Worst day ever...i''m trying to forget, maybe this will help...

[Rockford35]

Yesterday was a decent day in relation to what we've had weatherwise for the last 4 weeks. It was -4, but about -18 with the wind. So, not bad.

The GF and I decided to take the dogs out to the two muni golf courses, as there is a nice walking trail and an dormant gravel pit nearby. Lots of people walk their dogs out there because it's pretty much wide open and great for the dogs.

We get to the place and set out on our day. We decided to head into the wind so that we could avoid it on the way back. I let our two beagles off leash and everything was gold.

We had been walking nearly half an hour when we got to a spot where the creek meanders near the 5th and 6th holes on the far west course. The dogs were loving life at this point. Then, out of nowhere, both dogs take off into the trees adjacent to the road. They do that, but always come back.

Or so I thought.

I called them, but they were intent on heading in. I got after them and couldn't catch up as the snow was almost knee deep. Cooper, our male, he makes this stupid squeak noise when he gets excited or chases Ellie, our female, when he can't catch her. Coop's about 37lbs, Ellie's barely 18.

I get into the trees and listen. No noise. The dogs are GONE.

The GF starts to freak. I'm double timing it into the trees, yelling for the dogs. This is really unusual as Cooper never ventures much farther than 50 feet away.

I get to a bit of a clearing and I see some deer shit, some rabbit trails and immediately lose the trail. Outstanding.

I call for the dogs over and over. I yell to the GF to hightail it over around the bend, but she's not there.

I cut through the bush and climb the nearest hill. I see my GF walking accross the ice of the creek towards open water! The creek was moving at the meander and was open. I yelled at her to go back, which she thankfully did, but I bet she was 20 feet from the open edge and never even noticed. Holy feck.

I see that she gets back ok, and I get back on the dogs. They're nowhere to be seen. I'm thinking the worst at this point, that they headed straight for the open ice and went in. My heart is totally sunk at this point.

I finally meet back up with the GF and we split up, each with our cell phones. I walk for about an hour, no call, no dogs.

I'm really at the bottom of the barrel at this point.

I head back to the car with her, trying to console her. We'd been searching for over an hour at this point. No sign at all.

We meet up with a couple of guys that are heading out with their two labs, a golden and a husky. All great looking dogs, BTW. We relay the story, and they're on the hunt. I head down the back road, and about 30 minutes later, they come along with the little one, soaked and shivering like crazy. This sinks me even further, even with the warmth of seeing Ellie again, as Cooper is the least likely to bolt, or get into trouble in that way. I fear the worst.

I head back out with the guys, and to console and control my GF's crying, I tell her to go home, take the dog, and come back with some apple juice and some granola bars, as it's coming on 3 hours we've been out. (Apparently, in hindsight, I'm a 3 year old kid. Apple juice and granola bars? WTF?). She takes off and I go with the guys.

We search for damn near another hour with zero luck, zero sign, nothing. I'm feeling sick to my stomach at this point.

I head back as the guys need to go, and meet up with the GF. I call my brother and sister on the way, and ask them to come out - my sister to console my GF, and my brother to help me - at this point, i figured the worst - pull my dead dog from the river. What a thought.

I'm sitting in the car with my GF as she's sobbing away. A truck rolls up and a friend of mine from year's back gets out. I explain the situation to him as he and his friends are heading out to go x-country skiing. I give them the details, they say they'll have a look. I'm really down here at this point.

I sit in the car a while longer, waiting for my siblings.

Then, something came over me to just go out and have another look. We're pushing 5 hours now, my legs are dead from walking in snow and i'm really, really tired.

I head out down the 4km stretch to the corner, and I see this dog run accross the road. I yell, hoping in some way that it's Coop. The dog stops, then bolts. I start running, but I'm dead. I'm really, really dead. I get about a kilometer and I can't go any more. Just as I'm about to keel, I see my friend and his bud, they say they saw the dog bolt accross a field to my right. I see the fresh tracks and take off. Second wind, whatever, for some reason I could run again. I run as fast as I can accross this open field, and somehow get my bearings to phone my GF. I tell her on the dead run that I found the dog, and they (my siblings and her) should meet me on the north road.

I see Coop, he's hightailing it accross a frozen pond that's maybe 800 feet accross. He heads up the other valley wall. Something's got him spooked, but I dont know what.

I keep running around the pond, my lungs are burning and my legs are gone. I can't feel them at all. I get 3/4 of the way around and I hear Coop baying like he does sometimes when he's lonely. I starting replying with a bay, my lungs burning like crazy. I finally get close to him, he's 12 feet down, up to his neck in snow. He's completely exhausted to no end. I've, fortunately, never seen a dog like that in my life. Never. I jump down into the snow, it's easily up to my chest deep. Cooper snarls and barks at me - he's completely clueless as to who I am. The weirdest thing.

I try to pet him, but he bites me. Not enough to worry, but he's NEVER like that. I take my glove off so he can smell my hand. Finally, he starts to come to and lets me dig him out. He's still extremely shaken and shell shocked. I grab him and lift his dead weight out of the snow and slowly make my way up to the crest.

I get to the top after what seems forever. I try my best to walk towards the road, but I get about 10 steps and collapse to my knees. I'm in pretty decent shape, but this is ridiculous. My lungs burn, my dog is half frozen and I'm in the middle of no where.

