Ruby's Story
(formerly known as Sissy)
Click here
to read the background on the rescue of 19 Airedales from a puppymill.
Ruby was one of five taken in by Jocelyn Slatin, a Wheaton Terrier
breeder in Prescott. Jocelyn was wonderful! She worked with each of
the dogs every day to socialize them, got them spayed or neutered,
microchipped and,
as they could stand it, groomed them with the help of friends.
Jocelyn's initial evaluation: Sissy is shy but sweet. She loves to see new faces and will run to the gate to be stroked.
Approximately 2-3 years old. She is afraid of loud noises. She lacks confidence, but is
walking on the leash better every day. She eats well, loves chew bones and just needs time.
She has very clean habits.
7/12/03
Larry and Nancy came to see Sissy. She became glued to them both. Sissy will meet a new 11 wk. old
Cairn in her new home. Jocelyn
8/25/03
I am so sorry I haven't emailed you sooner but our summer was crazy. Sissy is doing great!
She was so afraid of everything when we first got her that we knew why someone named her Sissy!
So we renamed her Ruby for her beautiful red coat.(even though she is truly a sissy!)
She responds to Ruby and is growing more confident every day.
Right away we started taking her for two daily walks. The first walk, about two blocks,
took thirty minutes because she froze at every new sound. Now she walks for thirty minutes
at a good clip, walks on wet sidewalks, ignores all the usual enviromental sounds, and even pees
and sniffs like most dogs do on a walk. Ruby goes to the dogpark several times a week, and is
very well socialized with the other dogs. We were so lucky that she was basically housebroken
and has only had a few accidents. The puppy, a cairn terrier named Scooter, is Ruby's best bud.
We only wish he was housebroken but he is only 4 1/2 months old and he has a way to go.
We are trying to figure out how to Ruby clipped and washed. She is so afraid of water, falling
in the pool didn't help! But we jumped in to save her. We are hoping that seeing Scooter swim
in the pool will help her not to be afraid of water. She finally let me brush her.
She ran everytime she saw the Brush. We put the brush in our family room on the floor.
She would jump and bark at it. Scooter picked it up one day and chased Ruby for 5 minutes
with the brush in his mouth.
Our vet said he thought Ruby was around 8 months old. He said it didn't look like she had gone
into heat yet. We are so happy to have found Ruby. She is very sweet and loving.
Nancy
More about Southwest Airedale Terrier Rescue
