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04/07/18: I offered Maggie to Maureen Williamson. Her response:
From: Maureen Williamson
To: Jackie Cash
Cc: Barbara Yager
Date: April 9, 2018 at 10:06 AM
Subject: Re: Airedale for You?Jackie – Thank you so much for the candor of your response. Richard and I talked about it and we do not feel we are well positioned to take on Maggie right now. Please allow me to explain our decision.
We know Maggie. She is a version, worse off no doubt, of our Punkin who was placed with us by Joey Fineran. Punkin was a very high quality show dog puppy that had been purchased at 8 weeks by two surgeons and basically forgotten about. Crated or left in a yard, no effort at socialization or training, erratic feeding etc. When she was about six months old, the administrative assistant of one of the surgeons forced an intervention and Punkin was placed in Rescue where Joey fostered her in her own home for three months. As it happened while Punkin was with Joey, I had contacted ARDV about a companion for our then 4 year old Airedale Molly. Joey quizzed me a lot about Molly and I explained that Molly was smart and that from birth she was charismatic and a diva in all respects. That she simply commanded the room and absolutely captivated any one, man or dog, that came into contact with her. Based upon that description Joey consented to an interview and Molly, Richard and I headed to her home in Pennsylvania.
Punkin was a wonderful girl, just like Maggie is I am certain, but she was by far the most complex of our now six Airedales. She was always cautious, she was playful with Molly and very affectionate with Richard and I but always slept in a separate bedroom, she had a very high prey drive and was more than a little willing to mix it up if a small female terrier growled, as we all know they are prone to do. It was years before we came to understand that Joey placed Punkin with Molly, not Richard and I – that the winning interview was Molly’s and that it was under Molly’s guidance that Punkin was able to blossom. She became more confident and sure of herself in all situations because of Molly. Whether at home, at the dog park or in social situations Molly gave off a resounding “she’s with me” vibe that allowed Punkin to be a little more confident, to relax and thrive.
When Molly died at ten Punkin was lost. My sister and others would come over with visiting dogs – all good, fun dogs yet Punkin showed little interest, she remained aloof.
Of course I called Joey. She said – “I do not have the right one for her now. I will recognize the one and I will call you”.
Three months later Joey called. She said: “He is about two years old, handsome and well trained”. She advised, if you are interested Bob Harding will drive him to the Eastern Shore to see if the match will work. Of course we said yes. So the following Saturday morning Richard, Punkin and I were waiting patiently for Bob to arrive and introduce us all to “PJ”. We had a long driveway in the Maryland house and as Bob walked up that driveway toward our back gate with PJ, Richard and I could not believe our eyes. Joey had neglected to say that PJ was A VERY BIG BOY by Airedale standards – as it turns out a very proportionate and robust 95 pounds. Richard exclaimed “I am not sure if I can walk them both”! But into the yard PJ and Bob came and we all saw it with our own eyes. Punkin lit up! They started to run and play and we saw a Punkin we had not seen in many months and we saw a dog in PJ that was relaxed and apparently quite satisfied with his new companion. We knew instantly that even if PJ was as big as an elephant he was home to stay. He just moved right in, didn’t miss a beat and over the years when we walked the two of them you could almost hear Punkin say “He’s with me”.
Jackie – You are far more experienced than I am with Airedales. But it is my hope for Maggie that you can find her a Molly or a PJ. Pet parents can only fill so many gaps in a dog’s life. We saw it with Punkin. We would never have been enough for her ourselves – it was Molly and PJ that reduced her stress and gave her true quality of life. Spencer is a good boy – enroute to being a great Airedale from our perspective but he is not a super smart, highly confident diva like Molly who always let Punkin be first and he is too little yet to be the gentleman escort that PJ was for our girls.
I have no doubt that I am overstating the similarities between Maggie and Punkin but I believe the core problems are consistent and we believe Spencer is simply not advanced enough to undertake the placement.
Please advise if I can assist in getting the word out about Maggie and many thanks to you and your team for working on her behalf.
All best, Maureen
On Sat, Apr 7, 2018 at 8:11 AM, Jackie Cash
Morning, Maureen. All good questions. Maggie has been trained to a transitional leash and that is clipped to a Martingale collar. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF9FJCTtjXI) She does become overly excited when she sees another dog, or any creature, so you would have to be proactive and redirect her so that she doesn’t use her size to get control of the leash. Her foster mom/trainer Cindy was able to walk her successfully with this method; however, the adopting couple were not. It takes not only good handling skills, but knowing how to read her to see if she’s becoming anxious.Maggie is fine in the house, but prefers to be outside – probably because she was cooped up the first 4 years of her life and not exposed to much of anything. When her original mom went from part-time to full-time work, Maggie began to show signs of separation anxiety and became destructive. So the mom began crating her, sometimes for 10-12 hours. Sigh. She is anxious in new situations and doesn’t do well with a lot of noise or distractions. At Cindy’s she stayed in an outdoor pen when Cindy was away and she was fine and relaxed doing that.
