THE PLAN

Dear Friends,

I see that Duke has updated you on our family life over the last few weeks. The new crate has indeed been ordered and will ship to us sometime right after January 1^st.

For some reason, Duke’s anxiety levels have crested in a self destructive way. We don’t want to have to start tranquilizing him every time we leave the house. So we have opted for this super-duper crate because we know that it’s necessary for us to crate train Duke all over again and we can’t safely do that with a crate that has already been busted.

We want the new crate to feel like a haven for him when he hears thunder and gunshots or when our grandchildren are running shrieking through the house. So we’ll go back to all the techniques that are useful when someone is crate training a puppy. There will be a sturdy toy in the crate, a comfy pad, and a knuckle bone for him to chew on. There will also be a heavy towel over the crate so that it will feel like a little cave for him. He will only have the knuckle bone when he is in the crate. And we’ll begin by putting him in it while we are at home, for perhaps 15 minutes at a time. We’ll do that a couple of times a day and gradually work up to longer periods. After he is comfortable in his haven for about an hour while we are at home, we’ll move to going outside for an hour so that he can hear us. Finally, we’ll begin leaving him in the crate while we are gone for thirty minute increments and gradually lengthen the time.

Today, after a nice big breakfast, Duke elected to go into his busted crate on his own when Maggie and Buddy went into theirs. He wasn’t interested in coming out when I picked up my keys, so I left him there. I’ll go home at lunch to check on him and will probably bring him back to work with me.

I wanted you to know that there is a training plan for this new crate, and that Duke won’t be just locked in and left to fret. And it’s a win-win for Maggie and Buddy too, because of course, Mom & Dad would never give one Hooligan a knuckle bone without making sure that the others have their own too!

We'll be okay, I promise. XOXOXOXOXOX and Woofs & Licks!

We're All All Right!

Some of you have written to check on us because we haven’t blogged for awhile. Thank you for doing that, it made Mom feel very smiley. I will try to explain and make a long tail short. Around Thanksgiving time, Mom had what her doctor calls a cardiac event. SHE IS FINE NOW! But things at our house were kind of odd for awhile. She got tested for some stuff I can’t spell and the doctor gave her some perreskripshuns to take that are sposed to help her feel better. She will go back to the doctor next month for a follow up visit.

And besides that, you remember about the shooters on our road and how scared I got and bloodied my nose? It happened again around the first of December. And, more bad news. I wish I didn’t have to tell you that I tore up my crate about a week ago during a bad thunderstorm while my folks were at work. Mom cried again and Dad said I must’ve had a real bad panic attack.

my crate after I attacked it

Mom decided that something must be bothering me and when a stressful situation comes up, my anxiety level just goes out of control. She was worried that I was sick. So she took me to the veterinarian and asked him to do a complete blood work up on me. He did that and he checked my back and my hips and my toes and my ears and my eyes and everything he could think to check. The good news is that my blood test results came back normal. The not so good news is that now my Dad says they are clueless about what the underlying problem is.

It’s pretty simple to me, though. When I am with Mom, I am happy. So she brings me to work pretty much every day now. Dad says this is not a long term solution. (I don’t see why not.) He has ordered a super-duper rugged crate that is “welded everywhere metal touches metal” (like a tiger cage, Mom says). It weighs 125 pounds and will take two weeks to get here. Dad told me it cost a whole lotta money. This is what it will look like when it gets to my house.

Mom says it looks like it could transport a wild animal.

Dad is not happy about the money. Mom is not happy about my stress. I am perfectly happy here at work with Mom, on the bed with Mom, in the kitchen with Mom, in the car with Mom, watching tv with Mom… and I am not all sure I will be perfectly happy in the heavy crate. I think Mom needs me to continue coming to work with her, especially until hunting season is over and the weather gets better. Don’t you?

We will let you know the rest of the story as it happens.

Thanks for caring about us!

perfectly happy at work on my new bed



ALKA SELTZER, ANYONE?

MAGGIE MISCHIEF

Once upon a time there were 3 pies.

Well, there were 3 when we went

to bed last night! When we woke up,

there were only two...

hmmm....

here's the empty pie tin

It was Dad's favorite too.

Banished!


AAARRROOOOO!!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBUDDY!

Duke is eyeing the leftovers

But Maggie beats him to it

She made a dent in the cranberry sauce

but she can't quite get all the turkey!

Duke knows how to get the

turkey though. Mom turned the

plate around for him!

Duke has finished the leftovers and is 

licking cranberry sauce off his beard.

