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Airedale Terrier Information & Referral Resource
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Fostering Katie
Over the years, we have had several several sad circumstances in which
adult dogs have needed to come into our lives as a permanent family member.
Don't know how many of you out there in Cyberspace have ever had to deal with
this, so I thought I might write about our latest efforts. There are many
similarities in emotions and many adjustments each dog and also us Humans
have had to make each time these circumstances have occurred. Now, we are
unexpectedly fostering Katie, a rescue Airedale, until her potential new
Family can come to meet her.
This is Katie's story as we know it:
She was surrendered by her Owners, as they had not enough time for her
and Katie was getting too little exercise and attention, due to their work
schedule. At 5 years of age, 90+ lbs, and 26 1/2 " tall, Katie is a big
grrlll with plenty of Airedale attitude and has been an "only dog". She has
been well cared for and known to like people, children, and other dogs.
We had an emergency phone call on Saturday, that due to circumstances
beyond her control, Katie's first Foster home was not working out. Andy
and I decided to have her spend the night here, as her new Family was
possibly able to come and get her the next day. Poor Katie went from her own
home on Friday, to Foster care home #1 to Foster home #2 in less than 48
hours! Kind of reminded me of the stress the dogs must feel on a long ATUR
run!
The preliminary introductions with our two ADTs and the Princess
(lab/chow mix/) went well--Katie was much more fascinated by our Parakeet,
Nick, flying around in his cage! Fausto the c*t wisely laid low in the
basement for the first few hours, gradually peeking out as time passed.
Katie spent 1/2 her time figuring what all the doors to the outside meant,
plus the layout of the house; the other 1/2 of the time panting and whining
by the garage door, stressed out and wanting to go home (in the car!). After
she grabbed her leash, threw it on the floor at our feet, looked up and
barked, Andy got the message and took her for a long walk, after which she
climbed up on the couch next to him, laid her big head across his lap, and
fell asleep. She ate only a little bit of her dinner (her own food), then
spent the evening lying across Andy's legs and whining from time to time at
her bewilderment at these unusual circumstances. She was one confused and
sad Airedale! Fortunately, she fell asleep and didn't wake up until 7 on
Sunday A.M. when the other dogs came barking downstairs to greet the arrival
of the morning paper.
Day One --
Spying Andy early on Sunday morning as he came into the Family room,
Katie again grabbed her leash and "talked" Andy into a long leisurely walk.
He found out that for such a big grrrlll, she did very little pulling and
with a flat buckle collar on, no less! Also, she would not retrace her steps
("already smelled that, been there"), only wanting to go forward! Attempts
at turning around were met by "planting" her very large frame in to the
ground and not budging! So, he ended up going all the way around in a circle
type walk!
We discovered she likes toast points at breakfast, as she came racing
into the kitchen at the first "crunch"! The day passed with no more panting
and her sitting quietly next to Andy on the couch for the entire Buffalo
BIlls game (for those football fans, you would know that Andy needed all the
sympathetic companionship he could get for that one!). Also that morning, I
attempted to groom Katie, starting out very slowly along her back, using a
little conditioner on the brush to detangle her coat if necessary, as I went
along. She tolerated that and her back legs being touched, took offense to
her back end and front lower legs being brushed, but let me detangle her very
matted beard. Not too bad for a first attempt, I thought. She didn't look
as though she had been brushed out regularly and wasn't used to it all.
Later in the day, I tried a few Obedience commands. Found out she knows
"sit, "come" (but only if she feels like it), her name, and the phrases "go
in the car", "outside" and "go for a walk" (an obvious favorite). "Down"
holds no meaning at all, neither does "stay" or "heel"...Katie's first Foster
Mom thought at first she might be deaf, as there was no response to "Katie
come", then figured out she could hear a paper wrapper being opened in the
kitchen just fine! She next thought Katie didn't even know her name, as she
totally ignored the "come" command when outdoors. However,when I held a
piece of cheese out to her and said "come" that afternoon, she came right in
and sat in "front" like a good grrlll. Attitude!
