Happy Tales
Bear
Thanks again for bringing Bear into our lives. He's doing great. He's a perfect addition to our family and we love him so much. He so wonderful, happy, affectionate, and a little naughty (which we like too!). He's the absolute best with other dogs - dog parks, neighbors, wherever we go. He's getting used to the car. We've tried about 4 leashes and the gentle leader is the winner for Bear - even on the unicycle. No more pulling! Also, he's doing really learning how to 'come' when called. He'll be going on his first camping trip this coming Memorial Day weekend.
Zoe: 9.5 years of joy and counting!
Zoe’s Happy Tale
Zoe (formerly Hannah and Bonnie) joined our family 9 ½ years ago. We adopted her from a photo posted on the ATRVA website and didn’t see her in person until the day she was delivered to our home. She’s been a joy since the minute she jumped out of the ATRA volunteer’s car and into our hearts and lives.
She’s a mixed Airedale – we think she’s mixed with kangaroo based on her whirling dervish turns in moments of excitement. But her true terrier comes out in occasional digging, fierce protection of her territory (no squirrel dares come down from the fence), and her brave and loving heart.
Although she was only a year and half old when she came to us, she must have been treated well. She showed no signs of abuse, although she does not like men who use noisy tools or vacuum cleaners. Zoe gets along with other dogs and is especially kind to small dogs at the dog park.
We are thankful that ATRVA brought this wonderful dog into our lives. I expect that others who acquired great Airedales and Airedale mixes from ATRVA feel the same. Thank you for all of the great work you do to ensure these amazing creatures find loving homes.
Zoe (formerly Hannah and Bonnie) joined our family 9 ½ years ago. We adopted her from a photo posted on the ATRVA website and didn’t see her in person until the day she was delivered to our home. She’s been a joy since the minute she jumped out of the ATRA volunteer’s car and into our hearts and lives.
She’s a mixed Airedale – we think she’s mixed with kangaroo based on her whirling dervish turns in moments of excitement. But her true terrier comes out in occasional digging, fierce protection of her territory (no squirrel dares come down from the fence), and her brave and loving heart.
Although she was only a year and half old when she came to us, she must have been treated well. She showed no signs of abuse, although she does not like men who use noisy tools or vacuum cleaners. Zoe gets along with other dogs and is especially kind to small dogs at the dog park.
We are thankful that ATRVA brought this wonderful dog into our lives. I expect that others who acquired great Airedales and Airedale mixes from ATRVA feel the same. Thank you for all of the great work you do to ensure these amazing creatures find loving homes.
Molly: a letter from her 6 yo owner
Emmett: The world is not such a scary place anymore
Emmett was so very shy when we first got him. Everything frightened him. He was good on a leash but he was scared of things in the neighborhood: large trash cans, motion detector with lights, and parked cars. It was so sad to see this sweet boy be so frighten of life. Little by little he has come out of his shell. He loves his walks, he loves to play in his fence in yard and he has learned quite a few words. Stay, cookie, speak, lie down, sit, shake, Mama and Carly (his name for my daughter). |
Photos of Emmett
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He has become an excellent watch dog with a very deep bark. He is very protective of the house and who ever enters KNOWS we have a dog. He has become very close to our black cat Angus, who will rub his face on Emmett while Emmett’s tail is going 90 miles and hour. They really like each other.
Emmett sleeps with me and we have an evening routine of once I am settled he with snuggle up close long enough for some ear rubs and kisses. Then he is up and moves to the foot area of the other side of the bed.
Emmett is my 6th Airedale of my life and my first rescue. I am so grateful we have him and he is becoming a confident and loving Airedale, as he should be.
Emmett sleeps with me and we have an evening routine of once I am settled he with snuggle up close long enough for some ear rubs and kisses. Then he is up and moves to the foot area of the other side of the bed.
Emmett is my 6th Airedale of my life and my first rescue. I am so grateful we have him and he is becoming a confident and loving Airedale, as he should be.
Kate: our Airehound
A Note from Kate's Family:
Kate has acclimated well with her 2 older furry senior siblings and of course, her 2 human children ADORE her. Being blind in one eye has not stopped her at all. Sometimes she does clip walls or people when excitedly running about. She is a big girl and definitely resembles her Hound Dad than her Airedale Mom. She has some scruffy whiskers under her chin and a few on the top of her nose. HER NOSE IS AMAZING! She can smell the smallest morsel of food ANYWHERE. It makes us clean up the kitchen much more carefully. Kiss me Kate is a welcome and loved addition to our family. |
Photos of Kate
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Ruby Red and Blue – our rescue story:
Our family was so excited when we brought 9-week-old “Blue” home in late January 2013 to join our Airedale Ruby.
