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.

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

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

--Nancy.

Our AireGirl Has a Name!

After considering more than four dozen names, and trying out more than a dozen for a day or two each, we finally settled on Nona (with a long o) for our girl.  We used it for a day or two, then wondered if she might confuse it with "No" and went back to other possible names.  I realized that we really don't have to use "No" very often and since we hadn't found any other name that seemed right, she became Nona.  Does she like it?  Well, she responds to it, and that's what matters.

On the other hand, Nona has a firm and fixed dislike of cameras--regular or phone.  I have no idea how she knows a phone is a camera, but she seems to.  When she's sitting near me and I call her name, she looks, but when she sees the camera she immediately looks away.

If I call her again, she looks even further away.  Any other least little thing is so much more interesting when someone has a camera pointed in her direction.

What's New?
Nona is learning to play!  Who knew it would be hard to teach an Airedale to play?!  One of the first games was "Where's Nona?"  I put a large handkerchief over her face and said, "Where's Nona?"  At first she just sat there.  I pulled the handkerchief off and excitedly responded with, "There's Nona!"  After a few tries over a few days, she pulled the handkerchief off with her paw, and looked so pleased with herself.  Big praise and hugs for her!  Funnily, she gets excited about this game.

Next, I held the handkerchief up in front of me and asked her where I was.  By then she knew the game, but instead of pulling if down from my face, she went around the side of the handkerchief and stuck her face in front of me.  Smarty pants.  Again, big praise for Nona.

We're working on take it and leave it.  She almost seems offended when I close my hand around a treat when I tell her to leave it, but she's slowly learning.  Of course, "take it" is easy.

And the best fun is that she's actually begun to run after a tennis ball when I throw it in the yard, then she pushes it with her paw or nose to send it rolling again, then runs after it again (and again, sometimes).  It's too hot to play this game for long.

There's one thing I'm trying to teach her not to do.  When she gets excited she gently mouths my arms or hands.  I don't mind it but I don't think it's safe.  If she were to play with grandchildren, it would not be good for her to use her toothy mouth that way.  She's getting better about this.  The thing about teaching a behavior change is that the dog has to perform the unwanted behavior and receive a correction to know it's something not to do.

There's so much for a five-year-old Airedale to learn!

Since Nona won't pose for the camera, I thought I'd share this Airedale. 

It's a cute little book, written to introduce children to the Airedale Terrier breed.  It has a fun layout with lots of photos and is mostly accurate.  (Of course, not every Airedale is the same, so what's true for one might not be accurate for another.) 

I hope you're having fun!
--Nancy.

Airedales at the Thrift Store

My mum was at the thrift store last week and found a book with photos of us Airedales in it.  She didn't buy the book because it only had two pages of us but she took photos.  Aren't we adorable puppies?  We think it's wonderful they put us on the cover!

Even Airedale puppies know what's what and what they want -- and they go for it.  Airedales are ready for LIFE!

I hope you're having fun in your life.

--from Hannah.

The Airedale is Not Named Fats

My mum found this book with an Airedale in it.  In case you didn't know, she likes books with Airedales -- but she likes me in person lots better.

It's called Christina Katerina and Fats:  and the Great Neighbhood War by Patricia Lee Gauch and Stacey Schuett.  The Airedale doesn't play a big part in the book but he joins in the "fun."

My mum thought the drawings of the 'dale were cute and liked a few of the poses.  She just snapped several with her camera and is only posting the cover and this one:

Maybe you could get this book and read it to your human/'dale.  The people are a little rowdy and we 'dales like rowdy!  I was glad the Airedale was not named Fats but I don't think that's a nice name, not even a nickname, for anyone.  Do you?

--Hannah.

A Gentleman from France: An Airedale Hero

My mum found this book about an Airedale on the internet.

 

She tried to find it at the library but they didn't have it.  She has to read it online or print it out to read it.  She didn't do either but she might.  

She browsed through it and liked the photos.  Here are two.

He looks like he's having a great adventure, don't you think?  And I know from the drawing at the end of the book that the Airedale really is a hero, but I don't know why.  I hope my mum will read the book and then tell me the story.

I think all Airedales are heroes - sometimes for big reasons and sometimes for little ones.

Maybe you would like to read A Gentleman from France at Internet Archive.

--from Hannah.