We also discovered that Katie loves ice cream! She hung her head over
Andy's shoulder as he finished off a pint of Ben and Jerry's with obvious
interest in every bite! All her likes and dislikes I am filing for future Training by me and her new
Family!
Unfortunately, during the night, Katie had an extreme case of
homesickness, whining and crying downstairs. I went down to let her out,
waitied patiently in my nightgown , barefoot and freezing, until she
"decided" to come in. All day long, she had come right back in with the
others, this tiime she decided to play stubborn and I wasn't dressed to deal
with it. Finally Georgia came down, went out, then came in for her cookie,
and Katie decided she should have one too and followed Georgia in.
I then sat with Katie on the couch while she put her big fuzzy head
across my lap, and she just whined and cried for about 10 minutes. Finally,
I put on Animal Planet (this was about 1 A.M.) and she perked up a bit, then
went to sleep. When I snuck upstairs, she woke up, came upstairs, found Andy
soundly asleep on the bed, and joyfully jumped on top of him,kissing his
face affectionately! She then took herself downstairs, but proceeded to
whine and cry again. He said to me, "That poor girl is broken-hearted" and
took his pillow down to the Family room, where he spent the night nearby.
Katie slept. Andy didn't much...
Day Two --
Monday morning brought the mad rush for us to get to work! Katie went
upstairs while Andy was getting out of the shower, and brought him one of his
shoes and a belt, indicating that it was time for her walk! He fondly patted
her head and said that later would be better as they both came downstairs...
After a couple of morning dog biscuits, it was off to Day Care, with me
driving along with 4 very large dogs squished together in the van! I didn't
know how I was going to get Katie in the door, as she had a reputation for
not liking to go to the Groomer, so I decided to use Branagan as a lead out.
I literally was dragged into Daycare by 147 pounds of Airedales--but she was
in before she figured out where she was! Branagan kindly led Katie on a
Doggie Daycare tour ("this is the kitchen--check!--the playroom--check! the
crate room--check! the water dish--check! etc., etc.) while I explained to
Jean about Katie's history. Jean looked a little pale when she spied 90 lb
Katie, with her tail down, actively sniffing around the grooming area, unitl
Katie saw her and introduced herself by jumping lightly up and giving Jean
some morning Airedale kisses! Katie then jumped up on the counter, greeting
the next Daycare customer by ringing the cash register with her big paws
("Show me the money!") while wagging her tail with a big Airegrin on her
face! Katie does love people!
Never did get a chance to find out how the rest of the day went, as when
Andy and I both called, we were told "everything's fine and she's OK". It was
a very busy grooming day! Oh well, they didn't say she couldn't come back
tomorrow, and the phone hasn't rung tonight, so I guess we're in the clear!
Tonight, Katie ate a bit more dinner, then went for a long walk. Andy
said more of her Airedale spirit is coming out--she dug up a mouse nest in
the field with 2 swipes of her big paws and barked at a little dog who was
barking at her as they walked by... She and Branagan and Georgia actually
had a "playfight" upstairs this evening (at least there was no blood!) and
later Katie tried to eat Andy's glasses and the remote control! She and
Fausto the c*t have come to an understanding and are sleeping in the Family
room.
We'll see what tomorrow brings...
Day Three ..
Started bright and early today! About 6 A.M. we came downstairs to let
everyone out. Katie thought we were all nuts, and proceeded to continue
sleeping on the couch. Actually, she slept all last night without
whining--too tired out from Day Care and her walk! She finally decided that
it looked like she might get left behind if she didn't get moving, so she
went out around 6:30. After a few biscuits and a fast brushing, off we went
to Day Care. When we arrived, she went right in very willingly. Jean said
that Katie had had a good first day on Monday, and was settling in and
figuring things out. They saw no aggression towards other dogs in either
the Day Care or Grooming area, nor to any of the people coming in and out.
Rather, she was quite friendly to all--a born people greeter! Her chosen
playmate was a little Boston Terrier, whom Mary said Katie just loved!
After dinner, I called the Owner of Puppy Love to ask her assessment of
Katie.