She has shown no destructive tendencies with Cindy or the new family. When Maggie becomes over-excited, Cindy has taught her “place,” wherever that might be – in the car, in the house. That is Maggie’s signal to calm down. At night she seeks out her crate for bedtime and sees it as a safe place. She’s house-trained, though she did have a couple of accidents at the new family’s house. Once was on an outside deck and they were with her, but didn’t recognize that she needed to go potty.
Maggie will require a huge commitment of time and energy to acclimate to a new home because of her anxiety and aloofness. She came to love a good back rub and brushing and would relax in the evenings with Cindy and her husband and 2 Airedales.
As you said in your first paragraph, she may not be right for you with Spencer still such a puppy. My thought was that you know how to nurture a difficult dog, and Maggie is a difficult dog.
JackieOn Apr 8, 2018, at 4:29 PM, William Smith
Please see the email below. It looks like the candidate you wanted me to interview has changed her mind.
Will
Begin forwarded message:
From: Alyssa Shedlarski
Date: Apr 8, 2018 at 11:16 AM
To: Willsmithis
Subject: Airendale meeting
Hey!I need to cancel the meeting.
I am dog sitting an Australian Shepherd for a friend, and the girl who is currently renting a room from me has a maltipoo. The maltipoo has been very dominant and aggressive with the shepherd. Luckily, it’s very submissive, but I need to haunt adopting a dog until this girl and her aggressive dog move out. It’s just not fair to bring a dog into that situation.
Thanks!
AlyssaFrom: Molly Pike
To: Jackie Cash
Cc: Barbara Yager
Date: April 6, 2018 at 12:06 PM
Subject: RE: How’s JudahYes he is very glad to be back. He is such a good boy. He and Po have only met through a crate. Since I have shown him he has to have manners, he is better behaved but Po is not sure if she likes him or wants to eat him. He has shown her he is nice so I am impressed. He still has another week on the parasite medication.
I will not try to introduce the two of them without Wesley here to help. I could take him out to get his reaction to other dogs but I have been hesitant to take him anywhere till the parasites are cleared up.
At this point I would say he is a big puppy and would probably get along with anyone. I do not feel like he is aggressive just puppy excitement and out of control. He is wonderful on a walk unless he sees a person or animal but is learning to stand and be excited and not pull me down. He does have a hard mouth but with food and practice I think that will really improve.
He is 51 pounds and needs another 10 pounds on him. The diarrhea is back but that is probably just stress and excitement. At least I hope so!!!
Just let me know if you want to go ahead and move him somewhere else.
Molly
From: Jackie Cash [mailto:airedalemail@comcast.net]
Sent: Friday, April 6, 2018 11:00 AM
To: m.pike@att.net; Molly Pike
Cc: Barbara Yager
Subject: How’s JudahATTENTION COF staff: This email originated from outside the City of Franklin. Please use discretion when clicking on attachments & links from unknown senders or suspicious emails.
Hi, Molly. Was Judah delighted to get back to your house after being boarded? Is he being a good boy? Is he making progress? Still have a person interested in him. But he’ll have to get along with her older female dale.
Jackie
04/06/18: Yesterday, the 5th, I contacted a certified professional dog trainer in Jacksonville, NC to help with Maggie & the Semars. Katherine Barger is a member of CCDPDT and has good testimonials on her site. I spoke with her and liked her attitude. She was willing to do one-on-one training and her rates were reasonable. $40 for initial consultation, typically 2 hours. $400 for 6 sessions, typically 1- to 1-1/2 hrs, once a week. Her web site: http://hornstohalosdogtraining.com/
When I introduced Dianne to her via email, that’s when Dianne sent me message that Maggie must go.
04/06/18: The week has gone from bad to worse with Maggie and Dianne & Jeff cannot keep Maggie. jmc
Cindy Green thinks an older, more settled Airedale would be good for them. I tend to think a stuffed animal is more like it. Apparently, Jeff was absolutely not on board with this. He told Dianne he refused to work with Maggie.
Maggie will go back to Cindy Green until a suitable adopter is found.
04/06/18: JMC called Tom Loomis and left a voice mail about Maggie and asked that he call back.
We need to move Maggie ASAP. Cindy Green will take her back tomorrow, 04/07/18.
04/05/18: Per Dianne Semar, they cannot keep Maggie.
