This Is How I Roll

Sometimes I relax in my yard near my mum and just watch.

Other times I like to roll around and wiggle my body with my ball in my mouth.

I see you with that camera, watchin' me, Mum!

And this is how I look after I've finished rolling.  My coat grabs lots of leaves and small sticks, especially in the late summer or fall after the leaves have begun to fall.  My mum brushes me a lot when there are leaves on the ground!

What about you?  Do you like rolling around in the grass and leaves?

--Nona.

Are You Teasin' Me?

I can't believe my mum is posting this photograph of me all wooly and overgrown.  She thinks I look adorable this way.

And, she held a biscuit in front of her face so I would look at the camera. 

I told her to look into my eyes and I asked her if she was bein' kind.

She gave me the biscuit.  Thanks, Mum.

by Nona

Bath Time

Two Fridays ago my mum and sister took me to the Doggie Day Spa for a bath.  It was good for my mum because she could stand to give me a bath instead of having to kneel.  But it wasn't so good for me because I don't like water -- except to drink.

Mum thought it was a nice place.  This photo is before they got me wet.  Thank goodness Mum didn't take photos while I was drenched. 

They thought it went pretty well.  Mum wanted me to be very clean when I went to the vet to have my teeth cleaned the next Wednesday.

Now my teeth look pearly white!  Mum tried to get a photo of me smiling but I don't smile for the camera.

Mum asked about a groom while we were there for my bath and a nice lady came out and greeted me.  She said she'd clipped Airedales before and would clip me if my mum wanted.  But that lady's schedule is booked and she can't do it will the end of October, which is after Mum's next surgery.  So maybe I won't get a clip for a while, unless the weather cools and Mum feels like she can handle it herself.  She did it last year but she didn't have surgery last year.

Maybe the next time you see a post I won't look so woolly.

Thanks for visiting and reading.
Nona.

It Was a Crummy Summer

Hi, friends.  Nona here writing to you

A long, long time ago, in June, something unhappy happened to my mum.  She and I were both unhappy -- her because she was in pain and me because I was stuck at home without all the attention my mum usually gives me.

This is me the day before it happened.  Everything was fine.  I was just snoozing away like the world was going to go on the way it always did.

But the next morning, my mum and my sister got up really early and went away, then my sister came home without my mum.  Before she left Mum told me she would be back later, but she didn't tell me she wouldn't be like herself.  When she came home, they wouldn't let me greet her at the door, and when they finally did let me go to her she had this cage in front of her and I couldn't get close enough to give her a real greeting.  She slept on the fold-out couch in our family room.  And she slept a LOT!

I was worried about her.

She walked with the cage in front of her but she hardly walked at all at first.  And she didn't let me on the couch to cuddle, either.  My sister was the one who took me out for walks but only when it wasn't too hot for the sidewalk to hurt my feet.  We had a really hot summer so I didn't get many walks.

Mum isn't going for long walks in the neighborhood yet, but she's going out to the yard and throws the ball for me so we can play.  And she lets me on the couch for cuddles and gets my food ready and things are mostly back to normal.  Mum tells me it's still too hot for me to go for many walks but my sister takes me when it's cool enough.  My mum's slowly getting back to normal.

It was a pretty crummy summer.  I was hoping fall would be better but mum told me the other day that this is going to happen all over again in October.  Sometimes it's rough being an Airedale.   I hope your mum never has a problem like this.

Nancy here.  The cage Nona mentioned is a walker which I used after a knee replacement.  And it's true, Nona didn't get the usual amount of attention from me during those first weeks after surgery.  We're mostly back to normal, though I think she didn't mind missing toe clips.

Nancy and Nona

When I Was Groomed, Mostly

In the spring months my mum stripped my coat.  She thinks its easier to care for a coarse coat than a clipped one.

I wasn't happy about being stripped the first day because I didn't understand.  After she explained it to me, I was comfortable and relaxed.  My mum spent a lot of time with me and I loved it.  And my coat was nice and black.

This photos shows me when I was mostly groomed, except my legs and face, especially my eyebrows.  She still had some work to do on those.  I have cowlicks in my eyebrows so it makes it hard to get them just right.

