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One more thing, I adopted Tuna at about the same age as Alfie is. I do not remember this behavior at all but Jeff and my mom reminded me that Tuna acted just like Alfie did – playful, non stop energy, always bringing toys to you. I denied it and said Tuna is perfect and both parties say that Tuna had the same energy at that time. Just hard to remember that when T is so perfect now! (Bragging and in complete denial that Tuna was ever that energetic nonstop!)
Christina Prange
(919) 605-4563—–Original Message—–
From: Michael Berger
To: Christina Prange
Cc: simplejoy4me
Sent: Sun, Nov 17, 2019 9:59 am
Subject: Re: Questions, re AlfieThanks, Christina; very helpful.
Regards,
On 11/17/2019 9:52 AM, Christina Prange wrote:Hi – echoing what all of you are saying about Alfie.
I know that he was with me for one night only but a couple of observations
He was very very playful (18 mos vs 10 year old) to Tuna. He wanted to play non stop. (It was the opposite on the dominating though – Tuna trying to dominate him). All in good fun but we needed to give T a break and Jeff would ‘walk into Alfie’s space’. He would just walk and made Alfie back up and stop playing. I also did little things like let T go into the house from outside first (of course after me!). Messaging to Alfie that he is the low one on the family hierarchy is important – you and Jeannette at top and then Lucy and then Alfie. Maybe later on it will be Alfie then Lucy, those two will figure it out.Playing – he really loved to play and eventually when Tuna was resting on his bed, Alfie was busy playing with all of our toys. He was non stop active. Eventually he did lay at my feet with the toys and was happy with the toy for entertainment. I noticed the owner had lots of the kong/indestructible toys vs the stuffie toys so he was very happy with all of our stuffies selections.. He has those tug toys with knots/balls at the end of them which he and T had a short round of tug but Tuna was no match for him. Alfie was smart and stood on the carpet and T was on hard wood floor so Alfie won. He did use those toys to entertain himself though by whipping them in his mouth – which we made him do outside!
Similar to you Michael, we also crated him overnight. He cried in his crate but we had the crate in the mudroom and neither of us were close to him. I think he really thrives on a good human bond.
Keep up the Airedale spirit! Keep us posted. We’re here and ‘hear’ for you as you transition!
Christina
Thanks, Jackie.
I thought the owner may have wanted to breed Alfie, although we did not know if it was for show, or other reasons. Good one, re what she really needed was a stuffed animal.
We knew Alfie had some training, but since when we go to pet him on his face, he pulls back a little, we wondered if he had some negative training experiences.
We’ll check-out the articles, and already looking for positive re-reinforcement trainers.
Regards,
On 11/17/2019 9:15 AM, Jackie Cash wrote:
Good morning, Michael & Jeannette. You hit the nail on the head when you said he was “dominating” Lucy. Mounting behavior in neutered males/spayed females is all about being dominant. These are good articles on the behavior:The current medical advice on neutering large-breed dogs is to wait until they have reached their growth, usually after 13-15 months. We follow that policy in ARG. In talking to the owner about him, she told me that she had gone back and forth on whether to neuter him, but she thought she might even let him breed. She was an inexperienced Airedale/dog owner and what she really needed was a stuffed animal.
You’ll find some good ideas in the articles above about redirecting his behavior, but in these early days, that’s probably going to be a challenge. Your idea of separate playtime is good. Interrupt his attempts and praise him when he pays attention to you. Lucy will probably be the best at discouraging him. When she turns around and give him a good nip and snarl, he will get the message.
Do work with a trainer, but only one who uses positive reinforcement and no aversive techniques. You’ve got a great Airedale, and he’ll respond with time.
Thank you for loving him!
Jackie
11/17/19:
From: Michael Berger
To: Airedale_Jackie Cash
Cc: __Jeannette Foye
Date: November 17, 2019 at 6:33 AM
Subject: Questions, re AlfieGood morning Jackie & Christina —
We realize yesterday was a very stressful day for Alfie, both the long car rides & the change in living arrangements.
However, last night we crated Alfie overnight –although I slept in the TV room with him — because he was obsessed with dominating Lucy, mostly with sexual interests, including trying to hump Lucy.
During those times, he completely ignores Jeannette & me.
We’ve read that males neutered later, such as in his case, there can be repeating prior sexual behavior.
It would seem that Alfie did NOT spend much time with female dogs.
And despite training, we’re wondering if above behavior was the reason why owner wanted to give Alfie away. Otherwise, why did she not neuter him earlier?
I recall when Lucy first arrived & Solomon was also older, Lucy constantly bothered him for days, ’til Sol laid down the law.
For now, we are trying to have separate play time with Alfie, with Lucy in a different room.
