Well, I've been writing articles about breeds and dog care for weeks, so it's time for a little story. This story takes me all the way back to my childhood and the little dog we called Splashy. This little dog was a terrier, part Yorkshire Terrier, part something else. Regardless of who her parents were, she looked like a terrier and she was one of my best friends growing up.
But she wasn't perfect, as my grandmother will constantly state. The story starts one cold spring morning. It was a Tuesday or a Wednesday ... one of the days my older sister Vicky was in school. Since I was only four years old at the time, I was too young for school. But my father had to work and my mother had volunteered to supervise a field trip at my sister's school. That left my grandmother to watch me and my baby sister Erika. My grandmother arrived at promptly 8am and ushered my sister and mother out the door.
The day went along well enough. Just after our 9am snack, my grandmother packed up my sister and I and we went for a walk. I had Splashy on a leash and the little dog romped beside us, legs flying and fur bouncing. It was cool on this particular morning so we were all wearing gloves and scarves. My grandmother, refined old lady that she was, was wearing stylish brown leather gloves. Not exactly warm, but very pretty.
Splashy obviously agreed because she jumped and nipped, trying with all her might to get a mouthful of glove. You have to understand that Splashy was normally a very well behaved little dog. She never jumped up and she never nipped. But she did both on this blustery morning, and all over a pair of leather gloves. They must have smelled great to her little doggy nose. We never had any leather in our home, so leather gloves were a new experience for Splashy.
But my grandmother was not amused. As she pushed Erika's stroller, she tried everything she could to get Splashy to behave.
"Stop that!" she snapped, giving Splashy a push.
Splashy barked and ran around to my grandmother's other side, possibly hoping that plaguing my grandmother from the right instead of the left would be met with more success.
My grandmother flapped her hands at the little dog. "Get away!"
Well, the flapping only served to drive Splashy into a frenzy as she became determined to have those gloves. She darted in and among the stroller's wheels and started to bark. No, she yipped. Tiny little high pitched yips that made me laugh and my grandmother grumble. The baby remained peacefully sleeping in her stroller.
Eventually, my grandmother had had enough and we headed back to the house, little dog yipping all the way. We got inside and my grandmother told me to take the leash off and put the dog in the sun room. I did as she instructed as she removed the baby from the stroller and set her free in the living room. Then she stripped off her own outerwear. She hung her hat and scarf on a peg, her coat in the closet, and placed her gloves on the side table.
But Splashy was safely in the sun room so we continued on about our day. Erika played and shrieked on the living room floor. I brushed the hair on each and every My Little Pony I had. My grandmother read a novel out loud. I think it might have been The King of Elfland's Daughter, but it was more than twenty years ago now. It might have been something else.
Lunch came and we knew my mother would soon return home. The field trip was only for a couple of hours, after all. So we adjourned to the kitchen and my grandmother made us pasta. Just as we started to eat, the front door opened. We expected my mother to come bustling into the kitchen. Instead, we faintly heard her sigh.
"Oh no," came the voice from the front foyer.
"What?" my grandmother asked, heading toward the foyer.
I put down my fork, interest peaked, as Erika shoved her pasta off her highchair and let it clatter to the floor.
An instant later, my grandmother shrieked. There's no other way to describe it. The sound reverberated through the house and I jumped off my chair and hurried to the foyer. And stopped dead.
There was Splashy, the tiny little dog who was supposed to be in the sun room, with a tiny bit of leather sticking out of her mouth. Other bits of leather were strewn across the floor. My mother and grandmother were standing there staring. And Splashy was doing her best to look innocent. She might have pulled it off if it hadn't been for the bit of leather sticking to her lips.
My grandmother was ranting, wanting to know how the dog had gotten out of the sun room and why on earth Splashy would eat her gloves. During this rant, I began to get a little worried. I had put the dog in the sun room. Would I be in trouble for her escape?