We created a dog-friendly/safe area in the kitchen, with all the doors closed, and chew toys everywhere, as well as a fenced pen in which she could sleep and relax. That evening, she whined at my feet to be picked up. Once I did, she totally collapsed, asleep like a baby cradled in my arms, her legs spread wide and her warm, soft belly fur exposed for the boys to gently tickle. That night, I placed her in a pen of sorts, as her new crate hadn’t arrived yet. As soon as I turned around, Little Blue puppy sprung over that four foot wall with absolutely no effort and bounced into me. |
Photos of Ruby and Blue
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Shocked, I put her back in, and watched as she climbed the wall, careening over the side and tumbling to the floor, eager to play. Her first foster Mom commented that Blue as being the most adventuresome & most often escapee of the 5 pups
Those first few months were almost as difficult and draining as having a new baby. I was up with her at least five times a night, so that she could poop, pee, or simply tire herself back out in the yard, running, inspecting the plants or biting on sticks, in order to fall asleep again. She ate my husband’s Bruno Magli shoes, the babysitters high school sweater, the blanket on my bed, many of our children’s favorites stuffed animals, pants, underwear, socks, and every single dog toy or chew toy we purchased. Insatiable Blue. As we learned to care for her, and constantly practiced forgiveness, she lost her baby teeth around the house, and we worked with her chewing needs so that she learned to be gentle and not bite with her full force. This took at LOT of training.
We enrolled her in a six-week group puppy training class in downtown DC. All the other puppies lined up on command, learned to sit, walk on the leash, and/or break on command for group playtime. Meanwhile, Blue ate the leash, jumped directly into people’s eyes (ouch!), and refused to march to anyone else’s drum. Our trainer said it might be better to do one-on-one training at our house.
On walks, she would literally pull me or my kids down the street, walking US. Yet, this insatiable energy and muscle revived our older Airedale, and has made old girl Ruby feel young and lighthearted again. They fool around like siblings, wrestling in the yard and in the kitchen, tackling each other and rolling over, growling in delight in playful games. Ruby is better for having Blue here with us.
One morning, while I was walking our youngest son to his school, she jumped over our fence to follow us, and was almost hit by a car. Thankfully, the oncoming driver saw my hands waving frantically, and stopped short, so that I could get her out of the street and back into the house. We then called in the big guns: a in home dog trainer. He has come to our house about five times so far. He taught us how to manage her on the leash, how to heel while walking, and how to make her wait until she calms down to start a walk or a meal. He taught us that she is a working dog, and needs constant jobs to keep her busy and feeling satisfied. We have learned how to use the crate whenever necessary. He suggested a buoy-shaped feeding toy that keeps her busy for about 30 minutes while I make dinner or tend to the actual “children” in our home!
Slowly but surely, and with MUCH effort, Blue is becoming a lovely and wonderful asset to our family. At almost 55 pounds, she still thinks she is a lap dog. She cuddles with one of us every night, taking over whatever bed she’s in as if it’s her own, as WE are the guests when she sleeps beside us. She is good-natured and loving to all the children in the neighborhood, and gives kisses through the fence to passerby's. She no longer jumps over the fence, and can remain off leash in our yard. Many pre-schoolers ask me, “where’s Blue?” if she’s not outside when they come by. Some have even changed their route to school, in order to get their morning welcome from sweet Blue on their walk to school.
Now that she is a year old, she is much calmer, and more capable of balancing play, vigorous exercise, and rest. She is an expert napper! She is a big-hearted dog, full of love and kisses for all. Blue has taught our children how to care for a puppy; how to forgive a sudden jump; the importance of helping to clean up the dog poop; how to put away precious stuffed animals so that Blue can’t access them. Mostly, she continues to teach us that we need each other, and that love and nurturing that came with a rescued puppy goes both ways. We are a team, and we are growing together.
Those first few months were almost as difficult and draining as having a new baby. I was up with her at least five times a night, so that she could poop, pee, or simply tire herself back out in the yard, running, inspecting the plants or biting on sticks, in order to fall asleep again. She ate my husband’s Bruno Magli shoes, the babysitters high school sweater, the blanket on my bed, many of our children’s favorites stuffed animals, pants, underwear, socks, and every single dog toy or chew toy we purchased. Insatiable Blue. As we learned to care for her, and constantly practiced forgiveness, she lost her baby teeth around the house, and we worked with her chewing needs so that she learned to be gentle and not bite with her full force. This took at LOT of training.
We enrolled her in a six-week group puppy training class in downtown DC. All the other puppies lined up on command, learned to sit, walk on the leash, and/or break on command for group playtime. Meanwhile, Blue ate the leash, jumped directly into people’s eyes (ouch!), and refused to march to anyone else’s drum. Our trainer said it might be better to do one-on-one training at our house.