We know Airedales have a strong, independent will, that takes some time to adjust to new environment.
I’ve left messages with 4 dog trainers, so we could start in-house lessons for the 4 of us ASAP.
Just wondering if either of you have any suggestions.
Thanks.11/17/19: Amanda in vet’s office called back on the 15th:
They said:
Don’t know why he keeps getting these sores; he’s kind of an allergic dog; can’t tell us for sure what is causing it.
No culture has been done.
It tends to clear up and then flare back
Recommended he could be seen by a dermatologist, but, yes, culture first.I’d say we advise Nori or whoever gets him to have a culture done if he exhibits this problem again and/or see a dermatologist. That’s quite expensive. So… ?
11/15/19: From Scott & Lois Romahn:
Its been 5 weeks since Dexter joined our crazy house and he just turned 1 year on the 13th. I’m sharing out this note we sent to his previous owner with you, Joey & Paige.It’s been 37 years since I walked through life with my Airedale, Gus. Dexter is everything and more than I was expecting. I am very glad I had that experience and that Lois has played Alpha to many many dogs, horses and children. We are also so thankful that you had Joey & Paige give Dexter the training they did.
Dexter is a very smart, independent soul who has tooo much….. to be an only dog. He blends in well here because there is always something to draw his attention. He has yet to find a piece of firewood I am loading that does not need a tasting or a tug.
Dexter still tries daily to assert his dominance over me, usually when I insist he goes to kennel when he has claimed the couch. He will not move and will growl till I get a lead. Only then will he give in.
He seems to have come to a temporary truce with Lois. He refused to get into the car to go walk and laid down in front of it and would not move. Lois applied lead and escorted him up to his kennel and left him there and went walking. Dexter was devastated and apologized for the next 2 days. Since then he has not tried to intimidate her like he was before the incident.
Our 3 yo grandson has been with us for the last 4 days and he has been very gentle, other than sniffing, and seems to rough house away from him.
Dexter couldn’t be better considering his age. He listens well, when he wants to, doesn’t chew indoor stuff other than toys and enjoys being with us in all the things we do. Requests tug of war with me a lot, wants to play ball inside and out and will destroy a frisby in a flash. We thank you again for giving us the right to have him join our family.
If I can ever figure out what is going on with my tablet I’ll get more pictures up.11/15/19: Candice sent Rusty’s Medical Records from Cleveland Park Animal Hospital, Greenville 864-242-3300. He has had repeated problems with licking between his toes resulting in abscesses, and has been on Chlorhexidine soaks and antibiotics continually since December 2017; most recently August 29, 2019.
I called the vet’s office and asked if the vet could tell me what he thinks is going on, Rusty’s prognosis, why he continues to have this problem; have they ever cultured the abscess. Spoke to Amy and she will have someone call me. Dr. Wessinger is the one who has seen Rusty most often.
———- Original Message ———-
From: Christina Prange
To: captaindrumfish@gmail.com, pjlanese@gmail.com, ghchace@yahoo.com, simplejoy4me@gmail.com, jeannettemichaelfl@gmail.com, r.wolbers@yahoo.com
Cc: airedalemail@comcast.net
Date: November 15, 2019 at 6:44 AM
Subject: Albe Transport Saturday 11/16/19Hello to Albe’s transport team!
<< Please read carefully for IMPORTANT INFO about Albe and his transport. And please REPLY to this message so I'll know you received our schedule! >>
I will monitor our transport and will be available on Saturday in case of questions, unexpected delays, or problems. You can reach me on my cell phone, 919.605.4563 (call/text). Calls, texts, pics, and updates are most welcome!
Because of your kindness Albe will travel this weekend to Michael & Jeannette in FL! We appreciate you so much for donating your time and travel expense to make Albe’s trip possible. You are all very special friends to our ARG rescue dogs and we are most grateful!
Albe is approximately 1.5 years old, 60 lbs, and fully vetted. He is a handsome, wonderful boy, healthy, heart worm negative, and travels well. He will be traveling with his own collar, leash , harness, crate, and vet records. He will not be crated during transport but can travel securely tethered on a back seat or SUV cargo area.
Below is our transport schedule which includes all the information you’ll need to complete your part of Albe’s trip. But first, here’s some important info for our transport:
Checking In – Please REPLY to me so I’ll know you got this message!
Safety and Security – These are always big concerns during a transport. Please check that Albe ‘s collar is fastened securely and that his leash is attached and intact before exiting your vehicle. Be sure that you have a good hold on his leash when you open your car door, use care when walking him, and hold on tight! Also, try to choose the quietest possible spot at your hand off location, away from traffic. Do not let him off leash at any time!! (This is very important as you are transferring the crate to each other’s car)
Loading and Handoffs – Albe should load up easily. If he hesitates please show him what you’d like for him to do by putting his front paws into the vehicle and giving him a boost up. Please give him a few minutes to meet and get to know his new driver before loading him into the next vehicle.