Mary said Katie was more comfortable today, and learned she could bull the
door open between Day Care and the Grooming area. She then proceeded to let
herself in and out of either area, going to Day Care for play and potty, and
Grooming for rest and hugs! Katie found the extra large huge crate in the
front room and slept in there for her nap, with the door open (she has never
been crated in her life, but had an outdoor dog house in her previous home).
Mary is going to groom her this Saturday--she wanted to give Katie time to
get to know them and be familiar with the grooming area before attempting it!
I saw Katie trying to play, for the first time, with Rusty, a red lab mix
about 55 lbs. It sure was nice to see her Airedale spirit coming out!
Her appetite is picking up, but she still isn't finishing her 2 cups
of food at her evening meal. I am not giving her breakfast (1 1/2 cups of
dry food) as she is about 20 lbs or so overweight! She gets a couple of dog
biscuits before we leave, and several at Day Care throughout the day. Found
out she likes peanut butter and Tim Horton peanut donuts from her first
Foster Mom, who called tonight to see how Katie was doing. Believe me, you
sometimes need these "tools" to get Katie to "come" when she gets the
stubborns. We worked on that command a little this morning before we left,
and I rewarded her when she even took two steps forward when she was in the
stubborn mode. At times, she will come right in and sit in front like a good
girl, but likes to choose herself when this will happen!
If I were the one adopting Katie, I would definitely start her Obedience
Training with the "recall" first. Next I would introduce the "down"--a
really tough one for a shy or more dominant dog. I remember Princess had the
same problem with the recall and the down when she first came here. I took
her for Obedience training for 18 months, and trained about 5 minutes twice a
day most days. She is a nice Obedience dog now, and knows the whole Novice
routine! We can all live in peace together and enjoy one another's company
since she obeys our commands and knows her "place" in our rather large pack!
Katie found the c*t asleep in his bed on the rocker this afternoon when
she returned from Puppy Love. She was getting a little too nosey, and
refused to back off when Andy told her--so he grabbed the back of her neck
and yelled "OFF"! She gave a yelp and settled down immediately! When I came
home, the dogs were all barking noisily at me. Katie has never liked all
this commotion and decided it was time to stop it. She tried the Alpha
stance over Brangan and Georgia a couple of times and was getting a little
excited over it. I took the shake bottle, and made a lot of noise yelling
"Katie--NO--EVERYBODY SETTLE!!" in as deep a voice as I could muster. She
immediately backed off and I haven't heard a peep out of her since. I
noticed she is very receptive to the word "NO" if spoken loudly and with
firmness. Last evening I had used it when she tried prewashing the dishes in
the dishwasher, and the one time I caught her countersurfing. She doesn't
have to "surf" much, as her head is counter level!! Katie also has the
Airedale habit of placing her head on your lap at the table, if you let her
get away with it...and looking hungry and pitiful at the same time.
The big Miss has just returned from her nightly walk, in the newly
fallen snow, and I'm betting she will sleep well again tonight! The words of
the song, "Getting To Know You",... getting to know all about you....getting
to like you, getting to hope you like me!--keep going through my head this
evening...
Sleepy AireWaves to All!
Day Four with Katie--
Got another early start to the day, as when Andy left for work, Katie
lay by the front door whining for him at 6:40 A.M. None of us could sleep
through it, so we all got up and started our Thanksgiving preparations. I
managed the day off from work, so no Doggie Day Care today!
Worked on the "come" command several times today. Katie is getting
perceptibly better at it, but still is slow about coming in from outdoors. I
tried peanut butter on a spoon at noontime when she was out, and that worked
pretty well! She also joined in the outdoor dog barking contest which goes
from dog to dog throughout the neighborhood--the first time she has acted
protectively in her new territory.
