AiredaleTerriers.org Airedale Terrier Information & Referral Resource

Dogs and their owners sometimes need second chances. The story of Edith/Erin tells about four dogs and four people who found pure joy because Rescue Groups were willing to help them find the perfect match.

Whenever an animal lover takes a new pet into their home, they make a commitment to a lifetime of care, loving and maintenance. Through our lives, this is the commitment we have made to our animals. We have had various breeds of dogs, cats, birds, etc. and have fulfilled this commitment to each of them.

That said, I want to relate to you the one time that this was not the case. After the loss of our Samoyed, followed by the death of our OES, we immediately began to plan for our next dog. My husband had always loved the look of the Airedale and was very interested in having one. We talked to our vet, read some dog books and thought that the Airedale would be the dog for us. So we found a local breeder and went to visit. We fell in love with a little girl, and brought her home with us that day, and named her Jerry’s Dame Edith (Edith Ann). She was the sweetest little fur girl and we loved her from day one.

It soon became obvious to us that she was going to need some obedience training. After all, our previous experience with obedience training had yielded great results and we had no reason to believe that this would be any different. We knew that Edith Ann was very strong willed and determined, but we really had no idea to what extent that was true. Initially, we read the training books and tried everything we read. But, Edith remained the household terror. She chewed everything in sight, surfed counters and constantly nipped us with those razor sharp little teeth. To this I must add that neither my husband nor myself are disciplined people and I recognized that our techniques were not as consistent as they needed to be for this breed of dog.

We also decided that if she had more toys she would find them more interesting than our glasses, pens, briefcases, or any other object in her reach. Such was not the case. We found that if we wanted to sit down, Edith had to be in her crate; otherwise, we were on our feet following her around. Since both of us worked, she had to stay in her crate a great deal of each day. During the summer, I hired the teenager next door to come over in the morning and afternoon and take her out to play in the back yard for a couple of hours each day.

Then we started training with an obedience school. The first school we signed up for used very harsh training methods with animals, so we withdrew from that situation. Next we hired a trainer to come to the house and work with Edith and us. His methods were very successful - as long as he was with us. As soon as he left the house, everything reverted to "business as usual" for Edith. We tried a third trainer. He also came to the house and the results were identical. We were forced to recognize that the problem was more the adults than the dog. Even so, we were determined to keep trying and we did for another three months.

Eventually, it became apparent that we were never going to be able to handle an Airedale and, as much as we loved her, keeping her was certainly not in her best interest. So after much heart wrenching thought, I contacted Airedale Rescue. They were wonderful. As soon as I explained the situation to them, they understood, were never judgmental and were very supportive of our decision to find Edith a new home. I did not want to let Edith go to Rescue and let them make the decision about where she would be placed. I felt strongly that I wanted to know where she went and know the people who were taking her. While we were pondering this problem, the Rescue people gave our phone number to a couple who had recently lost their Airedale and were anxious to adopt another. I got a call one Saturday evening from Christie and we talked for a long time about the dog, their situation regarding a place for her and I tried to be as open as possible with them about our reasons for making this decision. We agreed that they could come the next day and visit and all four of us understood that this did not constitute a commitment on our part to let them take her or a commitment on their part to adopt her.

They came the next day. When they came in the house, Edith was very standoffish. She sat on the couch between my husband and me and would not get down to go meet them. They sat in chairs and eventually Christie slid down on the floor and put some liver treats on the coffee table. Edith had to go take a look at this. Christie then put a small stuffed toy on the table and started talking to her. Edith warmed up pretty fast after that and soon they were playing on the floor.

We talked a long time about Airedales, their special needs, their special dispositions and much more. After another hour or so, my husband and I went into the kitchen to make coffee and talk and to give Christie and Greg a chance to talk privately. We felt that this would be a good and loving home for our girl and they decided that Edith would fit well into their lives. Watching them leave with her was one of the most difficult things we ever did. We were left with the feeling that we just did not try hard enough and would never again have dogs.

But the story does not end here. Actually, it is just beginning. We got phone calls, cards, updates by email from our baby’s new parents and a lifetime friendship ensued. Although Edith’s name was changed to Erin, to us she will always be Edith Ann. But a name change is a small thing compared to knowing what a loving home she is in now. She lives with people who treasure her for the very characteristics we could not handle. And we are still involved in her life.