How does  your mum groom you?

--Nona.

Woolly Nona

Greetings, friends.  Nancy here.  I'm sorry it's taken me so long to post again.  We're glad to be back.

As it does, Nona's hair grew and grew and grew.  She was an adorable woolly 'dale.

She looked cuddly and she was happy to be cuddled.

But with spring on the way, I knew I needed to do something about her long hair.  Clipping takes a few hours but her soft coat would just get softer and lighter tan and more grey than black.  On the other hand, stripping her could take weeks.  I dithered.

I finally began stripping her a little over a week ago.

After my husband lets her outside early in the morning, she races back upstairs to cuddle on the bed.  When I wake up, I spend time cuddling, petting, and stripping her coat while she settles in for a little nap.  I took this photo about 10 days ago and we've made more progress.  Her black saddle used to be long and grey.

I think an Airedale's hard coat is much easier to keep neat and clean.  Thank goodness it's not too cool outside these days.

But Nona loved the snow.  In fact she loved it so much she snow-plowed and sometimes rolled around in it! 

You gotta love Airedales!

We hope you're having fun, whatever you're doing!

--Nancy and Nona.

One Sunny Day

My mum and I were taking a walk on that sunny day and Mum noticed our black shadows.  She took some photos of me. 

She said that even if all she saw were the shadow, she would have known it was me, or some other Airedale.

We are a very distinctive breed, don't you think?.

We may get snow tomorrow!

Nancy here.  And I wonder if Nona will roll around in the snow like she did the frost!

We hope you have a fun day.

--Nancy and Nona.

Leaf Magnet

That's Nona, about two weeks ago.

"What are you looking at?"

One of her favorite things to do outside in the yard is run after her tennis ball, prance around with it, then roll around on the ground.  The leaves attach to her fur but, thankfully, they brush off easily before she comes inside.

It was 23 degrees, with frost, the other day.  I thought Nona would just run and play but she was her happy self rolling around on the ground.  She sticks her paws in the air, then twists and turns on her back, and happily chew her ball.  What a girl!

Her fur is growing and she could do with a clip but I don't really want to send her into winter with short hair.  Brrrrr.  Maybe just a trim will do.

--Nancy.

Nona and the Kitten

Nona said she would like to tell this story....

Two Wednesday afternoons ago, Mum and I were outside playing.  I chased the ball, raced around with it in my mouth (my mum calls it prancing), and rolled in the leaves.  Then Mum asked, "What kind of bird is making that sound?  It's not like any bird I've heard before."  Mum kept looking around for a bird but there weren't any.  Next, she looked over the fence to the other side of the yard trying to figure out where the sound was coming from.  Then she walked that way, and I ran that way, and the next thing you know, we saw a tiny kitten.

I want you to know I keep a clean yard.  No squirrels, no birds, no cats, no other animals come into my yard and get to stay there if I'm outside.  I chase them away.  So when I saw that kitten on the other side of the fence, I was at the gate ready to run through as Mum opened it.  I was eager to meet that cat and take care of it so it wouldn't come into my yard.  But she wouldn't let me go through the gate.

All I could do was watch what was going on.  She went inside by the other door (and left me outside!) and was in there for a while, probably talking to my pop.  She came back out with a dish of wet cat food that my human sister keeps here for when her cats visit.  That kitten ate and ate and ate.

After it finished eating the kitten hid in the bushes again but Mum squatted and encouraged it to come out.  She took it inside--leaving me behind again!--to show my pop and see what he thought.  They decided it was too young to be outside alone and guessed its mom was a feral cat.  They put it in our breezeway with a little bed and a litter box and Mum contacted a bunch of cat rescue places but no one wanted the kitten.  They said they were all full.  One of the places said not to bother leaving it outside for its mom to come because it was already weaned.  Then my mum contacted several people she thought might want a kitty, but they didn't.  The next night it was too cold for it to stay in the breezeway so they brought it into the house--MY house, which I already share with two cats when they visit!

My human sister and her two cats came on Sunday to stay for four days and she decided she would adopt the kitten.  It was itchy and scratching so they gave it a Dawn bath and saw that it had fleas.  My mum puts flea treatment on me so I don't have to get a Dawn bath.  My sister or my mum combs the kitten with a flea comb several times a day, searching for fleas.  My sister will take it away this coming Wednesday.  Hooray!