When Andy came home from work, Katie was absolutely overjoyed to see
him! She barked and jumped and carried on with Airedale abandon and wagging
tail! Then, she grabbed a ball and brought it over to where Andy was seated
in the Family room. She proceeded to gruff and shake it vigorously from side
to side with the Airedale prance in full swing. "OUCH!" said Andy--"She has
a head like a rock when she hits your legs with it!" I can see how these
B-I-G Airedales are used to hunt bear and mountain lion--they have incredibly
strong "jaws of death" and even in play are very intimidating! I'd think
twice about messing with one of these Dales if I were a bear, believe me!
This is the first time she has played with any type of toy since she arrived!
I would have loved to have "gotten her going" by throwing it for her, but
not indoors with the other animals around! Next she tried a bone, but spat
it out when she tasted it!!
Her personality is coming more up front now, and we have used the shake
bottle when she gets a little carried away. Katie is very responsive to a
firm "NO!" for most things, but if that doesn't work, the bottle is a very
effective deterrent to any unwanted behavior. Actually, any kind of loud
noise seems to stop her in her tracks. We can't have mayhem here with four
big dogs, and poor Fausto the c*t about! We also use a lot of positive
reinforcement when she behaves properly. I think clicker training would be
of help to her, since she is so noise responsive.
She has stopped asking to go home today, but still always is game for a
walk or ride in the car. When she gets excited, she grabs for your shoes,
hat, gloves--anything with your scent on it. The words "Let's go!" bring her
to her feet with that endearing Terrier quizzical head tilt!
Hope Katie gets her Thanksgiving wish for a wonderful forever family
who can appreciate all the love she has to give!
An AireThanksgiving for all the lucky Airedales on the Airedale-L in
their happy homes this year!
Katie--Day Five --Thanksgiving
Everybody was up at 6:30 this morning due to the paper
delivery--Princess heard him way down the street, so we were all treated to
about 20 minutes of periodic barking from her (warning--paper boy at
Cunninghams, warning paper boy at Mogaveros, warning...etc.) All the dogs,
including Katie, joined in the noise today. She has decided as of yesterday
to protect our home from all or any "space invaders'! After all the Furkids
were let out for their morning constitutionals and back in, I decided to try
to get a little more sleep and for once everyone obliged!
Later on this morning, Andy decided to vacuum before any folks
arrived for dinner and brought out the big Hoover Windtunnel. He was curious
to see how Katie would react to it. She reacted to it by following him
around the entire time he vacuumed, occasionally standing in front of it and
not budging! It was too funny to watch him and his "helper" try to get this
normally boring chore accomplished!
Afterwards, they went for a long walk. Now if you can't stand p**p
talk right after dinner, skip this part...When they returned, Andy had left
Katie in the garage and came in saying, "We have a little problem--Katie has
grass and strings hanging out of her p**per! I tried to swipe them away, but
1. she barked at me and 2. they are pretty stuck in. Looks like she may have
chewed up some sort of rug." Such a lovely and welcome announcement in the
midst of getting the turkey into the oven! When he let her in, sure enough,
her back end was pretty gross. Of course, she had no idea and was ready for
her nap on the couch. As she was getting pretty insistent about it, I
brought the shake bottle over and shook it, laying it across the couch.
Katie took one look at it and made a lunge for it! ("#*^@^ shake bottle on MY
couch--NO WAY!"). Real Terrier attitude at last! Andy then simply grabbed
her collar and made her stand near her dog bed while we pondered what to do.
I decided tactics were called for and went and got some treats to distract
her. Andy grabbed some tissues and made several futile attempts at her
butt--she kept her tail tightly tucked!! Finally she decided to get a
drink--with her tail held up! While I was at the sink I heard a loud
"YIPE!!"-- and there stood Andy, proudly showing Katie what he was able to
grab out of her butt--a nice piece of carpet with yellowish stringy fringe on
it! I quickly grabbed a corn muffin and shoved it at Katie so she would
forget what an insult had suddenly been perpetrated upon her, and just when
she was beginning to trust us!
We discovered that Katie has a sweet tooth, but has the politeness to
wait until you are just finished with your last bite of dessert before coming
up to you and eyeing your plate. If you choose to ignore her, she will bark
at you for attention ("Can't you see me?? You have teensy piece left on your
plate that you are not
eating-- GIVE IT TO ME NOW, please!").
