Throwback Thursday, Aussie Style

Our old Aussie, Rocket, is the star of this Throwback Thursday post, once again.  She was such a sweet girl.  Always (at least almost always) trying to do what we wanted her to do.  

When I first started my business, she was my favorite model.  She would pose for one thing after another after another.  Sadly, as I look back, I don't have many other pictures of her.  But I do have my memories.

So, here is another Rocket story.  If you look very closely, you can see that her right front foreleg has a little kink where there isn't supposed to be one.  The story goes like this:

When we didn't know any better, we let the dogs run loose on our property sometimes ( no judgments please; we have learned better).  They always came back and didn't seem to go anywhere else.  

One time, Rocket came back holding up that right front leg.  Somehow, she had broken it.  Wish she could tell us how, but that's a dog for ya'.  We took her in to get it casted and everything should have been good, right?

Well, a week or so later, she seemed to be getting around ok so we let her come down to the feedlot with us.  She apparently decided she had had ENOUGH of the confinement and took off.  No amount of calling would work because she needed a little FREEDOM!

She came back a few hours later.  Boy, did she come back.  With PORCUPINE QUILLS all over her face!!!

It was after hours at our small country vet and nobody was answering.  We decided to pull the quills out ourselves so she didn't have to wear them all night.  I figured the pain would end sooner that way. Then we would wash up the wounds.  Maybe not a decision that I would make again, but we did it.

Two of my daughters and I sat down on the floor with her and held her down while we pulled the quills out as gently as we could.  Those things have barbs and DO NOT come out easily.  In the process, she pulled her leg out of the cast.

We took her in to the vet in the morning to have her looked at and recast her leg.  They recasted her and she pretty much recovered from the experience, but not without that little kink.  As she grew older, she remained sound on that leg but maybe just a little arthritic when the weather changed.

We have since learned much better ways to work with our dogs and keep them out of trouble.  Rocket was a pioneer in our learning experience.  We love and miss her greatly!

We're joining the Thoughtless Thursday Blog Hop hosted By Ruckus The Eskie. Co hosted by Barking From The Bayou, and Love Is Being Owned By A Husky