I'm back...

[ruby]

Well, one last post before the change everyone. Janet, I am sending
this to you also as I post to Pat's forum. I knew you would also like
to hear it.

First, I've been having Annie here at home with me just like I did
with Brew. I think the most of you knew that. She spends a lot of
time on her settle line at the end of one of the couches. She is at
the foot of my chair where I watch TV. She has been doing very
good.

Her attitude is back up. She is now a living in a house and is a
special dog, just as it was with Brew.

She has gotten so comfortable I decided it was time to stir up her
world a bit now. I made another settle spot for her. There is now a
line attached to my computer desk. Sometimes Annie is on the new line
and sometimes on the couch line. Just that little change made her a
little nervous. She could see me in the kitchen working and sometimes
I sat at the computer. For the first few mintues, I let her just get
used to it. Talking to her as I worked in the kitchen. Then I fixed
her one of her stuffed bones and gave it to her as I sat to the
computer. That's all it took. She is now very comfortable with the
new spot. This was my first step in teaching her to be adaptable.

This morning she attended the morning class. What a good class. As
the different veterans worked different dogs on different things Annie
and I set up in a corner and began to begin! First thing was I put
her on a table top and reviewed sit, down, stand. We had done this
with her when she first came so it was just to refresh her mind.

As Pat said, at this age...(Annie is just 7 months) the biggest thing
with an Airedale is to get them in their right mind. (This is a Cool
Hand Luke reference for those that don't know. One of my favorite
movies.)

Anyway, we did sit, down, stand on the table top. That went well.
Now we moved to the floor. (the adaptability)

This is a whole new story to a dog. I had Annie on two long lines.
One at the wall and me at the end of the other line. As Annie and I
reached he end of the line to the wall, I said 'Wait' and kept
walking. Annie hit the end of the line and I kept the other line
taunt as I continued walking. When I got about 6 - 7 foot away from
her I turned and faced her telling her 'Good Wait'. She, of course,
had NO choice. We returned to the wall and repeated the exercise.

We did that several more times until when I walked away saying 'Wait',
Annie would pause with out hitting the end of the line. The line was
still tight, but she had stopped herself BEFORE she got the
correction from hitting the end of the line. That is where I stopped
that excercise. I then stood in front of her and said 'Sit'. Now,
this was not on a table top, so this was not right....I repeated the
command and actually slid my hand around the butt and tucked the back
legs, while holding her head up with the second line, forcing her into
the sit. I told her good sit and stroked her a minute, then let her
stand and I stood in front of her again.

I said, 'Sit' and she looked up at me and I reached down to tuck her
again and as soon as I touched her she sat all by herself with out me
having to force her into position. I was VERY happy and told her so.
We then simply stood there talking to Lynette practicing the easy
while I visited with a neighbor. Lynette, said easy and I said easy
and Lynette stepped forward to pet Annie. Annie wanted very much to
be happy silly girl, but Lynette repeated the easy and I took up the
slack in the loose line and also repeated easy. Annie sat there quite
calmly while she was petted.

By this time, class was about over and people were begining to leave.
I returned Annie to her settle line, on her blanket with her bone, and
turning....there sat Kinzee looking so forlorn and so ignored...lol!
So as people were leaving, I took Kinzee out into the emptying room
and did some quick position exercises with her and then some actuall
manuvers that she is good at so we could also end up with a happy
training time. I was forgiven for paying soooo much attention to that
puppy.

I then took both girls back up to the office and put them away and got
myself a cup of nice hot coffee and sat down to talk with Pat about
how happy I was with Annie. Couple swallows of coffee and in pulled
Dick Framke with Brew!

Yehaaaa. 'Da boy' is here again for a short time. He is here to see
Kiera. We unloaded Brew into the training center where he would set
up camp for a short time. First I turned him out in the back where he
ran and ran and peed and peed and pooped twice.....I guess he is at
home...lol! After a chance to exercise he came in and ran to where
Dick and Pat were standing, talking. He wiggled all over them telling
them what a good time he just had running in the snow. As Dick left,
I put Brew in a kennel and Pat and I returned to the office where I
finished my coffee.

