’re new here, prepare for a lot of fluff! Our family is anchored by our magnificent rescue giants: our gorgeous Great Pyrenees and our gentle Bernedoodle. Completing our pack is the pint-sized wonder, our little Golden Doodle, Pumpkin, who truly believes she’s the pack leader.

This page is an extension of my work at Lumina EQ (you can find us at LuminaEQ.com), where I teach the power of emotional intelligence and advocacy. And frankly, there’s no better example of both than a rescue dog!

Why Follow Dixie’s PAWsome Family?
EQ in Action: Watch how these giants communicate, manage their feelings (usually joy!), and advocate for ear scratches.

Rescue and Advocacy: We'll share our stories of giving these beautiful dogs a second chance and offer advice on supporting the rescue community.

Giant Breed Love: Get ready for stunning photos and hilarious tales of enormous dogs who are convinced they're lap dogs (and who we affectionately call our "house ponies").

Thank you for joining our family. We can't wait to share the joy, the chaos, and the power of LOVE!