- Joined
- Dec 7, 2009
- Messages
- 145
I'll keep this story short and on point as I don't really like dragging storied out.
On Saturday the wife and I decided to take the dogs to a park down the street from us that has a nice trail to walk in the woods. It had just snowed a few inches and the dogs love running in the snow. We took all 4 dogs, we have a 11yr old Husky Whippet mix, 11 yr old Rottweiler, 3 yr old Lab and a 2yr old Husky. All but the mix are (or shall I say were) allowed to run of the leash as the come back and listen pretty good. The Husky was carrying a backpack with some first aid stuff, water and some rags I had my RC-3 and a Zippo. I don't go anywhere without a knife but I don't always carry the lighter, this time I just felt the need to carry it. The trail runs parallel to the mighty Susquehanna, the river was about 100 yards from the trail down a bank and through the woods. So about 20 minutes into the walk the Husky and Lab started running out of sight, and we couldn't get the Husky to come back. The Lab came back and would run forward again like it was a game... She's a dud sometimes! A blond thru and thru!! We got REALLY nervous as the Husky isn't normally like this. So I start Jogging in my 10lb boots in about 7" of snow, very tough!! I then see my pup about 50' out it the RIVER broken through the ice!! Once she sees me she starts screaming!! We make our way down the bank and to the river side at which point I start the wheels turning. We didn't have enough length on leashes to use as a safety rope so I told my wife to stay with the dogs I'd brb. I am a very observant person and about 3 minutes back I seen some good vine in a tree. I ran back to the vine used the RC-3 to hack it down and get a nice 20' limb as well. I ran back, dead as tired from the damned boots!! I told her to tie the leashes to the vine and to tie the vine to the limb (I ALWAYS carry about 3' of cording in my winter jackets, never really knew why) with the cord from my pocket. I took off my boots and took the laces from them and tied them to the leashes and tied the laces to a belt loop on my BDUs. I knew the boots would weigh me down if I were to go in so I had to take them off.. I took my jacket, sweatshirt and t-shirt off leaving my thermal shirt on. I figured if I go in I want something dry when I get out! I got a stick for beating the ice in front of me to see how sturdy it was and I slowly inched my way forward prone and spread out. I got within about 2' of her before I decided it was to thin to go any further. Now I didn't have any ideas... I was cold and having a hard time thinking. My wife asked if I though the Husky would grab something if we were to give it to her. I was like "who knows, what do you have?" She had a thicker stick and I had her slide it out to me, and told her to get some dry wood together but don't go anywhere!!! I tried to get the dog to grab the stick, but no go!! I then realized the stick hand a nice hook like branch. I went a little further out and grabbed the backpack with the hook. As I pulled her the ice gave! It stopped at my chest, I just kept pulling her until she finally got out. My head and arms were submerged and I was freezing! I was smart enough to take my lighter out of my pocket and give it to my wife. The dog ran back to my wife, and left me there!!!
Nice huh?? So I yelled back to my wife to get the rags from the dogs pack and light them to get a fire started!!! When I got back to the shore she had a small fire, I had her get more wood while I changed into a dry top! The Husky's fur was literally a block of ice!! I didn't know if she was ok or not, she was shivering a lot but seemed normal. After I got my self put back together I warmed up a bit and let the dog warm up I put the fire out and we treked back to the car. Husky and Lab ON LEASH this time!! Once we got home her fur still had ice on it, but she was panting as usual. We don't leave the leashed on the dogs in the car as they can choke themselves easily. So my wife was getting the leashes on and the damn Husky seen a cat across the street and bolted!!!! I was speechless!! I took off after her but couldn't find her anywhere! I tracked her paw prints but the disappeared into a sea of prints... My wife was in the car driving around looking for her and we met up just a few streets over. Just as I was telling my wife I think she's gone, the dog came out from where I had just been. I had a bag of beggin strips and she came running to me for one! We got her in the car and off we went to give her a cool bath since she found something nasty to roll in, and she smelled of the river! She was tired but fine!! She did have "limber tail syndrome" for a few days but she's back to her crazy self now!!
Moral here??? Always be ready... And KEEP HER ON A LEASH!!
I know it was stupid to let her of the leash, but she's generally a good dog as far as coming back. I also know it was stupid to go out on the ice and risk falling in, BUT these dogs are my children and no way I would sit by and watch her die! And I knew the river was low, and I could touch the bottom had I fallen through.