Hope everybuddy enjoys

their feast today!

AAARRROOOO !!!!!

AIREDALE SLED DOGS! WOO HOOO!

We live too far south for sledding and Mom and Dad don't do a whole lotta physical activities, but lotsa Dales and their hoomans do.Here are some photos of friends who are in a team of Dryland Sled Dogs. We thought you might enjoy seeing how these working dogs do their jobs!

This article is from: The Plain Dealer,

http://blog.cleveland.com/pdmultimedia/2011/11/dryland_sled_dogs_race_in_warm.html

"Sally Dawson of Burton spends a little time with each of her purebred airedales before competing in the Adult Scooter 2-dog Speed Class in the fifth annual Lake Farmpark Dryland Sled Dog Challenge on Sunday, November 20, 2011. The warm weather forced organizers begin some races nearly two hours early, at 8 am when the weather was a bit cooler to protect the health of the dogs, who are trained to run in cold, snowy conditions. Recreational classes were cancelled on Sunday for the same reason. The event included bikejoring, or racing on bikes with dogs, scooter and cart racing, and canicross, or running behind the dogs. It was held Saturday and Sunday at the metropark in Kirtland. (Lynn Ischay/The Plain Dealer)"

DOESN'T THIS SOUND LIKE FUN??  AAARRROOOOOO!!

DOWN TIME

Me and Mom are having some time out, resting alot for a few days. Her back has been bothering her again so we are staying in bed and watching Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel. She says those shows are non-threatening and don't upset her.

Sometimes Buddy gets in bed with us but he never stays very long. Maggie isn't a cuddler and Jack and Sissy are too creaky to get on the big bed anymore.

It's my responsibility to stay to close to Mom, anyway. I get worried when she's in pain, but it sure is comfortable being up here in this big wide bed. Dad calls it the perks of the job.

RAIN, GRASS SEEDS, MUD, and GUNS

Mom hasn't been able to do my typing lately. We finally got some rain here and it's been that soft fine rain that goes on for hours and does a slow soak. Which means our woods are muddy and our grass is tamped down. And you gotta know that Hooligans love to roll in mud and wet grass.


So Mom's spare time has been all taken up with combing mud cakes out of our fur and picking stuck grass seeds from between our toes. She wants to know if y'owl understand how many toes we have between the five of us Hooligans. She's been too tired to type.


And today while our hoomans were at work, some more people with guns were shooting on our road. When Dad got home, he could hear the shots and they were close but he couldn't find the people. And it was getting dark and he knew he needed to come check on is.


I had bloodied up my nose again, and managed to get one of the latches of my crate opened. Mom cleaned my nose and put more antibiotic cream on it. She was m-a-d about the guns.


She fixed us some green beans and ground beef and rice for supper and I think we are gonna have yogurt for dessert.


Home cooking makes everything better.

Jack loves green beans!

TURKEY CRANBERRY MEATBALLS

Mom has been pouring over internet recipe sites for something she can serve to her hooman family as well as to us when everybuddy comes over for Thanksgiving dinner. One of her e-List groups sent out this recipe yesterday. Mom's gonna try it out on us Hooligans before Thanksgiving Day! AAAARRRROOOO!!!

Turkey - Cranberry Meatballs Recipe

In a food processor, combine:

1 pound of ground turkey, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 egg,

1 slice of whole-wheat bread, 1/4 cup of dried cranberries.

Form into balls and bake on a greased baking sheet at 400 F for 20 to 25 minutes until cooked through.

Let the turkey meatballs cool to room temp for your Hooligans. Mmmmmm! The Aire in your kitchen will be divine! 

NOTE: Before giving cranberries to your own Hooligans, please read the following information from the ASPC website.
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/cranberries.aspx

I would like to give cranberries to my dogs to prevent urinary tract infections. Is this safe?

- Ginger P.

To our knowledge, there is no data at this time indicating that cranberries (Vaccinium spp.) are toxic to dogs, Ginger, beyond the possibility of gastrointestinal upset that can be seen with ingestion of any plant material. But considering that 10 years ago the toxic potential of another fruit—grapes—was not known, we are not comfortable making any type of absolute determination on the safety of cranberries when given to pets. Instead, we recommend that you contact your veterinarian for advice on the best way to maintain your dogs' urinary tract health.

I HAD A BAD DAY

It's hunting season here. I don't like guns. They hurt my ears. And they do frighten me. Yes, they do. I am not a hunting dog and the sound of gunshots upsets me. Especially when someone is shooting in front of our house.