We have traveled from Chicago to South Bend (with our two rescue greyhounds, Argus and Ajax) to watch Erin compete in her first agility trial. It was wonderful to see her and meet her new brother, Argus. We were warmly welcomed by Christie and Greg and really felt like proud grandparents! What a little girl. She ran, jumped, and performed far above any expectation which we held for her. She is a disciplined and focused dog and is now succeeding very well in agility. And seeing her in the loving environment created by Christie and Greg was heart warming to us. Although we now live in the South and traveling to see Erin compete has become a little more problematic, we do intend to do that again as she progresses through agility competitions. But even if we were unable to do that, we will always be in touch with Christie who sends us long emails and lets us be a part of her life.

In closing, I want to thank Airedale Rescue for all of their effort and kindness in helping a wonderful little girl find the right home with the right people. Also, we are now the proud parents of two retired racing greyhounds whom we rescued about six months after Erin left us. Now there are four dogs who are exactly where they need to be with people who love and understand them. My husband and I are totally devoted to our two "forty mile and hour couch potatoes" who are very happy to just hang out with us and let us love them. Erin and Argus are happy, healthy and living with parents who adore them. This is truly a win/win outcome.

Although I had lived all my life with terriers, our first Airedale, Rigel, was extraordinary! From the beginning, this bundle of energy and confidence combined with a witty sense of humor became the center of our lives. We are a middle-aged couple who incorporated Rigel into every aspect of daily living. When he died from a botched neutering at only 20 months, we were devastated as if we had lost our only child. For the first time, I felt that I could not immediately replace one dog with another. I needed time to recover. But Rigel’s way of greeting every situation in life with joyful exuberance convinced us that we NEEDED another Airedale in our lives.

Our contacts with Airedale Terrier Rescue and Adoption were very caring. They were as interested in finding the correct match as we were. When we said that we wanted a young Airedale to be a part of our family, someone who could go canoe-camping, hiking and do agility, they began looking for just the right dog. It became clear from our descriptions of Rigel, that our ideal dog would be somewhat of a handful for most people. Within two weeks, we were given a choice between three young and mischievous Airedales. We chose to go visit Edith because she was described as a 10 month-old “wild child”, which somehow appealed to us!

Charlotte and Jerry, Edith’s parents, were lovely people. We were struck by how loving they were toward Edith. By any standards they would be considered fine parents for a young Airedale. But somehow they felt that they could not provide something that Edith seemed to need. They loved her enough to contact Airedale Rescue for help in finding the perfect new home for their strong-willed fur girl. As we left their house with Edith and a bundle of dog toys, there were bitter-sweet tears in all of our eyes. We sensed that Charlotte and Jerry were now a part of our extended family.

We had never previously adopted an “older” dog, one who we hadn’t fostered since puppyhood. It was important to us that she realize immediately that this was a new start, that we were her new parents and that we loved her but we set the rules in this house. So we changed her name to Erin to provide some discontinuity with her past, and began low-level obedience training the first day that we had her home. I was absolutely amazed at this new perky girl. She was already trained! She walked nicely on a leash, would sit on cue and would crash her elbows to the floor when offered a treat! Hmmm, didn’t they tell us that her obedience training didn’t stick? For the first week she occasionally snatched a pen or a mitten, but would happily trade for a yummy treat and a chance to do sits to earn even more treats. Although she loved to “kill” her toys, Erin never damaged anything that wasn’t hers. Soon she began bringing us the ball to be tossed, the rope to be tugged and seemed to beg for more and more interaction. This was FUN and exactly what we had hoped for! She loved to interact with us and enjoyed being trained. Once again our evenings were filled with Airedale antics, wild galloping throughout the house, wrestling on the floor, barking, sloppy kisses and joyful exuberance! Who needs a TV!? We knew that we had our perfect match in this “wild child”!

We became attached to Erin immediately, so naturally kept in touch with Charlotte and Jerry. They were concerned about their little girl and we all enjoyed reveling in each new accomplishment that Erin made. Charlotte and Jerry adopted two retired racing Greyhounds who were a perfect match for them. We then brought home a younger brother Airedale for Erin and named him “Argus” after one of the Greyhound stepbrothers.