On walks, she would literally pull me or my kids down the street, walking US. Yet, this insatiable energy and muscle revived our older Airedale, and has made old girl Ruby feel young and lighthearted again. They fool around like siblings, wrestling in the yard and in the kitchen, tackling each other and rolling over, growling in delight in playful games. Ruby is better for having Blue here with us.
One morning, while I was walking our youngest son to his school, she jumped over our fence to follow us, and was almost hit by a car. Thankfully, the oncoming driver saw my hands waving frantically, and stopped short, so that I could get her out of the street and back into the house. We then called in the big guns: a in home dog trainer. He has come to our house about five times so far. He taught us how to manage her on the leash, how to heel while walking, and how to make her wait until she calms down to start a walk or a meal. He taught us that she is a working dog, and needs constant jobs to keep her busy and feeling satisfied. We have learned how to use the crate whenever necessary. He suggested a buoy-shaped feeding toy that keeps her busy for about 30 minutes while I make dinner or tend to the actual “children” in our home!
Slowly but surely, and with MUCH effort, Blue is becoming a lovely and wonderful asset to our family. At almost 55 pounds, she still thinks she is a lap dog. She cuddles with one of us every night, taking over whatever bed she’s in as if it’s her own, as WE are the guests when she sleeps beside us. She is good-natured and loving to all the children in the neighborhood, and gives kisses through the fence to passerby's. She no longer jumps over the fence, and can remain off leash in our yard. Many pre-schoolers ask me, “where’s Blue?” if she’s not outside when they come by. Some have even changed their route to school, in order to get their morning welcome from sweet Blue on their walk to school.
Now that she is a year old, she is much calmer, and more capable of balancing play, vigorous exercise, and rest. She is an expert napper! She is a big-hearted dog, full of love and kisses for all. Blue has taught our children how to care for a puppy; how to forgive a sudden jump; the importance of helping to clean up the dog poop; how to put away precious stuffed animals so that Blue can’t access them. Mostly, she continues to teach us that we need each other, and that love and nurturing that came with a rescued puppy goes both ways. We are a team, and we are growing together.
Rusty
From Rusty's new forever-family:
"We love our Rusty. We adopted him at age 10 and couldn't be happier.
Adopting a senior dog is perfect for us because we are seniors, our speeds match. But most of all, Rusty, like all Airedales, is full of life and fun. He loves his walks and outside naps when we return. His favorite nap place is on a snow bank in winter or under a bush in summer. He also loves to accompany me in the car for errands. Several of our stops include cookies, as Rusty has won the hearts of our dry cleaner and banker.
Rusty is a wonderful member of our family. We have 5 grandchildren who visit frequently and Rusty fits right in. We are very grateful for the work of Airedale Rescue and the joy we receive every day from Rusty."
"We love our Rusty. We adopted him at age 10 and couldn't be happier.
Adopting a senior dog is perfect for us because we are seniors, our speeds match. But most of all, Rusty, like all Airedales, is full of life and fun. He loves his walks and outside naps when we return. His favorite nap place is on a snow bank in winter or under a bush in summer. He also loves to accompany me in the car for errands. Several of our stops include cookies, as Rusty has won the hearts of our dry cleaner and banker.
Rusty is a wonderful member of our family. We have 5 grandchildren who visit frequently and Rusty fits right in. We are very grateful for the work of Airedale Rescue and the joy we receive every day from Rusty."
Booker
A Note from Booker's Family:
My family and I adopted an Airedale in April 2013, and I would like to share our story with you. We decided we would like to adopt a rescue dog and give him or her a second chance in life. We have always liked the Airedale, so we decided to contact the rescue center and start the process. |
Photos of Booker
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They were able to match us with a boy named Booker, and he came to us in April 2013. I can’t tell you the joy we have had, he is such a loving, loyal dog. He is almost 2 years old, and is so happy to be part of a family. It’s so nice to come home from work, and be greeted with such love and excitement that I’m home.
We have other small dogs, and had no problems acclimating them. We just love to watch Booker play, we always say he makes his own party! He loves us to play tug a war, and fetch with him. To anyone wanting an Airedale, these are wonderful dogs, they are very smart, and with proper training they will be fantastic companions. We are so happy the rescue center allowed us to adopt Booker!!
We have other small dogs, and had no problems acclimating them. We just love to watch Booker play, we always say he makes his own party! He loves us to play tug a war, and fetch with him. To anyone wanting an Airedale, these are wonderful dogs, they are very smart, and with proper training they will be fantastic companions. We are so happy the rescue center allowed us to adopt Booker!!
