When Chili started getting older and the possibility of entering trials with her disappeared due to her noise, I began to consider getting a new dog.

Over the years, we both gained a greater insight into the breed, and we knew a bit more about what we wanted.

In this case, the primary goal for us was to find a puppy from good working lines without noise. I looked far and wide in my search, and was even on my way to Canada for a puppy. I was then made aware of a litter in Germany. After corresponding a bit with the breeders, Doris and Thomas Hoffmann - Kennel Lech-Toller Nest, it sounded like a good fit for me.

When the litter was almost 7 weeks old, we made the trip to Gersthofen, a little north of Munich. It was a very positive experience. We were very impressed by their dogs. In addition to Vixen’s mother, Bella, Doris and Thomas also had Vixen’s maternal grandfather, Boots, living with them. He is a wonderful male dog, on loan from Canada.

From the start, Vixen impressed us. We picked her up in Berlin, and she slept soundly throughout the entire trip. This attitude towards life stayed with her. She was very good at relaxing in whatever situation she was in.

In terms of work, Vixen was like a sports car. Boy, could she just go and perform. The problem was, I didn’t quite have the skills to get the best out of her potential. At the beginning, I was so unsure of how to train her that I tried several different forms of training. She was, among other things, clicker trained at DcH Bording. I am not against clicker training and operant conditioning – but i don't necessarily think this is the best way to train a hunting dog. I should have focused much more on calmness right from the start.

We also attended training at the Danish Retriever Club, and at one point, we started training with Pernille Lillevang (Potepower). Here we were really challenged with tasks that demanded something from us. These tasks also caused a lot of stress, and I was unaware of how to handle it. The last three years of Vixen’s life, I trained with Trond and Aase Gjøtterud, and here I found a way to handle both her and my stress. Even though I saw improvements, it was too late to fully control the stress. But we certainly made progress.

In the beginning, I entered some trials in the Danish Retriever Club, and Vixen became best dog in the beginner class at a C-trial (cold game). Later, we began trials in Toller Club with varying results. However, she managed to become Hunting Toller of the Year in both 2016 and 2017 – something I am very proud of.

Her best result in Toller Club was a 1st prize in the open class.

Vixen was a dream to work with – despite the stress. She was totally focused on the task and could outwork most other Tollers in Denmark.

In January 2020, Vixen began vomiting. She was examined, and since her pancreas levels were slightly elevated, the vet concluded she had pancreatitis. She was put on a different diet, which helped for a very long time. It wasn’t until early spring 2021 that she started vomiting again. This time it was severe, and there was blood in the vomit. I switched vets, who suggested we have her thoroughly examined this time. So, we went to Anicura, where she was scanned and had an endoscopy, where they took biopsies of her stomach. Unfortunately, we got the worst possible news: Vixen had stomach cancer, and there was nothing we could do. The vet suggested that I make the most of the last time with her. This was in June 2021. After a few good months, we had to acknowledge in September that it was time to say goodbye to Vixen.

Vixen was euthanized at home in the living room, and we were all with her – including Tiva. Vixen was cremated and now sits on a shelf in the living room.

Vixen will always be my heart dog and the big star in my life. She is one of those dogs you only get once in your life. I will forever be grateful to Doris and Thomas for trusting me to bring Vixen home with me . And I will always be grateful to Vixen for putting up with me – because she truly did.