This is what the kitten looks like.  Mum doesn't love cats but she said if it had been a grey or a grey tabby, she might have wanted to keep it.  I'm glad it's neither of those colors!   I want Mum to myself again.

Nancy here.  Everything Nona wrote is true.  She fiercely defends her yard and chases any animal she sees in it.  (If she caught one I suspect it would be the death of it.)  What she didn't tell you is that when inside the house, she has amazing restraint and forbearance with the cats.  As much as she can, she either avoids or ignores them.  (It's almost like children using inside voices and outside voices.)  Even though the kitten won't be here except for visits it has the best chance of all three cats of persuading Nona that cats could possibly become friends when indoors.

We're calling the kitten It because we can't tell whether it's a female or a male.  The vet couldn't tell from photos but after it visits the vet on Monday, we'll know and then my daughter will give it a name.

What a busy time it's been at our house this past week.

--Nancy and Nona

Airedale Bedhead

I smile every morning when Nona greets me.  It's because of her bedhead muzzle and beard.  They are always askew after a night's sleep, or even a nap.
She has no clue my smile borders on laughter at her appearance.  Even if she knew, I think she would join in.  Airedales love to make their people laugh. 

After breakfast, I brush her muzzle and beard, neatening it so she looks tidy.  But it only lasts a little while--until she starts to play.  And then we do it all over again later in the day.

There are a million reasons to love an Airedale and this mess of a muzzle and beard is one of them!

--Nancy.

The Height of Airedale Fashion...

...for the just-spayed lady, to prevent chewing and licking.  Nona doesn't know how silly she looks.

In case you can't tell what she's wearing, we bought a package of men's strap t-shirts.  We put one over her head with the back toward her chest and the front over her back.  We put her head through the neck hole and her legs through the armholes.  We tied a knot in the hem so her legs wouldn't catch and trip on the shrit.  She wore this when going outside to do her business. 

When inside most of the time, she also wore a shirt over her back end.  The hem of the shirt went over her bottom first which allowed her tail to go through neck hole and her legs to go through the armholes.  When both shirts were on, I pinned the top shirt behind her neckline so it wouldn't slide off or drag low and trip her.
.
She looked pretty silly but she was protected, and since she was on limited activity it wasn't like she was out and about in the neighborhood, the park, or stores.  Even if people had laughed, she probably would have enjoyed it.

It's been 11 days since her surgery and I think the incision is healed.  The amazing thing is that she never tried to touch it, not to bite or scratch or lick it.  Amazing!

We hope you're having good days and enjoying the beginning of autumn.

--Nancy and Nona.

Nona Gets a Bath, a Clip, and a Spay

Airedales can look cute, cuddly, and adorable or smart, sleek, and stylish.  I think it mostly depends on appearance, particularly, the length of their hair.  (Of course, whether you want to cuddle an Airedale may also depend on whether her hair is brushed and whether she smells clean and fresh.)  This is Nona, ungroomed (with her ears in helicoptor mode) ready and willing for a hug, a pet, a cuddle.

But the thing with letting an Airedale's hair grow is that it grows and grows and grows until it's a shaggy, straggly mess.  For Airedales, grooming includes clipping or stripping their coats.  Since Nona's not a show girl she gets a clip.

But a bath comes before a clip.  I didn't take any bath photos because we were a little busy with water, shampoo,  cleaning her fur, and rinsing.  Too much water for a phone.  She didn't love her bath but she was agreeable.  At least she didn't try to jump out of the tub mid-bath, and she mostly waited till she was towel-dried and covered with a towel before shaking.  Good girl!

The day after her bath, I gave Nona a clip.   There are no photos of that, either.  It's been more than four years since I clipped an Airedale so I was a little out of practice and paying close attention.  We got the job done but let's just say there will be some editing, adjustments, and improvements to the clip over the next few weeks.  Thanks goodness hair grows!

All clean, dry, and clipped, Nona was a happy girl, especially as she rolled around in the grass.  I love her big smile.