You may remember that a few months ago, me and Buddy got into a bit of trouble over the neighbors' chickens. Ever since, although it upsets them to do it, Mom and Dad make us stay in our crates when they are not going to be home.

Today our folks had to leave us for awhile and they crated us. When they came back, they found my crate in the middle of the dog den floor. And the top of my snout was raw and bloody. I had bent the wire door of my crate
trying to get out of it. Mom let me out and Dad cleaned up the mess I'd made.

Then Mom put me in the shower and rinsed me off. She put some Neosporin on my nose. I am not sure what's coming next but I suspect some of that colloidal silver spray stuff.

Mom called our neighbor and asked if she knew whether anything unusual happened around here today. Mrs. Neighbor said, "Yes."

A strange man walked down our road today. He had a shotgun and he was shooting it. At squirrels. Shooting at little squirrels with a big shotgun. Some great hunter, huh?

ANYhowl, Mom and Dad figure that the sound of the shotgun must've upset me. That's why I thrashed around enough to move my crate to the middle of the room and why I knocked the fur and skin off my nose.

Mom took a couple of pickshures to show you. She will be putting that antibiotic ointment on me again in a little while.

I will be okay. But I had a bad day.

HELPFUL HOOLIGANS

Me and Mom are smiling all over ourselves this afternoon! Mom just got an email from a lady that she helped to train her Labrador Retriever a few years ago. The lady gets around in a wheelchair and needed her dog to be able to pick things up and bring them to her. Chickie also learned to bark when her lady needed help (sometimes her lady gets dizzy spells).  Well, Chickie is almost nine years old now and the lady is starting to look around for another dog to step in when Chickie retires.

We’re gonna be on the watch for another lab for the lady and Chickie will be able to help with training her own replacement. Last time, it was our Jack that helped train Chickie to do all that cool stuff. But Jack’s been retired himself for a long time. And the kind of work I do to help Mom is not what the new dog will need to know, so I’m not the right one to do this training.

I mainly help Mom with support when she’s getting up from a chair and also brace for her to support herself when she’s walking and her leg starts to feel odd. She has stuff going on with her back and spine that I can’t pronounce but sometimes it bothers her awful bad and makes her wobbly. I can tell when that’s going on and sometimes I surprise her by doing the “come around” and moving to stand on her right side before she even tells me she needs help.

ANyHowl, we’ll be going to local rescue groups in the next few weeks and months to look for a lab or lab mix that might be able to help Chickie’s lady. Even though the new dog will be young, he or she will learn fast when and where it's okay to be rowdy and when and where it isn't. Just look at me! The only place I ever get into hooligan shenanigans is at home because I know Mom needs me to be completely focused on her when we are in public. That's not a problem for us dogs that love our hoomans.

I know Chickie is looking forward to being retired. And she deserves a golden age because she’s worked hard. Mom says service dogs are love in action.

To which I say: "AAARRROOOOOO!!"

MAKING A DENT IN THE ARMOR

Our friends G.M. and S. got responses to their emails and phone calls this week!

(from G.M.)

Dear Duke, I actually got a Hooman on the line today!

Q: Are there any leads in the dog mutilations case?

A: We cannot give out any information.

R: Thank-you, Have a Nice Day. (This hooman sounded very "hair"ied and hassled :)

(mixed-breed ADT ready to

be adopted in Mobile, AL)

Sent: Mon 10/31/2011 7:25 PM

To: (Reporter) Paige Malone

Subject: Re: Re: Citronelle Dogs

 

 Hello Ms. Malone.

 I'm not in your area so I haven't seen any updates. Any news?

 Thank you.

 S.

______________________________________________________

From Paige Malone

Hi,

As of last night there wasnt an update we could report. However, I can tell you that Citronelle Police have interviewed a person of interest and since the incidents have stopped. They are bringing him back in for a polygraph test and hopefully we there will be an arrest soon. I also requested we be there when they bring a suspect in.I would love to ask him/her some questions!!!

Thanks for the email and God bless,

Paige Malone

----------------------------------------------------

To Paige Malone

Thanks so much for the update and for what you do!

S

"WHERE DO I SEND IT?"

Our friend G.M. read our blog about being a voice for the animals and then placed a phone call about animal cruelty laws in her community. G.M. was put on hold when she made her phone call, and no one ever came to the phone. Can you imagine that? Surely that was a one-time incident.

But just in case it happens to you and, like G.M., you want to know where to send the letter -- we are posting the following hyperlinks that will help you find telephone numbers, email addresses and physical addresses of your elected officials. Local law enforcement agencies will be listed in your telephone book.