FB PM message:
Hello Jacki, it breaks my heart but we are not going to be able to work with Maggie. I’m so very sorry, but this week has taken a toll on us both. I worry constantly when I am at work about both her and Jeff. She broke the clip on her leash that clips to the martingale so Jeff has replaced it. I guess it broke this morning. I am just sick over this and have not been able to fully relax since getting off on a bad start Saturday night. Jeff is having chest pain due to stress and she is just to much for us to handle. I am so very sorry , but Jeff is unwilling to work with her. It’s very hard to take her outside and have to constantly look around and over our shoulders for neighbors cats and dogs. We knew she didn’t like cats, but didn’t know she killed one until we picked her up. This is breaking my heart, but Jeff said no.JMC responded and asked how soon they need to move her:
Yes Jacki , we are willing to help with the drive . Probably the sooner the better for everyone, especially for Maggie. We can drive her as far as SC. Once again I am so sorry.And she has chewed up the walls and china cabinet, but she is a puppy and she is learning. Plus she is attached to me now and I her
JMC asked if she was having second thoughts. Her reply, NO
Green Acres Kennel on shock collars and e/fences
04/05/18: jmc to Cindy:
Hi, Cindy. Dianne sent this message to me last night:
Hello Jackie, I am happy to report that Maggie has improved greatly as far as being in the house and the screened porch. Much less whining, and she even napped on the kitchen and living room floors. However, she has been getting very excited when she see the leash coming and she jumps up and try’s to bite and grab it when we put it over her nose. We are doing the ah,ah the best we can. I have been going out with Jeff, playing lookout in the yard.This afternoon when I was taking my nap because I am at work tonight jeff took her out around the yard and she saw the neighbors small dog before Jeff did , he couldn’t redirect her or get her to sit when he pulled up on the lead. She pulled forward and he had to get on top of her to get her down or she could have gotten away. She didn’t get hurt but jeff ended up with bloody scrapes on his elbows and knee. She seems to be very prey driven. When we have her in her fenced in area to pee or poop, it’s hard to get her leash back on with her jumping. We will continue to practice the ah,ah and walk her in the house and garage with her leash and try to get her to behave. At first she was responding to the body pressure, but know she just backs up away from me. I guess she is trying to see what she can get away with? Being the Alfa? We will continue to work harder, and we are attached to her, she can be good I know. Taking her outside right now is stressful and I hate that jeff is taking the brunt of this due to my job.I just saw it this morning, then got this one:
Well Jacki, I just got home from work and Jeff took Maggie out to her outdoor potty space and she peed and pooped like a good girl , but she really gives him a hard time getting that lease back on. When he got her out he walked her around the back yard only , well she looked straight up through the side yard she saw a dog being walked on the street and almost got away again, we are kind of at a loss here because she can be so sweet . I’m not sure a harness will make a difference or not with her. I have to go to bed because I work again tonight so I will let you know how things go. She is on the screened porch right nowI’m thinking that before they get the leash out, they must have Maggie calm in “place.” And if they get the leash and she begins to get excited, that they sit down and wait for her to calm herself. Only when she is calm do they begin to put the leash on her. When she gets excited they stop. Is this a good solution? Does she understand “off” to mean not to jump? And I don’t understand their fear that she will get away from them if they are using the collars correctly.
What do you think?
Jackie04/02/18: From Cindy:
Jackie,
I did get a call from Dianne this morning and she is feeling a little better. Maggie is struggling with being relaxed in the home and this was always an issue with her. They have built a gate to make the screen porch and deck more secure but I have advised not to leave her unattended. I also reinforced using “Place” to help her understand when and where to relax.
There other issue is pottying her. After the escape incident they are keeping her on tight leash close to them however I had mentioned in previous instructions that she needed distance to potty. She will not potty close to you. So this has been a bit confusing to them and Maggie. They have had some accidents in the house where she goes off in another room. I told Dianne we have a small fenced area within our large lot where we released her to potty. She always went to the same corner and then returned to us to go back on leash. I suggested they try to setup a potty area where they could give her distance from them and she will learn to use same spot .
Seems Jeff has become very attached to Maggie as he is now the one taking her out. This is a good thing for them both. I suggested he try to find a local trainer and take some classes.They are really trying which is encouraging. She is a very challenging dog in many ways so I do understand and will continue to try and coach.
Cindy
04/01/18: from Cindy:
Jackie,
I will email Dianne this evening with some guidelines on walking Maggie and being in tune with the dogs state of mind( relaxed vs. alert) . I will tell her it is ok to consider a harness (you might want to send her your info) but she must still practice at home until she has full control of Maggie at her side and knows how to redirect her physically and mentally if she gets excited. Keeping Maggie with her on leash in the home will be a good way to practice as well as send a message to Maggie. Many trainers do this with puppies.
