GOOD JOB!

Have we ever told you Buddy's story?

Three years ago, during what passes for an ice storm here on the Gulf Coast, someone dropped Buddy on the road near our house. We found him the next morning. The temperature was way way below freezing and the rain had turned to sleet and there was this wet, shivering black pit bull terrier huddled up on the outside of our gate.

We had to keep him separate from the other Hooligans until we could get him to the vet for a check-up. That took a couple of days because of work schedules and the local vet's office being closed for the weekend. But he finally had his health exam and  got scheduled for the Important Surgical Procedure all the other dogs have survived. And then, we talked it over and decided that we couldn't in good conscience put a pit bull with unknown history up for adoption. So he became a permanent resident of Hooligan House and Dad's special "Buddy".  He sleeps in Dad's lap and licks the grandkids clean when they come over to play, and he generally just ambles amiably through life. He's a Good Dog and keeping him was one of the best decisions we have ever made.

There were some areas where he needed help, like all rescued dogs need. For instance, he would not walk on the vinyl floor in the kitchen. It was NOT going to happen, no matter how much stinky canned food we put down on the floor to try to tempt him. Buddy sank to his belly and refused to move. That shiny expanse of slippery floor was just too scary for a dog who had never lived in a house. So we got some cheap carpet runners and put them about two feet apart from each other, and made him a red carpet runway to the kitchen. That did the trick, and gradually we moved the rugs farther and farther away from each other until one day there was no more runway. 

Rescue dogs do come with issues. And rescue volunteers and temporary foster parents often don't have the time to research what to do to help the dogs. Shelters have to move dogs into adoption or foster as quickly as possible to make room for new dogs that need help. Sometimes, dogs are adopted out who just aren't ready to deal with the environment of a family situation. That can be big Trouble. Recently, a couple of the local rescue groups here have contacted me with questions about how best to help some of their new canine residents who came from particularly neglectful backgrounds. I'm working with them and the foster parents involved are wonderful people who want to do whatever it takes to help the dogs acclimate to living with loving humans.

Not everyone can adopt a dog and the reasons vary. Most often, people can't afford an adoption fee and vet bills. But if you have a place in your heart and home where a newly rescued dog could be temporarily fostered through his issues until he is ready for adoption ---- what a wonderful gift that would be for everyone. Imagine helping a dog learn to trust that the outstretched hand of a human means something fun is about to happen. That a shiny floor or a doorbell are not really scary things. That another dog sniffing him is not cause for alarm. Teaching a dog how to play with a toy. Teaching him what a dog treat is. And even teaching him that it's perfectly acceptable for him to eat his food from a bowl instead of the ground.

Imagine the joy and the feelings of accomplishment you would experience. Yes, it hurts to send them off to their new adoptive homes, but the tears are rewarding ones. You have done important work and you know this dog has changed from being fearful and shy to being the confident, relaxed and, hopefully, mischievous critter God intended him to be.

One dog at a time. It's special work and it's not easy work.

 But it's Good Work.

Dad and his lap dog, Buddy

How Hooligans Spend A Spring Day

playing fetch with Mom's shoe

wrestling with Sis

napping

reading Mom's Southern Living magazine

CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT!

"My Jack"

portrait by Linda S. Young

My Jack (aka Gentleman Jack aka Jack Daniels, aka The Jackman) came to live at Hooligan House in 2002. He was approximately 2 years old and was in rescue. We fostered him and the rest is history. A canine DNA test done a couple of years ago confirmed that Jack is an Airedale Terrier – German Shepherd mix. He has the amazing learning quickness and temperament of ADTs and the loyalty and steadfastness of German Shepherds. Jack is a most wonderful doG in all ways. He's a retired therapy dog and service dog. And he’s the one who turned us on to Airedale Terriers and got us into Airedale Terrier Rescue.

So, it’s only fitting that Jack is the poster doG for AlAiredale Rescue. As we go forward with our rescue efforts, we increasingly see the need for fundraising efforts. We have expenses like fuel for transportation, shelter fees when we pull a dog from a “pound” situation, health exams, heartworm treatment, vaccinations, and all that other behind-the-scenes stuff that is necessary to get a rescue doG ready for adoption. Most of it, we provide from our own funds. Occasionally, we receive donations from lovely people who deeply want to be part of a happy story like GG’s.

A friend of ours has graciously offered to donate her talent and time and energy to help us with a fundraiser. She is an Artist with a huge heart. And the winner of our fundraiser will receive a portrait of their own pet, done from a photograph they will provide. And for a donation of $5.00, your name will entered into a drawing to receive a portrait of your own pet, done from a photograph you will provide (and of course, you may enter more than once!). This painting is valued at $500.00.
All you have to do is send a check or money order for $5.00 to Muriel Donald,

P.O. Box 1121, Grand Bay, AL 36541

Or, you can go to www.alairedalerescue.blogspot.com and make a Paypal donation in the amount of $5.00. Be sure to send us an email with your name and email address when you use Paypal.

To see examples of Linda Young’s art, visit: www.lindasyoung.com

Linda S. Young is an award winning artist originally from Brookline, Massachusetts who now lives in Cape Cod and South Carolina. She works in Pastel, Oil Pastel and Oil. Her ability to capture the nuance of a scene has helped her win many awards including two Best in Shows. Linda is a signature member of the Pastel Painters Society of Cape Cod. She is a member of 21 in Truro, several Art Associations, and has been in numerous group, juried and solo shows and is in many national and international private collections. In 2012 she will be included in the book "100 Southern Artists".
   As an active member of the artistic community, she believes in helping others attain their artistic goals. Since 2002 she has been Artist Mentor through the School to Careers Partnership Art Internship program.

The winner of the ALAiredale Rescue fundraiser will be announced June 1^st, 2012 on this website.

Another Pet Food Warning / Homemade Dog Food Recipes

ThEY PuT WHAT iN ouR FooD???

Dog Owners are Demanding Action from the FDA. One consumer reported they fed their dogs a product called Waggin' Train treats, which is produced by Nestle Purina. Nestle Purina also produces Canyon Creek Ranch treats, which some other complainants have also publicly blamed for dog illnesses and deaths. The Canyon Creek packaging has a picture of a rancher and his dog roaming a farm on the front of the bag and the company's address in South Carolina is displayed on the back of the bag. Beneath that are the words “Made in China”. You can read the entire article at http://news.yahoo.com/toxic-treats-china-killing-us-dogs-pet-owners-151514587--abc-news.html

From Mom-of-Hooligans:  This happens every couple of years. It certainly seems the US FDA is falling short of making sure the pet food entering our country is safe enough for our pets to eat. So --- here are some recipes for you to make for your dogs. They come from one of my favorite websites: http://www.dogtreatrecipes.org/

Remember, YOU are the best judge of what is safe for your dog.

HOMEMADE DOG FOOD

Ingredients:

6 c. Water (or low-sodium broth)

1 lb. Ground beef, turkey or chicken (you don’t have to use ground meat)

2 c. Brown rice

1/2 tsp Garlic powder

1/2 tsp Dried rosemary

16 oz. Bag of assorted frozen veggies (or preferably, 2 cups fresh), thawed and/or finely chopped.  NOTE:  NO Onions!

Directions:

1.  Add everything but the veggies to a large pot or dutch oven and cook on the stove on medium heat.

2.  Stir mixture until the ground meat is broken up and distributed evenly throughout the pot.

3.  Bring to a boil.

4.  Once boiling, cover and bring the heat down to low.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

5.  After 20 minutes, add veggies and cook for an additional 5 minutes or so.  The time will depend on how long it takes for the veggies to get tender.

Done!

Serve warm, not hot and make sure to let the homemade dog food cool completely before storing it in the fridge.

This dog food recipe makes about 10 cups or 5-2 cup servings depending on the size of your pooch.

It should keep in the fridge for about a week.

VEGGIE BAGELS FOR DOGS

Ingredients:

3/4 cup water

2 1/2 cups white flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup chopped spinach

1/2 cup chopped carrots

Directions:

To start, combine all dry items in a mixing bowl. Combine the wet ingredients in a different bowl. Mix together the dry and wet ingredients and knead them to form dough. Next, shape small round balls of dough and poke holes in the middle of each ball to create a bagel shape. When finished making bagel balls, place them on a baking sheet and put them in an oven that has been preheated to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake them for forty-five minutes.

UPDATE ON CAMMIE

We know you all are looking forward to an update on Cammie (GG) and her adoption. It is with great joy that we report to you that Cammie is happy in her new home near Dallas, Texas. Her new sister, Lillie, is happy. Her new mom and day and human kids are happy, too. They have been sending us updates and photos all weekend.


Saturday morning began with Cammie inspecting her appearance to be sure she was ready to meet her new family. She'd had an oatmeal scented bath the night before and her fur coat was glossy and soft.

She hopped into the car happily and we started our trip to Baton Rouge. Cammie is a great traveler and she enjoys looking out the window to see the traffic passing by .

We were meeting the adoptive family at the Petsmart in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was a long ride but Cammie cuddled close to me in the back seat all the way over. She snuggled as close as she could get, and chewed on my garnet ring. And for much of the time, she held my hand.

We got to Baton Rouge about thirty minutes before her new mom and dad did, so we walked around Petsmart and gave Cammie time to sniff dog food and dog treats and look at other dogs. New Mom sent me a text message when they were close to the store, and we said our goodbyes before they arrived. I kissed Cammie several times and she licked me reassuringly. She gave Steve a farewell hug.



We all decided to handle things as quickly as possible. They signed the placement contract that says if things don't work out for some reason or if their circumstances should ever change, that Cammie will be returned to us. I handed the leash over to Stef and Wes. Steve took off in one direction. Wes & Stef gave me a beautiful pink potted camellia bush to plant for Cammie. I left FAST as they began walking Cammie in the opposite direction.

Yes, of course I cried. We stopped at Bass Pro Shop for lunch and I think I ordered everything on the menu. Including a beer. We got back in the car and I cried some more. Then Stef sent me a text message to tell me that she was sitting in the back seat with Cammie and that Cammie was snuggled up tight against her, chewing on one of Stef's rings. That made me laugh, which felt good. We had bought some fudge at Bass Pro Shop so I decided it was time to try that. We did, and it was delicious.

Cammie arrived at her new home around 7 pm Saturday night. She met her sister Lillie and the human kids. She and Lillie have shared treats and toys, and have eaten their meals in the same room without any problem. Yesterday morning they ran ran ran through the house together and played bitey-face like fiends. I think it's going to work out beautifully. What do you think?

Cammie claiming Lillie's bed

A HAPPY EVER AFTER "AIRE-Y TAIL"

Once upon a time there was a Aire-grrrl named Lillie who lived in Texas with her hooman mom and dad and their two kids. They had a very happy family. But Lillie wanted a four-legged sister too, and preferably, a Hooligan. So Lillie's hoomans talked to Airedale Terrier Rescue and pretty soon they found out there was a beeyouteefull Hooligan grrl waaay over there in Alabama. Her name was GG and she was looking for a family of her own.

So, the people at Texas Airedale Rescue went to meet Lillie's family and they told GG's foster family that they thought GG would be very happy in Texas. Tee shirts were picked out for both grrls to wear so that they could permeate the cotton with their own personal perfumes. The shirts will be exchanged through the mail and Alabama Airedale Rescue Coalition has tentatively scheduled GG's trip to Texas for Saturday, March 10th. GG will be lying on Lillie's tee shirt during her ride west, and Lillie will be lying on GG's tee shirt while she waits for her new sister.

And none of this, NONE OF THIS, could have been done without your help.We thank you all who read GG's story, who forwarded her information around the internet, who held happy thoughts, and who were instrumental in helping find just the right forever family for GG. We also want to thank some Airey-Godmothers who donated the much needed funds for GG to have her health exam and her spay surgery.

This isn't the end of GG's story, by a long shot. It's a happy, smiley, laughing, tail wagging, dancey chapter in the very middle. We'll keep you all updated as her story progresses. THANK YOU, AGAIN!

Lillie, with a bag of GG's favorite treats AND

a new red collar for GG.

"Hurry up, Sis!"

WHO IS THIS HOOLIGAN?

and why is she wearing a tee-shirt????

TO BE CONTINUED....

She's Ready for Adoption!

GG is ready to find her forever family!

Here's what you need to know about her: My best guess at her age is around 2 to 2 and a half. She is leash, crate and house trained. I have her on a feeding schedule which basically keeps her elimination times very routine. She is still nervous about sudden noises and movements, but she recovers quickly. She loves other dogs and she loves our grandchildren (boy and girl ages 9 and 11). I do not know how she is around cats. I recommend that she goes to an Airedale experienced home with one other dog. 

Please share this post with people who might be interested in adopting GG. To start the adoption process, read GG's story and/or donate to Alabama Airedale Rescue visit the following site:

http://alairedalerescue.blogspot.com/

Teaching An Adopted Dog to "Sit"

Dogs that have been living on the street or in a pound facility are not usually relaxed or trusting enough to sit and lie down in front of strangers, whether those strangers are human or other canines. Depending on the dog's mental state, clicker training (where you see the behavior and click to reinforce it) can be an effective way to train the sit command. If you have a newly adopted dog that is fearful and jumps at every sound or movement, however, you'll need a different method.

Terriers frequently require different training techniques than other dogs, but what I'm about to suggest will work for any dog. This is how we are training GG, our foster Airedale, to sit.

The easiest and quickest way to teach "sit" is to let your adoptee see other dogs doing it for a reason. This is often called putting the behavior in context. The best reason for a dog to sit is so that he can receive a treat. If you have another dog that already knows the sit command, you won’t have a problem teaching it to the new dog in your family. If you don’t have another dog, find someone at a local park who does (*not a dog park!) or get a friend who does have such a savvy dog to help you. And take a training partner with you who can hold your dog’s leash while you are working with the other dog.

You’ll be using treats and hotdog wieners are great for this project. Space the dogs about eight feet from each other so there won’t be any difficulty with treat possessiveness. Have your partner hold your dog’s leash. Then give each dog a small piece of the treat without asking either one to work for the reward. The next time, go to the other dog and tell her “SIT!” When she does, give her a treat and praise her with “Good SIT!” Be sure to put the emphasis on the command.

Repeat this three or four times. Then return to your own dog and let him see and smell a treat in your hand. Do not say anything. Just hold the treat out where your dog can see it and wait patiently for the canine light bulb equivalent to turn on in his head. If that doesn’t happen within a couple of minutes, go back to the trained dog and repeat the Sit exercise with her. Then return to your own dog and try it again. This technique works fairly quickly because hotdog wieners are a smelly, moist, tasty incentive. When your dog does give you his first Sit for a treat, praise him in a quiet voice. The second time he does it, praise in a louder voice. The third time he does it, praise him as though he just walked on the moon.

Now that your dog has the basic understanding of the command being communicated to him, practice “SIT” in every room of the house. It’s important for Fideaux to understand that "sit" means sit no matter where you say it.

* Save the dog park experience for the time when your dog is completely successful with his basic obedience skills. He'll be more confident and less likely to be reactive if a negative situation arises.

WHY DO "BREED" RESCUES???

MY INITIAL INQUIRY

Hi,

I am inquiring about the Airedale Terriers you have that are believed to be from Alabama. National Airedale Rescue has volunteers around the country and I am the contact person from Alabama.

Would you mind telling me how the dogs got from Alabama to New England? We try to keep track of all the surrenders in our state, but sometimes a dog will slip through the cracks of our procedures. We would love to have them back in our state if they are Alabama dogs, if that is something you are open to doing.  We have approved families waiting to adopt.

Any information at all you can give me about these dogs will be much appreciated.

Thank you!

THEIR RESPONSE

I am angry about “breed rescue groups” that only care about their chosen breed. The shelter I volunteer with has contacted breed rescue groups several times and they always say they will only take the dogs if they are purebreds. Sometimes we have no idea if they are (purebred), but I am sick of the breed rescues that think the breed belongs to them and will fight me tooth and nail to get them, but if they are not perfect they will not take them.

MY ANSWER

Hi Michelle,

It’s sad that you have had bad experiences with breed rescue groups. I also do work with local groups who rescue all dogs, not just specific breeds, but because I love the Airedale Terrier personality and drive, I have chosen to help that breed as much as I can. Actually, mixed breed dogs are often easier to place than breeds like the Airedale, because mixed dogs are not usually as high maintenance and they tend to fit better into the average family. Mixed breeds also tend to be healthier than many pure bred dogs today because of unscrupulous breeders who breed solely due to the popularity of a certain dog, in hopes of making a lot of money. That kind of breeding too often results in unhealthy dogs with weak temperaments that should never be sold as pets to unsuspecting consumers. These dogs inevitably either bite someone or their medical bills become too great for a family to handle and so the dog gets surrendered to a shelter where their adoption possibilities are slim to none. Biting dogs are not ever supposed to be re-homed so those are put down almost immediately.

You are probably aware that Airedale Terriers are high energy working dogs that, if not given jobs to do, can quickly turn into aggressive behavior problems. It can be difficult to find adoptive families for Airedales, once people actually do the research and learn what might be facing them on down the line. I have 3 Airedales of my own, two of whom can never be re-homed (one due to biting and one due to aggression issues), and I have two mixed breed dogs that my husband and I rescued from grievous situations. One is a pit bull mix and one is a lab-beagle mix. Both of these have turned out to be the sweetest babies I could ever have hoped to find. It would have been easy to find homes for them, but we fell in love with them and adopted them ourselves.

So that’s why I work with Airedale Rescue and I imagine that’s why other breed rescues have to ask, “Is this a purebred dog?” I just know that often a hard breed like this needs different handling than a mixed breed dog does and I want their adoptions to be as successful as I can help make them.

In addition to being in rescue, I am a dog trainer, and a Canine Good Citizen Evaluator for the AKC. I make sure that all dogs I take in are trained to that standard before they are placed in a new home.

You asked how I heard about the ones you have: I comb the Internet for Airedales in need of rescue and adoption. I do wish you success in your work.

INTRO TO ABBY!

We met Abby yesterday afternoon.

Me and Jack and Buddy are all delighted to have Abby at Hooligan House. Mom introduced us one by one. She had Abby in the front yard first, on her leash, and Dad brought me out there to meet her. We sniffed and sparred and sniffed and sparred and then Dad told me to go lie down and stay in the far part of the yard. I did.

He went in and got Jack and Jack was even more polite than I was. Jack doesn’t sniff another dog unless that dog starts the action. ‘Course, his real name is Gentleman Jack. Dad never lets the rest of us forget that. But Mom has some real good Hooligan stories about Jack from when he was young and before he got all obeedeeyense trained. Jack said hello to Abby and then he went over to his spot by the gate and lay down.

Buddy was kinda rambunctious and thought Abby was his new dog.. You know how it is; Buddy thought that her being there meant he had moved up in the Hooligan hierarchy. So he postured and growled at me and Jack until Mom squirted him in the face with vinegar water. That pretty much knocked the sense back into him. He went over to the flower bed and scratched off in protest, but he lay down like he was sposed to.

Sissy dutten like to be sniffed by any other dog and she dutten like to play with anydog except Jack and the Gkids’ dogs, so the parents just kinda bypassed that introduction. Sissy walked around Abby and Abby stood very still. I guess she was reading Sissy’s body language loud and clear. But it’s okay. Like Mom says, dogs don’t hafta get along with everydog they meet, they just hafta be polite.

And then there was Maggie. OH MY dOG.

Maggie is the princess, remember? She lost no time in letting Abby know it. Abby is juss a liddle girl, only about a year and a half old, and she hasent had any dog ettikett lessens yet. She didden know what the heck Maggie was growling and snarling about. Abby finally juss sat down and looked up at Mom. Mom squirted Maggie with the vinegar water, too.

Mom and Dad know better than to let Maggie be alone with a puppy because she would have bossed Abby around sumpen turrible and made Abby feel shy and unsure. Puppies, even older ones, go through deevellopmenttal stages where anything can scare them and ackshually give them a phobia for life. So Jack is the guy at our house who trains puppies.

Jack is what trainers like our Mom call a “neutral dog”. Jack knows from his gut what body language to use to talk to individdyouall dogs. He knows how to send calming messages to dogs that are nervous. He settled Abby right down after Maggie went back into the house.

Mom said Abby has typical terrier resilience and adaptability. That’s because as soon as Maggie went inside, Abby perked up and started playing with us boys while Sissy watched from the porch. Abby didden think twice about Princess Maggie. At least, not while we were playing tag. When we all went into the house, there was a slight kerfluffle over who the toys belong to. But I’ll get to that part later.

Oh, Mom says to tell you all that Abby is precious and sweet and HIGH OCTANE and Mom wishus she could keep Abby with us forever and ever. I think Abby loves Mom, too. Here’s a picshure of Abby cuddling Mom’s foot last night after us Hooligans went to bed.

Saturday, I’m going to have Abby all to myself to play with. I can’t wait!!!

AAARRROOOOOOOO!

Sleepin' In

This is the way I like to spend rainy mornings.

Sleeping with one eye open

Tell it to the paw



Havin' Mom right where I want her

AAARRROOOOOOOO!    z z z z ....

The REST of the Story: the Grrls Go HOME!

The rest of the Great Rescue Run is that last Monday, the Grrls all went to a veterinarian in Lakeland, Florida. Miss Cindy emailed the chauffeurs and told ‘em about it. The vet said the Grrls are healthy -- no heartworm, no ear or eye problems, good development in hips, good skeletal development.  They have their vaccinations now.  

They went to their forever homes that afternoon. Turquoise Grrl is now called Aly. Pink Grrl is Xena. Purple Grrl is Zoey and she has already had her first grooming. Xena even slept in bed with her new family the first night.  Do you think she's going to be happy with them? They are all scheduled to be spayed within the next week. 

Things are quieter around our house, but Mom says we might have another rescue dog to Hooligan with real soon. She hasn’t mentioned this to Dad yet though.

Note from Duke’s Mom:

I’m sure you will all be happy to hear that the ADT mom of the Grrls has been rescued from the puppy mill too! We are thrilled.  She had 2 litters back to back and she is not even 2 yrs old. UGH!! She is terribly thin and needs some real  TLC. Her foster mom and the family vet have put her on a good diet and are seeing to her medical needs. Eventually she will be ready to be adopted by a loving family who will take care of her for the rest of her life. 

She will never be a puppy mill dog again.

 

This is the Grrls' mom! She is safe now, thanks to Miss Diane and to NAR.

Transportation Volunteers Are Frequently Needed.

You can help by applying at:

http://www.airedalerescue.net/  

The Great Rescue Run, Part Four

Mom says this is the next to the last installment of The Great Rescue Run and it is kinda long. Y’owl need to be sure to go potty before ya start reading, okay?

So, the parents settled us all down for the night. Jack and Sissy went to bed in the dog den. Buddy curled up in Dad’s office. Me and Maggie were in the big bedroom with Mom and Dad.

After Mom and Dad chased them around for awhile, the puppies got crated in the guest room. They were used to crates so that wasn’t a problem. But they weren’t used to the guest room or to the rain, the thunder and the lightning that was going on outside.

So they howled. And they howled and they howled and they howled.

Well, natcherly the rest of us had to chime in and teach them what howling is sposed to sound like. Pretty soon there were EIGHT Hooligans AAAROOOING at the top of our lungs! We sounded great! Xceptn I think we might have startled the puppies because after only a few seconds, they stopped singing and they didn’t make a peep the rest of the night.

Mom set the alarm clock for early thirty so she could get up and get us all medicated and fed before time to get the pups ready to go to Florida. We woke up all excited like we usually do and Maggie stopped on her way outside to growl at the door to the guest room. Mom bopped Maggie on her rear end and helped her move on down the hall. I always like it when that happens.

Just so’s you can appreciate the mileage involved in transporting the Grrls, here’s how the whole thing was organized.

Jackson, MS to Hattiesburg, MS to Gulfport, MS to Grand Bay, AL (overnight) to Pensacola, FL, to DeFuniak Springs, FL, to Tallahassee, FL, to Gainesville, FL, to Lakeland, FL. From Lakeland, Purple Grrl had to go about another hundrud miles to get to her new family. All in all, Miss Cindy at Sunshiner Airedales in Florida said she guesstimated it was about an 800 mile trip for the puppies. That’s a lot of stress. But they did fine because all the people who chauffeured them took time to cuddle them and kiss them and talk to them. One lady even rode in the back of her SUV with them while her husband drove.

Here’s a picture of the MS-ALA rescuers and drivers. That’s Miss Virginia on the left, Miss Delia is next to her, Mom is next to Miss Delia, and Miss Diane is next to Mom.

the Rescuers in the Rain!

It had been storming when the Grrls got to our house and it was storming when they left. Thunder and heavy rain was drenching the entire Gulf Coast and there were flash flood warnings from New Orleans to the Atlantic Ocean. But Mom kept on driving (she always only does the legal speed limit anyway) and even though she passed two bad wrecks near Hwy 59 in AL, Mom didn’t have any trouble getting to Pensacola.

When she got there, she met Ms Kathryn and her husband at a Cracker Barrel restaurant. The rainwater in the parking lot was ankle deep. They had to carry each pup separately to Ms Kathryn’s car and of course, everybuddy got completely drenched. The pups were smelling like… well, like wet dogs. Mom kissed each Grrl and wished them long and happy lives. Then she hugged Ms Kathryn and got back in our SUV. And Mom cried most of the way home. It doesn’t take long to get attached to dogs. That’s cause we’re Man and Woman’s Best Friends.

These are pictures of the Grrls trying to evade capture by hoomans and by the camera.

This was pretty much how the entire evening went.



Sunday night, Mom admitted to Dad that she was having separation anxiety. She *needed* to know how things were going and if the pups were okay and where they were and when they would finish their long trip. Late late Sunday night, Ms Cindy emailed all the chauffeurs to let them know that in spite of a long delay outside of Gainesville due to a traffic jam, the pups had arrived safely in Lakeland. Mom cried again, but this time it was from relief.

She let me sleep with her that night. Which is where I should sleep all the time, except that Dad has a different opinion.

But sometimes, Dad has to travel away from home on business.

                        AAARRROOOOOOOO!





The Great RESCUE Run

Our town is about 20 inches short of the amount of rain we usually have by this time of the year. Mom’s flowers are brown, the grass is brown. And it’s been so hot outside (triple digits) that nobuddy wants to play. We only go out long enough to lift our legs and then we come right back inside to the air conditioning. We’re lucky dogs. Mom and Dad rescued all of us and they make sure we are comfortable and safe from bad weather and scary things.

Some dogs aren’t as lucky as we are. Mom and Dad like to help dogs whenever they can and last weekend, they did. A lady called Mom and told her there were 3 Airedale Terrier pups in middle Mississippi that needed to go to forever homes waaaay waaaay down in south Florida. The pups weren't abused but they were neglected. They were living with an irresponsible backyard breeder who Mom said wasn't very interested in the welfare of the puppies. But there were three famblies down in Florida who were jumping up and down and begging to adopt Airedale Terriers. Mom knew she'd have to have help,  because south Florida is a long way from Hooligan House. But she said if some other hooman could get the puppies to Gulfport, Mississippi, then Mom could get them to Pensacola for someone else to help transport them south. (I didn’t know anywhere was more south-er than here, doG, but it must be really really hot down there!)

So on Saturday, Mom and Dad drove over to Gulfport and met Miss Delia and Miss Virginia and Miss Diane who brought the puppies from central Mississippi. And guess what? In the middle of the puppy exchange, the sky began to rain all over everything on the Gulf Coast. There was thunder and there was lightning and there was about 6 inches of rain. Everybuddy got wet, including the puppies. Mom and Dad drove back home through some crazy thunderstorms, and brought the pups into our house to spend the night.

the puppies inspecting their sleeping crates

We weren’t allowed to meet the puppies because Mom wasn’t sure they had all their puppy shots yet. But we sure heard them! We aarrrooooed at them through the door and they aaaroooed back at us and Maggie got mad because there were other dogs walking around in our kitchen and she growled and growled until Mom swatted her on the backside and told her to STOP IT RIGHT NOW.

Those pups didn’t know anything about being dogs. They had never seen a leash, never had a collar on before and – get this! They had never even had a treat before! Mom and Dad spent some time getting them used to treats and letting them play with our toys, and then we all went to bed because Sunday morning was going to come early and Mom was driving them to Florida and the weather was gonna be just turrible.

These are some pictures of the puppies. And I’ll write you more about them and tell you the end of the story when me and Mom get some more computer time. Right now, I feel a game of tug coming on. C’mere, Maggie! That’s my squeaky duck!

AAARRROOOOOOOO!

The Story of Grady

Duke has given me, his mom, permission to update his blog tonight. We have more sad news to share, but we feel it’s important to tell you the story of a dog with the heart of a dragon.

Grady Foster Baker, beloved Airedale Terrier companion of Larry & Linda Baker, has gone to the Rainbow Bridge after a long and valiant battle against cancer. Grady lived with the Bakers for four human years, which is almost the equivalent of 28 years in a dog's life. He arrived at their house to be a temporary foster dog, but he won their hearts and was officially adopted into the family almost immediately.

When Grady came to Larry & Linda, he was afraid of children and had never been socialized to other dogs. During his lifetime with the Bakers, he went through obedience training as well as becoming a service dog to help Linda during her fibromyalgia flares. Grady walked in the Mobile St. Patrick's Day Parade three years in a row and was always cheered by the crowds.

Visits to LSU for chemotherapy didn't daunt Grady; instead of being assigned to a kennel like the other patients, the staff made him a bed in the middle of the nursing area. He was beloved by everyone he met and towards the end of his life, he was able to meet children of all sizes and ages without problem.

Thank you to everyone who was Grady's friend, and who helped him with his training. Larry and Linda are mourning and the days ahead will be hard as they adjust to their quiet house. We will miss kissing the blond curls on the top of his head, and laughing with him as he rode in the car, with his face turned to the wind.

 Larry and Linda gave Grady an enriched, love filled life that more than overcame his past. He was a happy, adventurous, contrary Airedale Terrier to the end.

Rest in Peace, Grady. And thank you for everything.