I look up through the blinding wind and see my brother, sister and GF, along with my bro's dog Deuce making their way down the road. I try to call out to them, but I can't. I do my best to shelter the dog from the wind and warm him up. He's still not with it, still woozy and tired. I'm worried that me might lose a limb, tail or an ear.

Finally, my brother sees me and runs to get me. I tell him to get the dog and go to the car. It's about a 4km hike, so it's not like it's a minor chore. Try carrying a bag of softner salt home from Walmart - same thing.

I'm exhausted. I stagger my way back to the car and sit in the passenger seat. We get the dog warm, and he starts to come to. At this point, I see the harness he's wearing is soaked, and he's frozen over his belly and chest. He must have gone into the drink and got out.

I get the energy to look at the clock and see that we've been out for damn nearly 6.5 hours.


In the end, Cooper turned out to be fine. He thawed and has no ill effects - he's a tough bastard.

What an enourmous strain on my emotions. A rollercoaster, up and down. My legs were so sore yesterday, but I didn't care.

In had my dog back, and that's all that mattered.

He's doing just fine.

R35

[Sandpiper3]

Good to know he's ok, and that you can take a 6.5 hour trek through the woods.

[chemboy2]

Beagles are something else, man. The only thing that kept him alive I bet was that, as a Beagle, he was too damn stubborn to lose the fight. That's awesome that both your dogs survived that ordeal, you too of course.

[Rockford35]

Craziest day.

We were literally 10 minutes from heading off for a nice breakfast.

1 in a million, easy. My own personal lottery of sorts.

R35

[spankdoggie]

I love dogs more than you EVER will. My first dog saved my brother's life when I was 4 and he was 2.5 years old... German Shepherd...

But putting your life in jeopardy for a dumb ass dog, is freaking stupid.

Think about your wife and family first, man.

Seriously.

[ualtim]

Crazy day, Rock. I am glad to hear that the whole family is back at home safe, sound, and hopefully a bit warmer.

We should have known something was up when you had not posted anything in over 7 hours.

[SiberianDVM]

Wow, Rock. Glad to hear everything came out OK. Very similar to what to me about 15 years ago, except we had no snow.

It was the middle of winter, and one Sunday afternoon I decided to drive out to the country to pickup some firewood I had cut and stashed during the summer. This was on my family land, about 400 acres of forest that adjoins property that is another 1000 or so acres of forest. (Now homes and a golf course.)

Took my 2 Siberian Huskys with me. They had been before and had behaved. As I loaded the wood, I let them play. Naturally, when I was ready to go, they were nowhere to be found. I called and called, walked and walked looking for those 2 bastards. From noon until midnight. I estimate I walked 10 miles back and forth through the woods. Cold and dark by now. No food, no water, no flashlight. Luckily there was a full moon.

I had given up when I thought I would go back to where I was loading wood one more time. I go back there, and call. 20 seconds later they BOTH come running up to me from deep in the woods. Never barked once.

Somehow I restrained myself from beating them both to death.

[warbirdlover]

I'd buy a couple electric dog collars for the next time you take them for a walk. Might save going through something like that again. They don't hurt the dogs but get their attention. Glad you survived that ordeal.

[DaveE]

Holy crap. At least there was a happy ending.

You remember Murray? He's run off a few times but I've never had to go more than a mile to get him.

Once he ran off with one of our neighbors dogs and we found them running from house to house jumping off boat docks, climbing out of the lake and then running to the next dock and jumping in again.

It was so funny to watch I couldn't even yell at him.

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by spankdoggie

I love dogs more than you EVER will. My first dog saved my brother's life when I was 4 and he was 2.5 years old... German Shepherd...

But putting your life in jeopardy for a dumb ass dog, is freaking stupid.

Think about your wife and family first, man.

Seriously.

Spank,

Thanks for your concern. I don't really think I was in much danger, just really tired. The whole ordeal with the broken ice edge was something I'd like to forget - at that moment, I was only concerned with my GF's safety. It worked out, but from the vantage point I had and her recount of it, she had NO clue.

I'm just happy everyone turned out ok.

Cheers,

R35

[warbirdlover]

I thought you Canuks knew about the dangers of ice. Kind of like "born" knowing it.... I guess maybe water is so seldom in it's liquid state up there you forget about it occasionally..

[JEFF4i]

Good for ya! Builds character!

That really sucks though man, but at least it turned out okay.

[sssmokin]

I know that if my dog had disappeared the same way........I would have done the same thing. I wouldn't have given up............love that goofy guy. Found out something about ya RC35...............anyone who loves their dog that much is a great guy. It's a measuring stick that never fails. I guess I'm saying that I'm a great guy too...........LOL. Glad it worked out like it did.
This is Fred..........not exactly a purebred.......LOL.

[fore142]

there was a windchill of -18?? isnt that kinda dangerous for someone to be in for like say, 30minutes, let alone 6.5 hours?

[SiberianDVM]

Originally Posted by fore142

there was a windchill of -18?? isnt that kinda dangerous for someone to be in for like say, 30minutes, let alone 6.5 hours?

You forget: Rockford is hairy like Sasquatch.