Author: Robin Reynolds
Article:
I'm not going to say I'm an expert on Airedale Terriers. I'm not
a breeder. I'm not a trainer. And I'm not a dog show judge. But
Airedales have been a part of my family since I was child, so
what I know about them is what I've learned from living with
them.
As an adult, my husband and I have had four Airedales -- two of
them have passed and we have two now -- Amber and Krissy. Each
one came to us in a different way - Bernie came from a backyard
breeder, Max came from a shelter, Amber came from an AKC breeder
and Krissy came from rescue. Yes, they all could be described
with the typical Airedale traits - smart, playful and
determined. But what made these Airedales so unforgettable is
not how they were the same, but how they were different.
Max had the most unusual color -- his coat was what is called
black and grizzle and though that is not the AKC standard, he
was beautiful. His furnishings were very thick and he never grew
out of his puppy black ears. Max was also the most
happy-go-lucky guy. It didn't matter what happened in life; he
was always able to get up each day and wag his tail. This was
one of the most important lessons we learned from him and it was
the inspiration for my book, Life to the Max: Maxims for a Great
Life by a Dog named Max, which was recently published.
Bernie and Amber had and have the typical Airedale black and tan
markings, but Bernie's furnishings were always thin and
scraggly, while Amber's are beautiful and full. Bernie was
sweet, patient and razor sharp. Out of the five Christmas
stockings we would hang for the family, including the one for
Max, she could pick out hers and she would lay under it all
night until Christmas morning when her patience would be
rewarded. Bernie was stocky, her tail was docked too short and
one of her ears was higher than the other, yet she was graceful,
gentle and loving. From Bernie, we learned the meaning of
unconditional love and how to be good parents.
In contrast, Amber was our rebellious teenager. She really gave
form to the depiction of the Airedale "Terror." Though perfectly
proportioned, she was a clumsy puppy -- she ran into walls, she
fell off steps and her impulsive exuberance got her into trouble
more than once. Like the time when we were all gathered around
the pool and Amber spotted my son on the other side. Convinced
she could walk on water, she took off running toward him and
plunged head first into the pool. Thank goodness, we were there
to fish out the surprised little puppy.
Amber has also been the most pig-headed of our Airedales. To
this day, she has not mastered "come." Instead she sits down and
looks at us like, "What's your ulterior motive?" When she was
about four, she began to calm down and now that Krissy has
joined the fray, her patience is really emerging. (One of
Krissy's tricks is to grab one of Amber's back legs in her mouth
and Amber just stands there until she lets go.) Amber has taught
us the value of loving, but firm discipline -- something that's
been invaluable now that our son is a teenager.
Krissy is a spunky, very petite one-year-old Airedale -- the
smallest we've ever had. Like Bernie, her furnishings are very
sparse and her ears are asymmetrical, but her straight, coarse
fur is totally different than any of the Airedales who have
owned us previously. She does not have the typical Airedale
beard or furry muzzle, so her face and body look more sleek and
pointy. At first when I introduced her to friends, I found
myself almost apologizing for her looks, "Well, we're not sure
if she's really an Airedale." Afterwards, I found myself
blanching at the thought that I had become a doggy bigot! Of
course, it didn't really matter - Krissy had already captured my
heart with her soulful eyes, her funny, prancing little walk and
her big guttural sighs that sound like a cow mooing.
Still with all this dissimilarity among our dogs, it made me
wonder: were these dogs really Airedales?
My question led me to do some research on the Web and to
discover Joyce Miller, a long-time Airedale enthusiast who runs
a website (dearjubilee) that offers advice, articles and links
on all things dog and Airedale. She is as full of insight,
wisdom and energy as any of the Airedales she once bred. After
sending her pictures of my dogs, I asked if these dogs were
indeed all Airedales. "No doubt they are Airedales," she
replied, "I have seen these variations in the same litter."
After long conversations with Joyce talking about genetic
anomalies and reading more Airedale history, this is what I now
know: just because you've had one Airedale, it doesn't mean
they're all the same. Just like people, they are all individuals
and enjoying their diversity instead of expecting exact
conformity is a lesson we can apply to life. If we were all the
same, imagine how boring that would be! That may be the one
thing we're supposed to learn from Krissy. All I know is that
I've learned something special from every wonderful animal that
has been part of my life. And it's made all the difference.
About the author:
Robin Reynolds is an award-winning writer who has more than 25
years of experience writing in a variety of formats. An Airedale
Terrier lover since youth, Robin lives in Tempe, AZ with her
husband, teenage son, and two Airedales. Visit <a
href="http://www.nicecreative.com">Nice Creative</a> and <a
href="http://www.lifetomax.com">Life to Max</a>.
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