1.  Enter your zip code here and it will take you to the list of your elected legislators.

http://www.legislature.state.al.us/misc/zipsearch.html

2.  Need to find your senator? Try this link.
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

3.  AND HERE'S A BONUS FOR YOU!
Live in the United States? Visit this site to find out about the animal cruelty laws in your state.
http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/animalcruelty/


Thank you to everyone who read the blog about being a voice for the animals, who made that phone call or sent that letter or email. Thank you for talking to your friends, family and co-workers.

 PAWS ALL OVER THE WORLD

ARE APPLAUDING YOU.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ME & MAGGIE

It was cold at our house this morning. How cold was it? Well, Dad got up around 3:30 to let Maggie out for some personal time. He rested in his recliner for a little while and covered up under the purple afghan that Mom leaves on the sofa for decoration. When Maggie came back inside, Dad tossed the afghan back on the sofa, and he went to bed. Leaving the afghan alone and unprotected.

Mom and Dad overslept this morning and when they did get up, they almost tripped over a pudgy purple lump on the den floor. It was snoring. Only the tip of a big black nose was sticky-outy. Mom told Dad to grab his camera phone from beside the recliner to take a pickshure of Maggie and he said no. Mom said, "She looks like a purple sausage! Get the camera!" Dad said no again because he wasn’t quite awake yet. I’m sure that was the reason. Otherwise he would never say no to Mom. ( ! )

But all that talking woke the Princess up and she scurried out of the purple afghan and went running to the kitchen for a real sausage breakfast (Maggie likes to eat first thing in the morning). And so a great photo op was lost forever.

I asked Mom how she knew Maggie was the purple clump and not me.

Mom said, “Because my dear, the floor has never been comfortable enough for you to sleep on all night no matter how many afghans you find unattended.” She knows me so well. I would have been on the sofa with the afghan. With my head on a cushion.

AAARRROOOOOOOO!

VOICE FOR THE ANIMALS

BEING A VOICE FOR THE ANIMALS  means learning to write and speak the way journalists and politicians do so that your communication won’t be automatically dismissed as being from some arbitrary, emotional and uneducated fanatic. Below is a sample of talking points you can adapt to use in your conversations, emails and letters to elected officials and police departments and editors of newspapers. You can be courteous while being persistent. If you aren’t ready to make phone calls, send emails and letters. Send them every month. Make a phone call every month. Your legislators and local law enforcement will begin to recognize your name. They will tell other people about your persistence. That’s a good thing because the more people who hear about you and your position, the more attention will be paid to enforcement of animal cruelty laws.  

SAMPLE LETTER / TALKING POINTS

TO REQUEST ENFORCEMENT OF ANIMAL ABUSE LAWS

Dear               :

I am contacting you to respectfully request that you support the maximum penalty allowed by law against people who are convicted of  animal abuse. As the recent sad examples in (____________________) show, and recent violence across our country attest to; it is time to send a clear message to people capable of intentionally inflicting serious injury or death to helpless animals, that such brutal and senseless crimes will not be tolerated and there are guaranteed consequences for those who would show such disdain for the law. Several states prosecute animal abuse as a felony offense and impose mandatory psychiatric counseling along with jail time and fines.

If you don't already know, social scientists and law enforcement officials have identified animal abuse as a symptom of emotional illness and a precursor to violent crimes against human beings. As a society we must call a halt to the acceptance of animal cruelty and enforce a policy of harsh punishment for such crimes. To allow individuals guilty of perpetrating such cruel and violent acts to go unpunished or not sufficiently punished, would be to sanction these horrific crimes and would permit them, and others, to possibly go on to commit serious and violent crimes against innocent human beings.

Please protect the children, animals and citizens of (______________________ by writing, passing and enforcing strict laws that will give offenders serious jail time and a fine. Anyone who devalues life in this manner should not be walking the streets without immediate psychiatric treatment.

[Your Name]

[Your address ]

NOTE: The above letter was adapted from the one at the following site: http://www.tonglen.oceandrop.org/Letter_Animal_Abuse2.htm

LET'S GET A DIALOGUE GOING

Many of you have written and are continuing to write us about our blog updates that spotlight the animal cruelty spree in Mobile County, Alabama. THANK YOU for caring! You've asked that we continue updates here, so we will do that (by the way, we haven't yet received an email response from that reporter at WKRG we told you about yesterday).

