So Cruel…
Long-time readers will recall one of our work dogs with the least-appropriate name of all-time.
Cruel.
Cruel the hussy, Cruel the musterer, Cruel the naughty, Cruel the mother, Cruel the sweetheart.
She is the smallest work dog here by far – but probably the handiest pooch on the team at the moment. She’s a great little lead dog who likes to keep the mob NICE and tidy, endlessly sweeping the sides of a moving group of cattle to tidy up stragglers. And while he is a hard nut to crack when it comes to showing his affection publicly for animals, I know she holds a bit of a special spot in my husband’s heart.
She has the sweetest nature and is a favourite with the kids as she is so very gentle.
She does have one vice however – she loves chasing roos.
And two days ago, after a full day of work and while Mr Incredible was doing a minor last-minute job, she took off. And didn’t come back.
After calling and calling her, he decided to come home (some 25km) and hope that she would come back to the nearest yards (something she has done before) for us to pick her up the next day. We took some food with us, but when we arrived to muster again, she wasn’t there. And when we checked a second set of yards… no Cruel.
We both battled with mental images of her being caught on wire, or injured, or being attacked by wild dogs or wild pigs or… and when she still hadn’t shown up by the end of work yesterday, we discussed where we might search next. I have to admit, because she is not so young, and so little, I did begin to think the worst.
Then… late last night, I heard a strange scraping sound outside. Suspiciously near Axel’s food barrel, well after I had already fed him.
And there, outside, looking very tired and slightly guilty… was Cruel.
She stank of dead something (which had obviously caught her fancy en route) but she was otherwise fine. And very, VERY hungry. Who knows what went on over the past 36 hours and 25 kilometres…
I just know the smile on my husband’s face, when I woke him to share the good news, was just enormous.
Now if you will excuse me, I need to go and double check on our adventurer. And possibly slip her some extra dog biscuits.
11 Comments
Kelly
I’m glad I’d already seen the outcome of this on twitter or I’m not sure I could have read this post. I have a terrible soft spot for dogs (and cats). SO glad this had a happy ending!! Love the photos, too.
Kelly´s last blog post ..Pop-R
Anne
I’m glad for the happy ending. What a cheeky, sneaky dog. Love the mustering and searching photos.
Anne´s last blog post ..Tyrconnell, Kingsborough and Thornborough
Colin Huggins
Ah dear the canine antics! Never a dull moment with some of them is there?
Anyhow all’s well in the end! Pity about the stink eh? I oftened wondered when we had cattle and sheep dogs way back in the good old days why they loved to roll in the foulest of the foul. Anyone got a theory of this habit?????? Our cocker spaniel would roll in the largest bindi burr patch and then howl blue murder when the burrs were pulled out. Weird!!!!
debby
I remember once we had a dog we refered to as a “Holy Roller”. Chap had the nastiest habit of finding the biggest stink, and applying it liberally. One memorable day, I bathed him twice in short order. As punishment, he was on a leash for the rest of the day. I walked him to the mailbox, got the mail, and stood there sorting through in an absent minded way as Chap pee’d in the tall grass. So I thought. I felt a little tug on the leash, looked over, and to my horror, the beast was rolling. Yep. I’d walked him right to the where he wanted to be.
debby´s last blog post ..Have I missed something?
debby
And Cruel was the mother of “Mine”. How is that dogger doing, btw?
debby´s last blog post ..Have I missed something?
Bill
Well, sometimes they just can’t resist the chase. So they are off right from the jump and they have miles to go before the sleep, and miles to go before they sleep. Later they think … whose woods these are I don’t think I know, and where are all of those silly people. I had best be off to find them before they get lost. Well, that is what my dogs always told me about their mini trips that take many days.
BB of Oz
Ha – that’s cute Bill!! Am sure that’s what she thought too..
Andrew
We had a similar situation with a farm dog, except she did not come back. We suspected dingos did something pretty nasty. Two dogs later, another bitch dragged herself home from the bush, half eaten. It was the only time I saw my father cry, after he shot her. I can’t remember the name of the first dog, but the second was Cindy. She deserves to have a name.
Andrew´s last blog post ..Going east, going west
BB of Oz
That’s so sad Andrew… husband spotted a very big dingo just 200m from our house tonight. Cruel was very lucky to get home …
Nancy in Iowa
I’m so glad she made it home – I can almost feel the joy in your hearts!
Ellie k
We had a toy poodle (5 lbs) and he loved rolling in things, even a mouse tail left by the cat, the field next to us had cows in it and he loved rolling in fresh cow poop. He would come and want to be let in the house and be stinky and green. A bath and he was a cute sweet smelling poodle until the next time.