When the husband and I decided on getting a dog we had only decided on one. We knew we wanted a boy red merle and to name him Dixon. being fans of The Walking Dead (and Daryl, duh) I thought of the name Dixon after the two brothers, Merle and Daryl Dixon. And since we were set on getting a merle Aussie it fit perfectly.

After our first visit with the puppies and picking out Dixon I received a call from the breeder that all the males in that litter (there were 2 litters, one with merles and one with tri-colored) had to be put down due to the fact that their spines were not actually neurally connected to their hips. They'd never be able to walk and would always be in pain. We weren't going to be able to bring home Dixon.

Baby Dixon (4 weeks)

Instead, we took his sister, also a red merle. Merles have a history of having medical problems and if a merle and a merle are bred the offspring will almost always be both deaf and blind. It runs in the genes of those types.

Dixie (6 weeks)

Sad and disappointed we went back for another visit to ultimately decide if we would take the girl. She was absolutely adorable and spunky and hoppy like a bunny. We couldn't have a Dixon, so we named her Dixie instead.

Dixie (6 weeks)

The day we were supposed to meet the breeder and pick up Dixie we got a call asking if we were interested in taking a second puppy. A black-tri from the other litter had a family lined up to take him home but they changed their mind at the last minute. It was a boy, and Hubby still wanted a boy. So we took him, and named him Diesel.

Dixie & Diesel's First Ride Home (8 weeks)

We were happy that they were brother and sister and would be able to keep each other company but it has been chaos trying to potty train and teach two extremely hyperactive puppies. They can be buttheads but we still love them anyway. Dixie loves to play frisbee and Diesel just like to sit at our feet. He is the definition of "velcro dog." Dixie is a quick learner and listens most of the time. Diesel does his own thing and won't listen to a thing we say. It's a work in progress. They are almost 8 months old now.

Dixie (~10 weeks)

Diesel (~11 weeks)

Dixie (7 months)

Diesel (7 months)

Dixie & Diesel chasing their friend around their critter sitter's yard