This evening while resting in his recliner after dinner, Andy was able
to rub Katie's front legs all the way down to her feet and then rub her
belly--two things she had not allowed until now. I can see how scared and
stressed she was when she first came, as the difference in her personality in
just a few days is incredible! They next played a game with the giant rope
toy and got into a tug of war. Andy was laughing and yelling--"I think my
shoulder's dislocating!"
Grooming is coming along a liitle better--got all the way through her
beard with the rotating tooth comb. Her recall is improving a little more
each day as she has figured out that there is a treat each time at the end of
the "come" command.
My Mom was able to join us from the Nursing Home today. Katie would
kiss her hands affectionately, then bark at the wheelchair wheels! She just
couldn't figure out what the heck that contraption was all about.
Well, here it is, Thanksgiving dishes are done, no dogs stole the
turkey (not for lack of trying!) and we are all stuffed instead of the
turkey! Hope yours was as enjoyable as ours!
And oh--Kimbee!--Thanks for the "cornbraid" recipe--Katie and the rest
of us loved them!
Sleepy AireWaves To All!
Katie--Day Six
As our younger son, Scott, is visiting from Florida, we decided to send
Katie to Puppy Love today. This left us free to shop and go out for lunch
without worrying about what all the animals were up to while we were gone.
Julie said Katie was a good girl all day and took her afternoon rest in a
crate with the door open. She pretty much has free rein at Day Care and is
the unofficial "people greeter" at the desk. Two more couples who have their
dogs there have said they would be interested in adopting her! At this rate,
Katie will find her new home all by herself...
When we returned home, Andy had her in the garage with him getting her
into the house. Quicker than the speed of light, she put her head into the
covered plastic garbage can near the door and got hold of yesterday's turkey
caracass! To her credit, he was able to pry it out of her jaws of death with
no harm done. She does not appear to be at all food aggressive (thank doG).
Her previous owner let her free feed all day, as she was an only dog, so food
does not appear to be an issue for her.
After dinner, Katie played rope tug with Scott, then Andy, and next
tried it with me. I couldn't even hold the rope for her, she is so strong,
so I just gave it over to Andy with a "Hey Andy--H-E-L-P!!!" Then she tried
to eat my glasses, but a firm "NO" kept her off! AAHHhhh--Airedale
affection!! Finally she settled down on the couch with Andy, her giant head
in his lap, and they are currently watching the Buffalo Sabres Hockey
game...Katie does like to keep you company while watching TV!
Scott said that if he could have pets at his Condo, he'd love to adopt
her himself--he said she's a good girl and he's never been around such a big
one before!
Early this morning, Katie let Andy give her a tummy rub, and hold her
front paws, which he stroked gently. Then, he was slowly able to get the
rotating tooth comb all the way through her underside. We have gotten the
entire dog combed out, but it has taken us 4 days! The more trusting she is
of us, the more she tolerates the handling. It is very different being
around these LTA's, believe me! At 90+ lbs, you have to give these dogs a
lot of respect and some "space" while maintaining your Alpha status. She is
quite a training challenge, being very smart and so stubborn! It would be
very rewarding having her in regular Obedience classes, and watch her
progress. Nothing like giving a big dog a "big job" to do!
Airewaves--
Katie--Day Seven
Well, Saturday was a big test for Katie--a full grooming! After 3 days
of Doggie Day Care and her banging around both areas of Puppy Love, we all
decided it was time to attempt a beauty treatment there. Apparently, her
former owner used to stay with her through this process, and she is known to
have Airedale attitude about her front feet...
When we arrived, Andy took her right back to the grooming table , reached
down around her legs and lifted her up onto the table, fitting her head into
the noose without Katie having a chance to think about it. Mary approached
her, and Katie gave her a big smoochy Airedale kiss! Once the clippers
started working on her, we were able to leave, knowing she was in good hands.