Traveling – Albe travels great, and once you’re underway he should ride quietly and will likely snooze most of the way. It is essential that you tether him securely by his harness inside your vehicle for his safety and yours. We want to be sure that he doesn’t try to help with the driving, and trust me, he’d like to! Though this will be a confusing time for Albe we know that your care will make his trip the best it can possibly be.
Water and Treats – Please bring along a disposable container and a bottle of water and offer water to Albe at each handoff. We want to be sure that he stays hydrated in this hot weather, but don’t be overly concerned if he doesn’t drink at each handoff. He might also appreciate a small treat or two outside your vehicle.
Albe’s gear – And last but not least, be sure to transfer Albe’s paperwork and additional gear to the next volunteer. We hope that you’ll remind one another so that nothing gets left behind.
Our transport schedule follows. After checking it, let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Please be sure that your contact info below is correct and check in with the people you’re meeting on either end of your leg to confirm meeting times and locations.
Be sure that you have a copy of our schedule, either a hard copy or on your phone, so that you’ll have all the necessary contact info. Call me if you need any additional info while on the road!
Meeting locations are suggestions ….feel free to change to a more convenient (Cracker Barrells are my easy go-to) mutually agreed upon spot if you’d like, and please let me know if you do. I’ve allowed a 15 minute potty/walking break between each leg.
All that said, here’s our schedule:
Saturday, 11/16:
Leg 1 – 7:00 am to 8:10 am
Raleigh to Fayetteville 65 mi (1 hr 6 min)
Alan Jernigan cell 919-880-9151 driving black Tahoe
Meeting place: Cracker Barrell: 1625 Jim Johnson Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28312Leg 2 – 8:25 am to 9:40 am
Fayetteville to Florence 87 mi (1 hr 15 min)
Becky Wolbers cell 740-360-8265 and Jays is 910-987-9815 . driving a blue gray Jeep
Meeting place: Cracker Barrell: 1824 W Lucas St, Florence, SC 29501Leg 3 – 10:00 am to 12:45 pm
Florence to Savannah 180 mi (2 hr 40 min)
George Chace ghchace@yahoo.com 843-229-8031 driving Metallic Blue Hyundai Van
Meeting place: Cracker Barrell: 17017 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31419Leg 4 – 1:00 pm to 2:45 pm
Savannah to Jacksonville, FL 139 mi (1 hr 45 min)
Pat Lanese pjlanese@gmail.com 912-677-6884 driving Red Ford Explorer
Meeting place Cracker Barrell: 13250 City Station Dr, Jacksonville, FLLeg 5 – 3:00 pm to 6:4 0 pm
Jacksonville to Largo 221 mi (3 hr 40 min)
Adopters Michael Berger mike@mikepolly.com & Jeannette Foye 727-266-8195 or 208-651-8089A huge “THANK YOU” to all of you from all of us at ARG. Because ARG s a 501(c)(3) non-profit, it may be possible for you to deduct your travel expenses from your taxes as a charitable donation. Please check with your tax adviser. If you’d like a receipt for your mileage, just let me know and I’ll be happy to provide it for you.
Any updates following hand offs that you can provide throughout the transport will be most welcome….please call/text me at 919.605.4563. We hope you enjoy your time with Sweet Albe
Christina Prange
(919) 605-456311/14/19: Cathy & Jim are probably going to adopt Nena. The videos that Tyson sent (via Phil to me to them) show her on the floor with a toy and just “grousing/growling/talking.” Another video shows him petting her but also kind of holding her down and her growling, but he just keeps petting her and she is fine and does not escalate.
Cathy said that Tyson has offered to bring Nena to them because he and his girlfriend want to make a trip to Nashville and they can leave Nena with them for the weekend and if they don’t want her, he’ll take her back. Wow.
11/14/19: Kate returned my call and said she got a mixed breed dog from the Atlanta shelter and is no longer going to adopt. The dog is a mix btw a saluki and greyhound she thinks!
11/13/19: Emailed Christine Sorrell to see if they are still wanting to adopt and to ask how her husband is doing.
———- Original Message ———-
From: Jackie Cash
To: Alyson Elder
Cc: Barbara Yager
Date: November 13, 2019 at 12:12 PM
Subject: Airedale RescueHi, Alyson. I believe I saw on Facebook that you were going to drive to SC to pick up an Airedale-mix. Did you get the pup? If not and if you still would like to continue the adoption process, I’d like to speak to you. I do not have an Airedale available currently, but we can get you approved and ready for when one does come along.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Jackie
