04/19/2026
The dreaded Announcement I have not been wanting to make but feel I need to allow others to know this news as people have loved and love Sprocket too.
Sprocket was born 10/06/2013 and he was the best gift heaven could have ever brought to me. He was way too young when we brought him home, as I had to water his food down until it puffed up and feed him bit by bit. I layed with him all night(s) long until he got bigger.
It is actually a funny story in HOW and WHY we got him. I always wanted an Aussie. A specific one. But Matt said no we have two dogs already. Blah blah blah. But then Matt wanted a second child. And after Cooper and life mentally/emotionally/physically.. Cooper had colic and reflux and a baby seemed like YIKES. No thank you.
But Matt bargained with me… he said find your Aussie and we get a second human child. Hmmm no brainer! We got my Sprocket first in 2013 and Oakley came September 2014. lol. He was the PERFECT runt, he was the last one pup in the litter, and he was that blue eyed, blue Merle I have always wanted and he was only in Eaton, 20 minutes away! Like what?! Perfection!! And thank God for Sprocket because now we have an Oakley that I am blessed from the Gods with.
He grew up with Cooper. As he got old enough he went on hikes with me. He went everywhere with me. Many of my friends of Oxford know him because we would walk the town. And of course the Miami trails. Oakley grew up with him. Never knowing any different. Matt would take him to the farm more times than is countable. He loved the tractors, he loved going on grain hauling trips. Matt and I both got hung up on this BOY! ATTACHED!
Once we moved to the current home place, we walked to Hueston Woods everyday. Stroller and all. At first just Cooper. Then a double stroller came in place with both Cooper and Oakley. Many of goldfish and snacks were eaten along the way and also snuck to Sprocket by them. Watching those little cute dimpled hands dangle over, Sprocket would gracefully with ease grab them without being smooshed by the stroller.
And when we didn’t have the stroller it was all the way to the Hueston Woods beach and back. This good boy and I have so many miles under our feet.
We even would walk the country block/stroller and all to visit Grandma (Clara Belle) Nixon ! It was some of the best moments.
Sprocket’s first adventure was to the FARM!! And from day one it was heaven!! His favorite word… “FARM”
He was protector to Cooper and Oakley. And I can even remember on a Miami trail, a guy stopped me and Sprocket was growling at him. What?! This is the friendliest dog on planet earth! So Sprocket alerted me to danger and to keep moving. We also had times where a guy in a van followed him and I a couple of times from Hueston Woods but I am betting it all on Sprocket is what stopped him from human trafficking. But after a couple of days, thank God for never seeing him again.
Later on He had to get an ACL surgery. Playing hard means we sometimes get hurt. But he left his love and play all out loud for everyone to see. ALWAYS. Happiest dog I have ever known!
But this surgery ended up going back to the vet to get stitches back in. He had the cone of shame and a donut!! Both!!! He was smart and would rub himself against the cage. No licker needed to pop a stitch. We went back two more times and at that point, he got the staples. The staples are what finally healed the wound. But because he was so persistent to move and get those stitches out and bumping his leg here and there. It didn’t heal correctly. So off to the vet we went again once to get the staples removed. (At this point, I was freaking out because I didn’t have my walking buddy. I didn’t have my main support life line with me everywhere I went. He didn’t act the same and was gimpy.) But once we went back to the vet, he was diagnosed with having arthritis.
We gave him supplements but with this kind of traumatic ACL incident to the leg, we knew his walking days were over. But his days with barking at sheep and running them in from the pasture never stopped. He would help get those cows in the trailer. He was still the happiest FUR BABY that could ever be.
He was not just my dog. Not just my buddy. But my BABY. He was equally as loved just as Cooper and Oakley. He was my life line. The other half of me. My heart. The emotional support I needed on the hard days and all the unconditional love that I could ever need in one stare.
The STARE. He would stare at you as if he could read your soul. And I know he could. When he was outside and we were inside, he would look in at the windows at us making sure we were safe. But looking into your soul. Knowing all your feelings. Your sadness. Your happiness. All the emotions! And he also wanted to be with us everywhere. He was and I am going to think still is my shadow. Matt said whenever I would leave, he would go stand up to watch out the window until I was long gone out of sight.
After my last post about Sprocket’s last WHO-RA to the farms, he became completely non mobile. He wanted to eat. The past many of months he has tried eating and it would come up more times than not. So that last week he ate and threw up and eventually stopped eating. But I was shocked by the amount of water he drank. I was going to keep him alive as long as possible, carrying him in and out. But that Saturday morning, his breathing took a turn. And he was in much pain. It was time. And I hate it. I absolutely hate it.
We requested a home call for this. And when our blessed friend and vet McKenna Marshall came to our house after her vet office hours Saturday, April 11th, she reassured us that he would live a couple of more months maybe like this. But with him drinking so much water, he was going into kidney failure. He would eventually have seizures and it would be a hard and even more painful death.
So she guided us through and we talked. We had stories. We layed on the ground, all of us. And we allowed him to go into peace. He is running free with no pain. Walking, hiking, getting those sheep, and doing his job at being the bestest boy out there ! And I am sure he looking in on us and still protecting and watching.
This loss is not any ordinary loss. He is and forever will be my heart dog. I have some close ones here at home…but…
Sprocket IS and ALWAYS will be my ROCK.
RIP my sweet boy
Nixon’s Sprocket
10/06/2013 - 04/11/2026