Within an hour and a half, Katie was fully clippered and bathed--and what a
beautiful Airedale she is! She has a lovely face and deep expressive eyes
(now that we can really see them!). Her toenails, however, still all belong
to Katie--Mary said Katie is just too powerful to hang onto and she strongly
objected to the nail clippers...We were amazed that this Airedale, whose
front legs, fanny, and tummy you couldn't touch 5 days ago, let Mary and us
handle her all over now!--and while giving out kisses! I did arm Mary with
some cheese slices, however, to up the ante in her favor!
Last night we had another Thanksgiving with folks we hadn't seen on the
Holiday. Our 5 year old Grandson, Azure, was over as well, and Katie was
wonderful with everyone---trying to bestow kisses and "talk" everyone into
playing ball with her. She definitely has a sweet tooth, but was content to
lay down nearby while we ate, only approaching the table when we were
finished...
Katie is definitely a relaxed Airedale now, and her true personality is in
full Airedale bloom!
Katie--Day Eight
Just realized that today is the first day we have not had to use the
shake bottle to reprimand Katie! I guess the house rules are sinking in! We
have had lots of company over the past two days and she has been a very good
grrll..
This afternoon, her new potential owners and I had a very long talk on
the telephone about my and all the Daycare folks' assessment of this Airedale
girl. Turns out that Katie has a very similar personality to their last
Airedale, also a big grrlll at 75 lbs! "Darla" was also as stubborn as
Katie, and the more I talked about Katie's stubborn episodes, the harder they
laughed, as Katie's antics are so similar to the way "Darla" was. They are
anxious to come and meet her and I am happy about what they had to say about
her future with them. Katie will again be an only dog, and as they are a
retired couple, she will be included in their 2 mile a day walking program!
I think Katie will be very content with them, once she readjusts to yet
another home. I told them to give her at least a week to settle in, as she
will be very homesick and distressed again and her true personality won't
come out for at least a week or more due to all the new changes. She is full
of Airedale spirit when she finally relaxes in a new environment!
I miss her already...
Katie--Day Nine
Snowed in! We got 16 inches of the fluffy stuff overnight and all the
schools in the area were closed. Yippee! For once, I was scheduled off at
the Hospital, too, and Andy and I had an extra day with "lots of snow and no
place to go"! We lit up the fireplace after he was finished snowblowing the
driveway, had a hot bowl of soup and then he and Katie sat on the couch to
watch the video replay of yesterday's Bills game, where they trounced
Sunshine Boys from Miami pretty good!
Katie was upset that she didn't get her walk (we have no snowshoes!) and
had to be content to run around the yard in the snow trenches for her
exercise today. She watched and whined while Andy worked the driveway clear
of snow. This is the second day I have not had to use the shake bottle for
discipline--she is much more responsive to my voice and has pretty much
learned the house rules.
Last night she decided she was going to sleep on our bed. Andy told her
to get off and she looked at him with those Airedale dinosaur eyes. He
grabbed the back of her neck and off she went with a grr and a Yipe! I then
took her downstairs on her leash, told her to go to bed, then put the baby
gate across the bottom of the steps. End of the issue and all slept well!
She did grab the remote control at some point during the night, however, and
left a couple large toothmarks in it...
Tomorrow her hopefully new Mom and Dad are coming to meet Katie. I am
sending the other 3 off to Daycare, as two are being groomed there anyways.
It will make the house a lot quieter and we will be able to concentrate more
on Kate and her paperwork.
Andy is hoping to come home from school in time to meet the new folks.
I am hoping, for his sake, that they are gone by then.. This will be
especially hard on him...
Katie--Day Ten
This morning, Andy, myself and Katie had a long talk about some very
nice folks who were coming to visit. We told her that they needed a very
special Airedale just like herself as their own Airedale had gone to the
Rainbow Bridge not too long ago. Katie cocked her head and listened with
Airedale intensity as we told her she may be going for a long ride in the car
"bye bye" to a new home.
It must have worked, because every noise in the street brought her
running to the front window to look "for the people coming"!