It was clear at our meeting this was to be Dianne’s dog and Jeff was not that engaged so it may be tough for her to get him onboard . He did not do any of the leash handling practice.
I will check with my trainer network . No one comes to mind in that immediate area.Hope the can make this work but is going to take a lot of effort on their part.
Cindy
04/01/18
I was shocked when I got Dianne’s voicemail last night after returning from a dinner. I ultimately returned her call and at that point Maggie had already been intercepted by a neighbor after some 1.5 hours.
She was understandably upset so I tried to give her some coaching without being too stern. However in our meeting I strongly cautioned her about never allowing Maggie to move in front as well as discussed practicing her handling before taking Maggie out. I had hoped the cat incident at the handoff would have been a warning. I saw Maggie alert while Dianne was practicing with the leash . Before I even saw that a cat was approaching I stepped in and took the leash and moved her away as I could see that Dianne did not have control. We discussed how this could have potentially been an issue.
My advice to Dianne last night was to make sure the martingale collar was fitted tightly enough to stay high on the neck and I reminded her how to use up pressure at the jawline with the collar as well as the leash . I also told her she needed to do a lot of practice with walking Maggie in her home, in the garage or in the driveway until she was practiced with the leash and Maggie understood that Dianne was in control. Additionally I told her that it takes time to build a bond and gain a dogs trust. At the handoff I mentioned Maggie tended to be aloof and will take lots of time.
Some thoughts:
Maggie does take experienced handling. It is not just good use of the leash and collar with her but knowing how to read when she is in pack mode vs. prey mode. You must be proactive with her as she is apparently well practiced in using her weight to get in control. She will pull out in front, spin around, rear up and buck like a pony. She did this to me on day one but I was able to get control.
If Dianne wants to commit to keeping Maggie she will need some additional training in how to walk Maggie as well as read her. If she chooses to use a harness it will still be very important to learn good handling skills. The article mentions that a harness may give the handler a since of more control but is just a tool until you teach the dog not to pull. The front attaching types are nice but you still have to be quick enough to leverage that dogs weight back to you before they are too far out in front. If Maggie flips in front she will rear back and still get control.
As you could tell from the picture , I am a tiny person so I know no matter what tool I use I can never win when it comes to a weight pull. I had to really be on my game to walk Maggie in public with distractions but when she learned I was the leader she was excellent. I did learn some additional handling techniques for dogs that pull out in front during the workshop I just attended (don’t you know Huskies can pull you all over) that may be helpful to Dianne.
Worst case scenario is for Dianne to be too fearful to walk Maggie and just keep her confined. She already had that life.
I am willing to meet with Dianne and do some more extensive training or she could seek some local assistance . I feel She will need to decide if she is able to commit to what Maggie needs or re-surrender.Your thoughts?
Cindy03/31/18: From Cindy: Hi Jackie,
The go home session was very good in that Dianne was very attentive and receptive to the training. It is very hard to train a new handler in a short time . The dog quickly figures out what they can get away with when someone new has the leash. Covering leash handling with and without distraction, body pressure and place command is usually covered in 5 lessons. Maggie knows the routine and did really well at the handoff even with a stray cat approaching yet she requires really good handling skills to keep her from taking advantage.
I did caution them to be very careful with her. I understand they do not have a fenced yard and she can be a runner if you allow her to get control with her weight in front
(She is huge and powerful) .On July 4, 2017, ARG notified Will and Jill of an Airedale on Craigslist in their area. Will went to see it and could not leave him in that situation. See email from Will concerning doing a home visit for us:
From: Will Smith
To: Jackie Cash
Date: April 2, 2018 at 10:40 AM
Subject: Re: Airedale Rescue Home VisitSo Winston would not be the right dog to bring on a home visit with other dogs present. He is very aggressive towards other dogs and needs to be boarded separately at the kennel we use when we travel. I’m happy to visit her at home but I really dont want to bring Winston into that situation.
If I remember correctly, you or someone at ARG contacted me last July 4th about Winston being listed on Craigslist. I went to check it out and couldn’t stand the idea of not taking him in. Luckily, I know everything about his history and he even goes to the Vet that he grew up seeing. The people that I got him from had taken him from the original owner because that guy was having marital and career problems and couldn’t handle Winston anymore. The folks that I got him from had cats and little kids so Winston was trying to eat the other family pets. He’s 7 1/2 years old, very well trained and is still very energetic and playful. Truly a great dog!
Let me know what you think about the in home visit. I’ve never done one of these so I’m not sure what I should be looking for or asking. Any guidance would be appreciated.
Will