Be careful out there guys and gals!
My Babies:
Her pack:
On Saturday the wife and I decided to take the dogs to a park down the street from us that has a nice trail to walk in the woods. It had just snowed a few inches and the dogs love running in the snow. We took all 4 dogs, we have a 11yr old Husky Whippet mix, 11 yr old Rottweiler, 3 yr old Lab and a 2yr old Husky. All but the mix are (or shall I say were) allowed to run of the leash as the come back and listen pretty good. The Husky was carrying a backpack with some first aid stuff, water and some rags I had my RC-3 and a Zippo. I don't go anywhere without a knife but I don't always carry the lighter, this time I just felt the need to carry it. The trail runs parallel to the mighty Susquehanna, the river was about 100 yards from the trail down a bank and through the woods. So about 20 minutes into the walk the Husky and Lab started running out of sight, and we couldn't get the Husky to come back. The Lab came back and would run forward again like it was a game... She's a dud sometimes! A blond thru and thru!! We got REALLY nervous as the Husky isn't normally like this. So I start Jogging in my 10lb boots in about 7" of snow, very tough!! I then see my pup about 50' out it the RIVER broken through the ice!! Once she sees me she starts screaming!! We make our way down the bank and to the river side at which point I start the wheels turning. We didn't have enough length on leashes to use as a safety rope so I told my wife to stay with the dogs I'd brb. I am a very observant person and about 3 minutes back I seen some good vine in a tree. I ran back to the vine used the RC-3 to hack it down and get a nice 20' limb as well. I ran back, dead as tired from the damned boots!! I told her to tie the leashes to the vine and to tie the vine to the limb (I ALWAYS carry about 3' of cording in my winter jackets, never really knew why) with the cord from my pocket. I took off my boots and took the laces from them and tied them to the leashes and tied the laces to a belt loop on my BDUs. I knew the boots would weigh me down if I were to go in so I had to take them off.. I took my jacket, sweatshirt and t-shirt off leaving my thermal shirt on. I figured if I go in I want something dry when I get out! I got a stick for beating the ice in front of me to see how sturdy it was and I slowly inched my way forward prone and spread out. I got within about 2' of her before I decided it was to thin to go any further. Now I didn't have any ideas... I was cold and having a hard time thinking. My wife asked if I though the Husky would grab something if we were to give it to her. I was like "who knows, what do you have?" She had a thicker stick and I had her slide it out to me, and told her to get some dry wood together but don't go anywhere!!! I tried to get the dog to grab the stick, but no go!! I then realized the stick hand a nice hook like branch. I went a little further out and grabbed the backpack with the hook. As I pulled her the ice gave! It stopped at my chest, I just kept pulling her until she finally got out. My head and arms were submerged and I was freezing! I was smart enough to take my lighter out of my pocket and give it to my wife. The dog ran back to my wife, and left me there!!!
Nice huh?? So I yelled back to my wife to get the rags from the dogs pack and light them to get a fire started!!! When I got back to the shore she had a small fire, I had her get more wood while I changed into a dry top! The Husky's fur was literally a block of ice!! I didn't know if she was ok or not, she was shivering a lot but seemed normal. After I got my self put back together I warmed up a bit and let the dog warm up I put the fire out and we treked back to the car. Husky and Lab ON LEASH this time!! Once we got home her fur still had ice on it, but she was panting as usual. We don't leave the leashed on the dogs in the car as they can choke themselves easily. So my wife was getting the leashes on and the damn Husky seen a cat across the street and bolted!!!! I was speechless!! I took off after her but couldn't find her anywhere! I tracked her paw prints but the disappeared into a sea of prints... My wife was in the car driving around looking for her and we met up just a few streets over. Just as I was telling my wife I think she's gone, the dog came out from where I had just been. I had a bag of beggin strips and she came running to me for one! We got her in the car and off we went to give her a cool bath since she found something nasty to roll in, and she smelled of the river! She was tired but fine!! She did have "limber tail syndrome" for a few days but she's back to her crazy self now!! Moral here??? Always be ready... And KEEP HER ON A LEASH!!
I know it was stupid to let her of the leash, but she's generally a good dog as far as coming back. I also know it was stupid to go out on the ice and risk falling in, BUT these dogs are my children and no way I would sit by and watch her die! And I knew the river was low, and I could touch the bottom had I fallen through.
Be careful out there guys and gals!
My Babies:
Her pack:
