I once caught a GSP this big!

 Hook, Line and Sinker

At the end of last week Jim took Cleo and Luna to a local pond to work them on duck searches. A duck search is a key part of the NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Associations) Utility Test. Each year we run the girls in UT as it gives us something to works towards with them during the off season of hunting. While out on her search Cleo got snagged by an abandoned fishing lure. Both ends of the lure were adorned with triple hooks. One triple hook embedded itself deep in her chest and the other triple hook found a home in her front leg. She was stuck and unable to move. Each step she took dug the barbs deeper in her little spotted body.  So she basically hung out and waited for Jimmy to see that something was wrong and come collect her.

This is kinda of what the lure looked like. All medieval on two ends

The barbs in her leg came out relatively easy but the other triple hook really embedded itself in her chest. By design you can't pull the hook out backwards due to the barb. They each had to be pulled forward exposing the barb and we could cut it off. To make matters worse the barbs were dull so they weren't breaking back through her skin. Sounds pretty awful huh?

The vet ended up giving her a local so we could be more aggressive in getting it out. She was trooper the entire time even though she was in considerable pain.

The only reason I was present to get dogarazzi pics shown above was because I was also at the vets office that morning. Why you might ask? Well I was there to get Sage's leg stapled back together. Yea...you read that right. **Sigh** Mommy Daughter Day at the vet is AWESOME....said no one ever.

The Cone of Shame

Jim had Sage out running in a field the morning before Cleo did her best impersonation of a fish and she somehow managed to get caught up in some barbed wire. (I assuming you all realized that both of these scenarios occurred on Jimbo's watch so I don't have to point it out. See what I did right there?) Anyway, her front right leg got a nasty gash so Jim rushed her to the vet and they glued it back together. Within a few hours Captain Dangerous managed to rip it back open so I was there to get it stapled back together.

Crazy eyes and a bootlegged sock

Sage hates the cone. Like a lot. She uses it like a battering ram in what I am assuming is an attempt to break it off or just constantly remind me how much she hates it. Either way I have been getting the message loud and clear. But no matter how much of a hindrance it may seem it hasn't even slowed her down. In fact she may have even picked up steam.
 

Contemplating how to use the cone as a weapon of mass destruction

Stealing patio furniture cushions and running clear across the yard with them

And mission accomplished

Look how pleased she is with herself in that last photo. We are now on cone two. I'm praying it makes it to Friday but it's survival is a total crap shoot. It would be fun to take bets on its survival but in reality its probably more fun to take odds on how much I drink between now and when the cone comes off. Anyhow stayed tuned for updates and follow our shenanigans on facebook at: Adventures of a German Shorthaired Pointer.