But before my grandmother could direct some blame toward me, my mother went back to the sun room. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw what Splashy had done. The french doors, which had been in pristine condition, were now ... decidedly not. Splashy, in her desperation to reach the leather gloves, had pulled and chewed until part of the french doors had come away. This was a tiny dog, so she managed to slip through a fairly small hole. Still, eating through wooden doors and still managing not to alert any of us to the damage was quite impressive.
But dear old Grandma was not amused. She lectured the poor little dog, who only looked at her with wide brown eyes. I swear the dog smiled as my grandmother threw up her hands and stormed from the house.
But the lesson was learned. Never leave leather gloves on the side table. Put them away in a pocket or up on a shelf. Even if you think the dog is in the sun room.
Known also as the Airedale and the King of Terriers, the Airedale Terrier of today is much different in appearance than its ancient ancestors. Airedales were originally known as Waterside and Bingley Terriers and are descended from a now-extinct breed that was black and tan in color. The dog was crossed to the Otterhound and Manchester Terrier to gain certain qualities such as a more swimmer-like body. The dog we know today as the Airedale didn't really begin to take shape until the late 18th century.
This interesting breed was used as a vermin and small game hunter in England and draws its name from Valley of the Aire, an area almost overpopulated with small game. As the Airedale spread to different areas of the world, it was also used to hunt large game in areas such as Canada, Africa, and India. The Airedale was also used as a police dog and even a guard dog during World War II.
As one of the largest terrier breeds, the Airedale Terrier stands between 22 and 24 inches and is square in appearance. The head is long and flat and the nose is always black, never dark brown. The small eyes should be dark in color and the teeth should meet in a vice-like grip. The ears flop slightly to the sides of the head as they fall forward. The front legs should be perfectly straight when the dog is standing and the tail should be set high on the back.
The coat of the Airedale should be hard and dense, almost wiry to the touch. The undercoat, however, is a soft down that is designed to keep the dog warm in the water. The coat should either be tan with black markings or tan with grizzle markings. The areas of the body which should be tan include: head, ears, legs, thighs, elbows, chest, underbody, and sometimes the shoulders. The sides and upper parts of the body should be grizzle or black. Some lines have a small white blaze on the chest. This is acceptable in most associations in which the breed is recognized.
The temperament of the Airedale is beloved by many. They are protective, courageous, friendly, intelligent, loyal, and have a pleasant demeanor. Their intelligence and sensitivity make them easily trainable, but they do not respond well to harsh training methods. They sometimes have a short attention span and can be distracted by a bit of food, another dog, or a random squirrel. This dog needs exercise and is not recommended for apartment life.
Airedales should be taken to an obedience class to learn how to behave among people and other dogs. They are easily bored, however, so try to keep training fun, exciting, and new. Asking this breed to do the same trick 100 times in a row is not going to get you anywhere. This dog can sometimes have dominance problems, so is not recommended for families with small children. However, a dog raised among children should come to respect them. Be careful, though, as Airedales can be a little rough without meaning to. They seem to think they're much smaller than they are, so keep them from jumping up and knocking children to the ground.
Airedale Terriers are generally a healthy dog, though they can be prone to eye infections and hip dysplasia. Skin problems may also plague this breed, so feed your Airedale a diet high in omega fatty acids. Skin infections should be dealt with quickly by a veterinarian.
If you're considering an Airedale Terrier as a pet, know that they require intense grooming. At the minimum you must keep the face and feet trimmed and the coat clipped and brushed. Even with this, however, you will likely find tumbleweed-shaped balls of fur around your home. To keep the shedding to a minimum, you'll have to get the coat stripped. This should be done by a professional groomer. Also, you will need to wash the beard daily to remove any food residue.
Today, the Airedale is mostly a companion dog, though some working lines still exist. You can still find talented dogs in the worlds of guarding, hunting, rodent control, tracking, military work, police
work, and competitive obedience. The Airedale Terrier, despite its strengths and desire to work, is usually considered a companion dog.
