Almost lost my best friend today

Ottoshot

Ottoshot

Joined
Sep 13, 2007
Messages
479
I almost lost my best friend today. Gracie, my 10 month old german shepherd fell into a neighbours liquid manure tank this morn.

I let her out at 9:30, and went to call her back in at 9:45. When she didnt come I knew something was wrong, she never ignores that command. It being winter I followed her tracks to the neighbours farm, where I noticed they went straight into the open gate of 50 ft round manure pit. The manure pit was 3/4 frozen over, and I could see several holes in the center, but I was only concentrating on the one that I thought my dog had gone though.

Immediatly assuming the worst, I stood their in disbelief thinking, great, my dog is dead. she drowned in a pool of cow shit and rotting afterbirth. I was starting to get upset now.

I wondered why it was i could see any signs of struggle until I noticed tracks in the snow in the far side of the pit. Following those with my eyes they led to another brown hole in the ice, where low and behold I saw my dogs head sticking out of the slop looking straight at me. She flicked one of her massive german shepherd ears at me letting me know she was still alive.

I Panicked at this point. Knowing going after her alone would mean certian death for myself. It took 7 men, one hour, some rope and a very long ladder before I pulled her out.

She stinks like nothing else.

Now I feel terrible for having to involve all those people and risking my own life and potentially others should I have gone in. Now I dont feel that I can trust my dog to roam free anymore. I guess I deserve it for not keeping tabs on my dog.

Sorry I guess this has nothing to do with knives by my dog is part of my woods EDC just as much as any one of my knives are.
 
Poor pup. If your dog likes to roll in dead stuff like my dogs.the pit must have been too much of a tempation.

I live on a farm in the country and I only have 1 dog, a really old one that is loose. All of my other 4 are either in a fence or on a cable unless I am outside with them.

I have 1 dog that runs deer. I let him out when I am working outside but not going hiking.

I have 2 dogs that are not poultry safe. They both get off in the evenings when I take them on a 2 mile hike in the woods or any time on weekends when I hike. 1 of them goes backpacking w/me sometimes.

I have 1 that is in a 4 acre pasture and barn with the goats.
 
Ottoshot, glad she's okay. And you guys, too.

I have said this before: we are a community and as such, any personal events any member feels the need to share, whether knife/wilderness related or not, then I want you to post, if you want to do so. That goes for everybody.
 
Well it's great the she's OK!!

I love my dog, but he's quite foolish - can't ever leave him out of sight for the sort of thing mentioned above...
 
That's a really scary story but thank god she's OK :thumbup:

My dog fell through the ice over an abandoned mineshaft in the woods forcing me to crawl out on my stomach and pull him back in. I thought he'd learned his lesson but later I tested to see if he would walk out on the ice over a shallow swamp pond and much to my consternation he did. :grumpy:
 
Glad to hear things that she is alright. It's comforting to know you can count on the kindness of others when things seem to be at the worst.
 
oooh.. man what a bummer..:o gald to hear she's okay...:thumbup: that would have scared me to no end...
 
Ottoshot, glad to hear you are both safe now. Get that dog a bath and a cigar!
 
Sounds like you were real lucky there, what a nasty way to go !!!!!

Don't worry about involving others, if they were anything like me they would have been only too happy to help a poor pup in distress !!!!
 
A good dog is part of a family, Something im sure everyone on here would agree with. I would have done no less then what you did to save him. I would also say that you done the right thing asking for help and didnt go in there alone.
I can see you know pointing a finger at the dog giving him a stern lecture about what he got into. Him looking you in the eyes, having that dogy smile thinking lets go and play already lol.... I would make sure kids cant get there too...

Sasha
 
theonew said:
That's a really scary story but thank god she's OK :thumbup:

My dog fell through the ice over an abandoned mineshaft in the woods forcing me to crawl out on my stomach and pull him back in. I thought he'd learned his lesson but later I tested to see if he would walk out on the ice over a shallow swamp pond and much to my consternation he did. :grumpy:
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I remebered your story as I was posting mine. I really hope she has the brains to stay away from that pit should she ever get near it again. My dog looks similar to the one in your avatar, same black face and cheek patches.



Thanks to all the rest of you for all your sympathy.
 
Glad to hear your dog's ok, I know what you mean when you said you started to panic. I have two cats who used to sit in the window sill of open windows of the second story. One time I went to check on them and the screen was gone. Turns out the cats had knocked it out and fell on to our sidewalk from two stories up. Somehow they were both fine, but I don't open the second story windows very far anymore.

Just give her a bath and she'll be as good as new. Hopefully she learned her lesson.
 
:thumbup: Glad your dog made it through, bro. May I suggest a super nova bright luminous collar- ugly aqs sin but helps to find your dog at night or day should you choose torun them off-leash.
 
Glad to hear everyone is OK.

As suggestion: At my lakehouse we installed one of those underground electric fences. Its easier to teach them while they are small. It is ot fullproof but to my parents lab puppy its a brick wall. It will allow for a no fence or chain way to keep your dog where you want her.
 
I'm glad it turned out with a happy ending. Hats off to everyone for not letting this great dog die. You didn't do anything wrong. In fact, you did everything right. I try like hell never to humanize how I treat or view my dogs. But I always remember that they [dogs] would give it all up without a second thought. Men and dogs have been saving each others' lives for a very long time. Men and dogs go into harm's way together. I'm glad for you. You have a good dog and you take good care of him. He will always return the favor.

"For the pride of trace and trail was his, and sick unto death, he could not bear that another dog should do his work."
- Jack London, The Call of the Wild
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