Has anybody had success treated a dog's torn cruciate ligament at home?

There is a yahoo group with plenty of dog owners who have skipped surgery and treated their dogs at home with about 6 months of rest. Found also plenty of websites suggesting "conservative management" versus surgery. I am trying to do my research before putting her under the knife which apparently can cause complications and doesn't stop the progress of degenerative arthritis.

When my dog tore his cruciate ligament doing 'spins' on a carpeted floor I was given three options by my vet;#1 - was a $5000.00 surgery with about a 50/50 chance of full recovery.#2 - was a lesser $3500.00 surgery with a 30%-40% chance of full recovery.#3 - was to put the dog on a diet and keep him from excessive exercise for 4-5 months. We, we forced 12 pounds off his frame and 'tried' to limit his activities for the recommended period. The former was easy (we just cut his food ration) but the latter was virtually impossible. Regardless, he did recover and is now his former self. We still do keep a close watch on, and limit his activity level but he is a 5 year old Black Lab so that is rather difficult. To the dogs credit he has adjusted to his new diet and we are keeping his weight artificially low by about 10 pounds at the present time. I do hope that your vet was honest enough to give you the full facts and the odds regarding surgery. And I would heartily recommend method #3 before committing to the surgery. If #3 does not yield the required results surgery can be still held as a viable option.