Also known as the Hokkaido Dog, Hokkaidoken, Hokkaïdo, Ainu-Ken, or Ainu Inu, the Ainu Dog is rarely seen outside Japan. The true origin of this breed is unknown, but they came to Japan with the Ainu tribe almost 3000 years ago. The dog became a guardian of the tribe mostly due to their suspicion of strangers and their desire to protect. This breed is thought to have a common ancestor with both the Chow Chow and the Shar Pei because of the black spots on the tongue. This is, however, purely speculation. We do know that the Ainu Dog is proficient at guarding people and property and is useful as a big game hunting dog and a draft animal.
Physically, the Ainu is thin, muscular, sturdy, and strong. This quick dog has a light gait and small ears that stand erect and are at a right angle to the brow. The eyes are small and set triangularly and almost always a deep brown in color. In many associations, eyes other than brown are an immediate disqualification. There are black spots on the tongue of many, but not all Ainu Dogs have this distinct trait. The nose and lips should both be black or a very dark brown. Pink is not acceptable in any association in which the breed is recognized. The coat of the dog should be straight and dense and may come in a variety of colors, including sesame, brindle, wolf gray, red, brown or white.
The Ainu Dog is considered fearless and determined but also well behaved and loyal. These traits make the Ainu attractive as a hunter, guard dog, or watchdog. They are also popular sled dogs due to their strength and muscular legs. As an intelligent breed, the Ainu is quickly trained and excels as a scent dog, making them attractive as tracking hounds. An innate sense of direction allows this dog to find its way home over great distances and has even been known to rescue a lost person from the depths of the woods, guiding them gently to safety.
As a house pet, these dogs are a bit of a paradox. When raised among small children, the Ainu can make the perfect family dog. Introducing an adult Ainu to small children and pets, however, can be fraught with difficulty. They can be stubborn and headstrong and sometimes refuse to accept smaller family members. It is generally recommended that this dog either be raised among children or have no contact with children. The middle ground doesn't seem to work well with this breed.
Standing from 18 to 22 inches tall, this dog is not a very good apartment dog. Their thick coats and active nature generally mean they need a yard. The Ainu can stay outside in most weather due to their thick coat, but in the summer it's important to make sure your Ainu is not overheating. Heat stroke can be a significant problem with this delightful breed.
With moderate exercise this breed can be the perfect companion or working dog. But they do need a strong pack leader. If you're considering the Ainu as an addition to your family, you should certainly be ready to lead.
The Aidi is also known as the Chien de l’Atlas, the Atlas Sheepdog, and the Atlas Mountain Hound. This dog is muscular and lean with ears that are slightly tipped forward. The tail should have a heavy plume and there should be a visible black lip along the mouth. Eyes should be of a medium shape and dark in color, though the specific color will vary. The eyes should also be rimmed with black, almost as if the dog is wearing mascara. The nose should be either black or brown, depending on the coat color. The coat itself should be thick and resistant to most weather. Acceptable colors for the Aidi include black, white, black and white, tawny and pale red.
Originally used as a flock guard dog, the Aidi is highly energetic and bonds easily to its family. Once this bond is established, the Aidi is very protective of its family. These dogs like to have a job, so if they can't guard a flock, consider hunting or trials or even agility (they are agile and alert). Anything to keep the dog occupied. They can also be stubborn and occasionally intractable. This is a powerful breed and is not for everyone. But if you're willing to work with your dog so both of you are kept busy, this might be the breed for you.
Standing from 21 to 24 inches and weighing from 50 to 55 pounds, this dog is not a very good apartment dog. The Aidi needs space to run, so a yard is good. But they also like to jump, so fence your yard with a fence at least 5 feet high. In addition to being allow to roam, these dogs do need daily walks to keep them fit and healthy.
Thought to have originated in the Sahara, this powerful breed has few natural health problems. But you do have to keep them occupied if you want them to stay out of trouble.
