Pretty Penny

[Oldtimer]

Kind of a sad day around here- as our old female Border Collie died last night....Kids named her Penny- and the grandkids (that she helped raise) called her Pretty Penny.. She was 9 year old....
She was really aging fast- and had got awful grey and kind of stove up like me in the cold weather...We didn't breed her last fall just for that reason...
Then the middle of last week I think the dogs had a run in with a coyote- as the old male (Jud) is still gimping around here on 3 legs - and she just seemed more stove up and stiffer than ever....Last night she didn't come when we called her-and I found her this morning.... I think she may have got hurt internally....
Sure gonna be different moving cows home this fall- as she was always the one that helped me the most on that trip.....



Penny with a litter of puppies...We figure she raised almost 100 pups in her life- and has pups scattered all over the state and country--Wash., Iowa, Wyo, etc...Most ended as good cow dogs...


I couldn't find any pics of her without pups- I don't know if I took many of her working, but was a great cow dog...Her and old Jud worked so good together with him being the finesse dog and her being the gogetter to keep him going....I sure hope the year old pup I kept last spring (Sam) will be as much of a gogetter...



She loved the kids and the grandkids- usually jumping up into their bed to have her pups (sometimes even when they were in it) Tough on Grandma- as she always thought of Penny as hers- as she made a special trip to Roundup to pick her up......

[HAY MAKER]

Not much anyone can say to a dog lover to ease their pain when they loose a good dog,I know when i loose one of mine its just like part of the family died.................just takes time Old Timer,I suspect she had a good life...................good luck

[DCM]

Very sorry for the loss of a good dog. I believe that all of our loyal companions meet up with us again on the other side of the gates...

[Mrs.Greg]

OT,I'm very sorry for your families loss,those dogs are our family.


Pretty Penny was a very pretty gal....I don't envy you the task of telling those grandkids

[Jigger Boss]

Sorry for the loss of Pretty Penny OT, she looked like a very sweet girl. Its never easy.

[Oldtimer]

[Faster horses]

I'm so sorry to learn about Penny.

Good dogs are so hard to replace...not that you ever can.
I always think it is a tribute to a good dog to get another, so
I'm pleased that you have one that is up and coming.

Yep, losing an old friend really hurts.

[leanin' H]

You and I hardly agree on much about politics but i sure feel for ya and your family and agree that good dogs are great friends and are tough to lose. Hope you can remember all the great memories and grin when ya do!

[WyomingRancher]

I'm very sorry to hear about your loss. It's hard not to get attached to our dogs. Especially since they seem to turn into best friends and co-workers. I know what you mean about being different moving cows without her. Losing a good dog is like losing your right hand.

I may be joining your grief soon, it looks like my dog who I thought may have eaten poison has bigger problems afterall. Tomorrow we head back to the vet, I'm dreading it.

Regardless of what happens tomorrow, I just think that my dog has had the greatest life ever... something "town dogs" never get to experience. Our dogs have had a true purpose in life.

[OldDog/NewTricks]

sorry for your loss, dogs are our family also

[MsSage]

O Lord our God, we come before You this day in sadness. Penny, who brought us so much joy in life, has now died. Her happy times in our family’s embrace have come to an end. We miss Penny already.

Help us, O God, to remember the good times with Penny. Remind us to rejoice in the happy times she brought to our home. Let us be thankful for the good life we were blessed to give to her.

We are grateful to You, God, for creating Penny, for entrusting her to our care, and for sustaining her in our love for a measure of time. We understand that all that lives must die. We knew that this day would come. And yet, O God, we would have wanted one more day of play, one more evening of love with Penny.

O God, as we have taken care of Penny in life, we ask that You watch over her in death. You entrusted Penny to our care; now, we give her back to You. May Penny find a happy new home in Your loving embrace.

As we remember Penny, may we love each other more dearly. May we care for all Your creatures, for every living thing, as we protected the blessed life of Penny. May her memory bless our lives with love and caring forever. Amen.

[Mrs.Greg]

a Dog



You were just a dog. But a good dog. Right from the start. Your loyalty was never in question. And what you didn't know, you didn't know because I never took the time to teach you.

When you were young I was harder on you. I expected you to understand the basics...and you learned them. A "bad dog" was like a whip on your back.

But when uncontrollable instinct got you in trouble, I didn't hold it against you. I doctored you up, changed your bed and remembered that reason gets left behind in the heat of passion. Be it skunks, gyps or cloven hooves.

You were patient with the young, pups or kids. They pulled your hair, barked around you in circles and rode on your back. I never had to worry. They were safe with you.

You suffered the indignities of veterinary examinations, injections, probings and overnight incarcerations, refusing always to lift you leg under anyone's roof.

You posed for pictures, rode on loads like an acrobat and endured spring clippings yet never lost your dignity.

A fierce guardian of your territory, you did your best to protect us. I knew better than to shout you down at two in the morning. I always figured you were barking for a purpose.

Old age was not unkind to you. Despite the hearing loss, cataracts and stiff joints, you carried on. Sure, I had to help you in the pickup, but you were part of the crew. I noticed you ate less, slept later and turned gray but you never lost your enthusiasm for being part of our outfit.

People debate if dogs have a heaven. I'm not sure that matters. What is heaven to a dog? Enough to eat, something to chase, shade in the summer, someone to scratch your ears and pay you a little attention now and then.

All I know is you added to our life. Companion, listener, guardian and connection to a part of nature we tend to overlook because we're too busy worrying about the minutiae of life.

You reminded us to appreciate a sunny day, a bone to chew and a kind word. You'll be missed around here.

You were just a dog. But you'll be in my heaven. Rest in peace, old friend.

by Baxter Black

Reprinted from The Edge of Common Sense with permission of the author Baxter Black, a retired veterinarian and a cowboy poet.