When they arrived, "Bill" was armed with cheese bits in his front shirt
pocket, much to the delight of Katie! She'd jump up, Bill would tell her
"sit" , she'd sit, get a cheese bit, then jump up again...sit...etc. etc.
"Rose" came in and got lots of kisses and made Bill give her some cheese for
Katie, too--she was one happy wiggle butt!
She amazed them with her quick recall when they said, "Katie, come!" and
she even showed them her newest trick--"down" which she had mastered only
this morning, but did 7 times today!! We talked about how to train "stay" in
first a sit, then a down postion, and how to carry it over to a doorway to
prevent Katie bolting out, which was my next training goal. We eventually all
made it into the dining room to go over Katie's information and paperwork.
Thanks to Mary's beautiful grooming, Katie looked adorable with her
sculpted face and gorgeous brown eyes...
For two hours, Katie was on her very best behavior, and after the first
20 minutes or so of excitement, settled down at Bill, then Rose's feet--much
to their delight! Just as they were getting ready to leave, Andy came home
from work and got to meet the new adoptive Family. He feels very good about
this placement for Katie, after getting to meet Bill and Rose. They are
retired and are in a walking program, so Katie will have lots of attention
and exercise! Being Airedale experienced, they seem very capable of handling
this big grrll, as their last ADT weighed over 75 lbs...and had a stubborn
streak just like Katie's!
After packing all Katie's belongings--bed, bowl, leash, new collar,
toys, food and papers, off she went with Bill and Rose, happily wagging her
tail. She jumped into their Van and in typical Airedale style, never looked
back!
Somehow the house seems very quiet tonight, and Andy looks strange
sitting on the couch without Katie draped over his knees watching a Sabres or
Bills game!
We wish the best for this new "AireFamily" and hope their obvious joy in
each other grows stronger every day. Our sadness at Katie's leaving is
tempered with the happiness Bill and Rose showed as they left with their new
Airechild.
G'night, Katie--sweet Airedreams in your new home! We will always keep
you in a special place in our hearts...
This evening, just before I left for Agility class, the phone rang--it
was "Rose", Katie's new Mom! I took a deep breath and waited for the
news--Rose wanted to let us know that everything was just fine with Katie!
She reminds them so much of their "Darla" (who recently went over the
Rainbow Bridge!), right down to the occasional case of the "stubborns".
Rose said that Katie rode home in the space between the two front seats in
the van with her head on Rose's knees, kept falling asleep and almost falling
over, but wouldn't lose that "contact" with her new Mom...
In the evening after their long walk, "Bill" sat on the floor of the
Family Room watching TV with Katie right by his side (sound familiar??). She
gave him a full Airebath on the top of his head and all over his face! Rose
laughingly said she has never seen such an affectionate Airedale! They
thanked us both for all the time we spent with their Furgrrl and are
especially grateful for her refresher training course, as her response to the
"come" and "down"commands is so quick. Rose is following all the advice I
gave on feeding and walking her--Katie has the peculiar habit of stopping in
the middle of the doorway sometimes when going out or coming in. When the
"stubborns" hit, she will not be moved. (and at 90 lbs, you couldn't if you
tried!). I told them to throw a biscuit or a piece of cheese ahead of her,
and sure enough, it has worked like a charm!
Andy was happy to hear that Katie was adjusting so well to her new
Family and although he misses her (the first thing he said this morning was
"I wonder how Katie slept last night?"), he feels her new Mom and Dad are
just perfect for her.
Helping Katie through this rough time in her life was an affirmation
for me of the strength and fortitude of the Airedale character. It was just
wonderful to see her Aireattitude and personality surface once she began
adjusting to these strange new circumstances. Although bereft and
heartbroken, she was able to get through it and find love again with a new
Family. Andy and I will always remember holding her in our arms all through
her second night with us, as she whined and cried for her lost home. Now we
picture her happy and safe in the arms of her new Family, going for long
walks and keeping Bill company watching TV!
G'night, Katie--have a wonderful new life!
Airewaves--
Yvonne and the JazzAires
Hamburg, N.Y.
AYMICH@AOL.COM
Airedale Rescue
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