When Erin had been with us for 6 months and we had completed two six-week courses in agility, we entered our first agility trial. Charlotte and Jerry came a long way to watch and brought the Greyhound stepbrothers along. Erin was thrilled to see her first family. She stood on her hind legs and wagged her head, doing the happy dance that she does only for very special people. But when it was time for our run, my partner and I went into the ring and did our own dance that we love to do together as a team. It was far from a perfect run, but we all marveled in how far this sassy little Airedale girl had come with her training. She had made the transition to her new home and had discovered the fun in working WITH a person. All four people and all four dogs are now in exactly the right place. We all are grateful that Rescue Groups are working with such dedication to give dogs and their people a second chance for happiness.

6/9/03 Update:

Erin is now known officially as:
Jerry's Dame Edith CDX, AX, AJP, OAJ, AXP, MXP, RN, R3-MCL, CGC

-Christie, a very proud partner to that bob-tailed girl!

CDX - AKC Companion Dog Excellent
AX - AKC Agility Excellent
AJP - AKC Excellent Jumpers with Weaves Preferred
OAJ - AKC Open Jumpers With Weaves
AXP - AKC Agility Excellent Preferred
MXP - AKC Master Agility Excellent "B" Preferred
RN - Rally Novice
R3-MCL - Rally Level 3 - Magna Cum Laude
CGC - AKC Canine Good Citizen Certificate

Fragrant Lilacs In the center of a semicircle of fragrant lilac bushes the most wonderful Airedale Girl, Erin, is buried. She was diagnosed with lymphoma and leukemia a month ago. Although chemotherapy helped her to feel better for a few weeks, the effectiveness diminished with each treatment. Chemo bought us some quality time spent romping in the woods together, earning our 20th performance title, snuggling and celebrating the Thanksgiving Holiday with Greg, Argus and our new puppy Cait. But on Sunday evening Erin could not keep food down, started to become dehydrated and was clearly in pain. Soon after we went to bed, she began moaning with each exhale. I spent the night lying on the floor by her bed and petting her neck as she moaned. We knew it was time. At the vet's office Monday morning, she drifted off in my arms. I will always treasure the memory of her relaxing into me and her breathing slowing to a stop as I cradled her body. It was a lovely and peaceful ending to a most wonderful partnership. I have loved many dogs in my lifetime, but Erin was the most special. Other people who have poured their heart and soul into a dog will understand. Erin came to me as a "wild child" Rescue Airedale, considered untrainable and headstrong. She was aggressive toward children and people who startled her. And she was moderately dysplastic in her hips. But she was beautiful to me. All she needed was a job to do and a person committed to learning to understand her so that her attention could be channeled. She became acutely tuned-in to me and we accomplished great things together. Our bond deepened as we taught each other tricks, agility and obedience. There is something very special, almost sacred, about the relationship between a person and the first dog that she trains to a high level. The two explore each other and learn together, and open each other's eyes to infinite possibilities. Before Erin, I had no idea what this was like and had no concept of the level of communication that is possible when a dog and human work so closely for so long. We literally studied each other so that eventually running agility, doing obedience and just living were like dancing together. I will have other doggie partners in my future, but Erin is the one who taught me the first time through. I am eternally grateful to her for being such a willing partner. Erin's resting place among the lilacs is in a spot where she can "greet" me each time I come home. She lies with a "Snausage", a treat that she and Argus loved, the turquoise ball that came with her from her first owners and remained her favorite toy for chasing in the living room, and with a valentine that I made and rolled up next to her heart. Goodbye my Sweet One. I love you. You were such a good dog. I will miss you always. Almost 8 years ago Erin came to us as a 10-month old puppy from Airedale Terrier Rescue and Adoption. I am eternally grateful to the wisdom of Annette Hall for making the last minute decision to redirect Erin's adoption so that she came to me. I have sent a memorial donation to Airedale Terrier Rescue and Adoption and invite you to join me, if you were touched by this most wonderful doggie. Please specify that the donation is in memory of Erin. Go to: http://www.aire-rescue.com/index.php?id=417&PHPSESSID=9316f1d2f130d9882dea6aa2d98f5a72 Or ATRA 1123 Vesper Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Sincerely, Christie Williams, loving mom of Erin (Jerry's Dame Edith) CDX, AX, OAJ, MXP, AJP, RX, R3-MCL, who waits at the Rainbow Bridge 11/28/2006

Copyright 2001-2006 by the authors. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the authors is prohibited.

Photo of Erin on the pause table copyright 2000 by Lesley Mattuchio.