Our good friend at the Panda Pig Guinea Pig Sanctuary commented on our blog updates (http://howlinghooligan.blogspot.com/2011/10/no-news-is-not-good-news.html  and  http://howlinghooligan.blogspot.com/2011/10/zero-tolerance-for-animal-abuse.html ). Yum-Yum said...

“Is anybody really listening or do we all have to fly there on our broomsticks and have one of those "1%" demonstrations on behalf of the WAY MORE THAN 1% of ANIMALS ROUTINELY ABUSED EVERY MINUTE YET NEVER REPORTED, INVESTIGATED, OR ACCOUNTED FOR? Recently a hoarder dumped 150 guinea pigs off at a shelter in Southern California and the stories go on and on... How do we make a difference? Let's get a dialogue going.”

Mom of Hooligans has made a commitment to call the Mobile County Sheriff’s Department twice a week to inquire on the status of the ongoing investigation into dog killing/mutilations near Citronelle, Alabama. Could everyone reading this blog commit to emailing or phoning their local government rep and going on record as wanting stronger laws against animal cruelty? And to take it a step farther, could you do that every six months?  

TO  BE  CONTINUED...

NO NEWS is NOT good news

I have just emailed the reporter at WKRG (CBS affiliate) in Mobile, Alabama, asking what the latest is on the dog killings and mutilations. When he answers, I'll let you know. In the meantime, here again is contact information for the Mobile, AL Sheriff's Office, the Citronelle Police Department, and the County Commissioner's Office in Citronelle.

Deputy Josh Rhodes,  jrhodes@mobileso.com
Citronelle Police Department: no email address was located, however, you can TELEPHONE them at:
(251) 866-5527
And the telephone number for the Mobile County Commissioner's office in Citronelle is 251-866-3163.

Keep those calls and emails going!

Application to Adopt An Airedale Terrier

Ready to adopt an Airedale Terrier? Please print out the following application, fill it out entirely, scan & email it to Alabama Airedale Rescue. Our email address is at the bottom of the application. 

Application for Adoption

Name:_________________________________________   Telephone:______________                                                                          

Address:________________________________________________________________

City:______________________________  State:___________  Zip:________________

Occupation:_______________________________  Work Telephone:______________

Would you prefer Male or Female:__________________     Age:_________________

Have you ever owned an Airedale?_________________________________________

What other breeds have you owned? ________________________________________

Tell us about your current pets.       

Breed                          Age     Sex      Neutered

______________        ____    ____    ________

______________        ____    ____    ________

______________        ____    ____    ________

______________        ____    ____    ________

How and when did you lose your last dog?

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Have you ever given up a dog?  ( ) Yes   ( ) No

If Yes, please explain______________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Under what circumstances would you consider giving up your dog?

_______________________________________________________________________

When will you be ready for your new dog?___________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

Where will your dog stay when no one is at home?____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________

For how many hours per day?_____________________________________________

Is your back yard fenced?________________________________________________

Type of fence & approx height:___________________________________________

Is the fence detached from the home so that you have to walk into it or does the back door open directly into it? _______________________________________________

Approx size of the fenced area: __________________________________________

                                          

What type of residence do you have? (house, apt, condo, manufactured home, etc)

Do you own or rent your home? __________________________________________

Living Arrangements:

Where will your dog stay when no one is home during the day?_________________

_______________________________________________________________________

                                                         

For how many hours & how often?_________________________________________

Will your dog have the run of the house? ___________________________________

If your dog is confined, where will he/she stay?______________________________

Will he use a crate? Where will it be located? _______________________________

Where will your dog sleep? _____________________________________________

Will he be allowed on the furniture? ______________________________________

When you travel, where will your dog stay? ________________________________

References:

Your Veterinarian:_______________________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________

City: ________________________________    State: ________  Zip: ______________

Groomer Reference: _______________________  Telephone: ___________________

Address: _______________________________________________________________

City: ________________________________    State: ________  Zip: ______________

Personal Reference: _______________________________ Telephone: ____________

Address: _______________________________________________________________

City: _______________________________    State: ________ Zip: _______________

Are you prepared to make a donation to our rescue organization?  Each ADT takes almost $300 to rescue.  We never turn down an application because of the lack of funds, but we sure could use the help!

Signature: ___________________________________  Date: _____________________

Please Return the completed application to:  ALAIREDALES@yahoo.com

                                         

Thank you for your application.  One of our volunteers will contact you to set up a convenient time for a pre-acceptance visit to your home.  Please understand that follow-up phone calls and house visits are routinely made to insure that all is well with the adopted Airedale.  We reserve the right to refuse placement.