SeniorJunior

Repeating Perpetual Tail Tales There is a rhythm to reality, and thass a fact. Things go around and come around singing  Deja Vu.  One of our current herd of three Airedales is a senior male, about 14 years old. He had a dramatic youth, bred to be a Schutzhund competitor, which involves rugged training and high expectations. He had one disabling flaw.  He is gun shy, and there are guns aplenty in the dog profession of Schutzhunding, so he was disqualified majorly, and likely embarrassed by his failure.   We rescued him at this low point in his self-esteem, intending to find him a forever home. However, he had a serious chip on his shoulder, a fearsome bark and low tolerance for other dogs. That combo made him very hard to place, so as we did with many other hard-to-place 'Dales, we adopted him. We named him Gunnar. (Har!) No guns Gunnar, Esq. Gunnar is still with us twelve years later, and his story is not finished, but he has become a loveable, loyal, and eccentric ...

A Breed Apart A friend recently asked me about Airedales. My response was so succinct, I think I'll share it. Airedales are big (70-90 pounds), curly-coated lovebugs. They were bred originally in Great Britain to catch the various critters in the granaries and on the docks. So they are “self-directed” hunters, i.e. hard to train as pointers, sitters, etc. But, man, can they catch squirrels, chipmunks, and the like. They are very people-centered, loyal and affectionate. Every one of them I’ve met would like to be a lap dog, even at 80 pounds. Oooof . Jake & Friend If smitten with Airedale need, check out the Southwest Airedale Rescue site . Read a warm, mushy true Airedale saga right here .