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 old dog dude. S

The Trials of Toby On an oppressive afternoon in Bay City, Texas, the shadow of a thunderstorm cloud slides across an older, very modest neighborhood, eclipsing the glaring sun but having no effect on the temperature. In an airless backyard a bone-thin Airedale starts pacing nervously in his six-by-four foot cage. Thunder rumbles and the dog trembles. Thunderstorms have been frightening and uncomfortable experiences for his whole life. And there are a lot of thunderstorms in Bay City. The dog is almost seven years old. His whole life has been in cages, mostly the one he is in as the storm approaches. His lower teeth between his fangs are worn away from gnawing at his cage out of boredom and frustration. His coat is matted and filthy from living with his own excrement. His owner cleans the cage once a week, and feeds him once a day. Airedales are very affectionate creatures, and the occasional visits by the backyard puppy mill owner are the highlights of this one’s life. When he hears t