Five days after the clip I took her for a spay.  She was pleased and excited when we arrived at the vet's office yesterday morning.  She's a social girl and loves to be out and about meeting and greeting people.  I filled out some forms and then she happily walked away with the vet tech--and I sorrowfully drove home.

Later in the afternoon I went to get her.  The tech went over home-going instructions with me, then went back to bring Nona to the outer office.  During that time, a couple with two cats in carriers came in for an appointment.  When Nona arrived with the vet tech, she glanced at me, gave me the side-eye, then stopped to greet the other humans.  I wondered how long it would take me to get back in her good graces.  Thankfully, it wasn't long.

Poor girl.  I know she wasn't in pain but gosh, she was dopey.  She just stood, or stood near me to get pets.  She finally decided to lie down, then fell asleep for a while.  A few hours later, I offered her a little food.  She accepted the food but refused to drink water.    

When the vet called after surgery to report, I asked whether she could go up stairs, since that's where the bedrooms are.  He said it would be fine as long as she didn't race up the steps.  So we went up to bed later in the evening (after she went outside and did nothing).

She's happier today but doesn't have much energy.  I was hoping she would leave the incision alone but as a precaution, I put a men's tank top over her head and pulled it back to cover her back and belly.  I think I added insult to injury when, after I saw her head too close to her incision, I pulled another shirt over her from behind with her tail in the head hole and her legs in the arm holes, to make it harder for her to get anywhere near the incision..  I'm glad it's not a hot day! 

I'm confident she'll be back to her happy self soon, with a healed belly and hair a little longer, looking a little like she did a month ago, below.

We are enjoying this cooler weather and looking forward to plenty of walks and outdoor play this fall.

We hope all is well with you.
Nancy and Nona

Book: The Money Tree

I'm always exciting to find children's books with Airedales.  This one is The Money Tree, written by Sarah Stewart and illustrated by David Small.

I love this investigative stance which is so true to the character of Airedales. 

--Nancy.

Nona's Recent Doings

Finally, Nona looks at the camera for a photo.  Tight-lipped, not thrilled, but it's a start.

Here she is in all her golden/tan, glorious color.  Interested in something other than the camera, of course.

She is the first Airedale I've known who is not interested in mailing tubes.  When I first pulled it out, I think she thought I was going to hit her and she ran.  I've been desensitizing her by standing it on end and having her watch me drop a biscuit into the tube, then teaching her to nudge the tube to tip it over so she can get the biscuit.  She's doing it consistently now, but has no interest in touching the tube.  I hope she'll eventually find joy in carrying and tossing the tube.

We thought she might like a pool of water, especially in this heat we've been having.  We dragged out a child's pool that was in the garage, then added 3-4 gallons of water, just enough to cover most of the bottom. 

She looked at it disdainfully, sniffed, then turned away.  I lifted her front paws, then her back paws so she was standing in the pool.  No way was she interested   She watched from afar. 

I think her real-life experiences have been limited, so a lot of things are new to her.  I'm glad to be the one to offer her new, but sad that at five years, they are new.

She still delights in playing "Where's Nona" with a handkerchief.  I love it that she pulls off the handkerchief, rolls onto her side for pets and belly rubs, then settles next to me for hugs, all the time with a smile.  The behavior is so puppy-ish.  I hope her Airedale humor blossoms.

She went to the vet today for a pre-spay blood draw and two vaccines.  She did great!  We walked in to find two small dogs on a bench with their owner and a cat in a carrier and its owner.  She ignored the dogs, looked at the cat with curiosity but didn't go near, then sat.  I didn't tell her stay and she was up in a minute.  Then I asked her to sit and stay which she did until the tech came to take her back for the blood draw.  Excellent girl, excellent learner!

I've been looking through a book about the Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test.  I know she needs more socialization but it's been so hot to take her out for longer than a few minutes.  Cool weather will be here soon and then I hope she can go along most of the time.  There are other things we can work on for the CGC, then I'll have to learn where she can take it.

Bye for now from Nona and me.
--Nancy and Nona

"Our Airedale 'On Guard'" by Rose G. Eliot Smith

from
My Airedale and Other Verses
by Rose G. Eliot Smith
1927

--Nancy.