AireGirl Update, July 22, 2023

A bundle of fur.

Adopting an older Airedale is an interesting experience.  No matter the age, they come with their own personalities, but older 'dales come with everything they've learned, too, both good and less-than-good.  In AireGirl's case, she's comfortable with thunder and lightening but hesitant about the rattle of a pan in the kitchen and the thud of a book falling to the floor.  There are other common, everyday things that she's hesitant about.  It makes me wonder how much she did not experience in her previous situation....

AireGirl completely relaxed.

AireGirl has begun to blossom in the three weeks she's been her.  She no longer feels like she has to stay by my side in our fenced yard.  She has begun exploring and investigating.  She discovered a cat on the other side of the fence and checks the area very time we go out.

She has begun doing tuckbuttruns.  The joy of seeing them!

She playbows to invite a chase.   What fun!

And she has--once--done a twirl or spin.   Does you Airedale do that, too?  She gets excited and then dances or twists in a circle until she's spinning.  She is only the second Airedale we've had who has done that.  Look out if she twirls too close because it could knock a person off balance.

She is not food motivated and turned up her nose at her dog food, ignored treats, and turned her back on food rewards for doing as requested.  All that until we discovered pill pockets/pouches.  They are soft and appealing.  I cut each into 12 or 15 pieces so she gets just a tiny taste, but they are motivating to her when I ask for a sit or a down.  That pleases me a lot because I found it hard to train with praise as the only reward.   She already gets so many pets and hugs, they didn't mean anything to her as praise for doing a job.

What's going on over there?

She continues to be camera shy.  I hope that improves as I take more photos of her, and I hope my photo-taking skills improve, too.

I'm still working on teaching her to tell me she needs or wants to go outside.  We have a bell on the door but she's uncertain about it.  I try to remember to ring it whenever we go out, hoping she'll get the idea.

She does not yet have a new name.  Her previous name ended with the sound "see" and she seems to like and respond to names that end that way.  We've tried out many.  She seems to me like a Pippa, but her human sister has a cat named Pippa, so that name's out.  But maybe Pippin, Pipsy for short.  Other names we've considered are Minna, Jenna, Mia, Myma, Tansy, and Tedda.  Oh, and Lizbet --> Little Bit--> Bitsy.  She is a standard size Airedale but because of her demeanor she seems young. 

There's more -- isn't there always more with an Airedale?  But I'll post another time.

--Nancy.