Pat and Kenny took the chance to be able to actually go to the grocery
store...WOW! I puttzzzed about doing things until they returned and
then Kinzee and I went down to the training center to let Brew out
again.

Kinzee knew there was a new dog in there and as soon as I opened the
door she charged over to the kennel where she came to a sliding halt.
She was in shock. Oh my gosh...I know you. Brew, on the inside of
the kennel was wiggling all over and his tail was going a hundred
miles and hour.

I opened Brew's kennel and he and Kinzee flung themselves at each
other. They looked like football players that leap up and body slam
each other in mid air when the do something they like. I opened the
door to the back and both of them ran out the door. I pulled up and
chair and sat watching out the window. Those two dogs were soooo
happy to see each other. They ran and leaped and slid and wrestled in
that snow for ever. They would still be there if I hadn't called it a
day about a half hour later.

Brew leaped in th air and threw himself on the ground and rolled and
wiggled on his back in the snow while Kinzee spun in circles next to
him. Up jumped Brew and the both took off down to the other end of
the field. Around the pond, back up by my window, where they leaped
up and body slammed each other again. Root in the snow and toss it in
the air. Brew peed on everything and Kinzee peed over his spot. At
one time, Brew ran up the rise where the wolves stand and he stopped,
looked at them and then kicked snow in the air behind himself and took
off after Kinzee down the field again.

I finally brought them inside and just because I wanted to know and I
wanted to establish in Brew's mind that I am still top boss..... I
hooked Kinzee to the wall and hooked a long line on Brew. I did just
a couple acountability turns with him and then told him 'with me' and
he fell into heel position. I stopped and he stopped and plopped his
but on the floor. I again said 'with me' and started off, did an
about turn and stopped. He was right with me as the long line drug on
the floor behind us. I stopped and he sat. 'With me' an away we went
and I said 'off' and turned into him and he popped back out of the way
and was right with me. I then put my arms around that beautiful head
and hugged him and told him he was the best boy in the world. He
wiggled his agreement. I put a short working lead on Brew and
unhooked Kinzee from the wall and we left the building. I loaded Brew
into my car in his old poition on the back seat. Went and got Annie
and put her in the crate in the back, Kinzee took her normal place at
shotgun, and...yup...took them all home with me.

You are hearing from a very happy lady. Annie again had to adapt. I
put her line out my front door and hooked it over the knob and shut
the door on it. She is in another new settle spot. Right next to one
of the toy boxes. She is happy. Brew in on the settle line on the
couch where Annie normally is and Kinzee....well, Kinzee is loose and
laying at my feet as I type. All are sleeping right now. Earlier I
was in the kitchen fixing everybody's supper and I looked out the
kitchen to see that everybody was ok and there they were, three
Airedales looking back at me, with tails a going. They knew I was
fixing supper. What a beautiful sight!

They have all had there supper, been out and played and now are just
settled and it is time for me to go sit in my chair to watch TV. As I
look across the room and see all those Airedales, I just can't help
myself....I grin from ear to ear. A big, showing the teeth grin. I
AM HAPPY.

Kinzee is doing double duty. She takes the puppy out in the yard to
play and potty, then brings her back in and goes out with 'daboy'. At
this point, I won't let Annie out with the other two. They would be a
little much for the puppy yet. They run around and don't care if the
slam into an unsupecting small puppy. So, Kinzee has to do double
duty.

Well, Annie woke up and is crying....she needs to go out. She has
begun to cry to let me know she needs to go outside. Even in a crate,
she crys to go out. Thing is, now we need to decern between cry to
get out and cry to NEED to go out. She's getting there. So now is
the rotation of two out, one in, then two out and all in. Then it
will be time to settle and I get to watch TV. Not that there is
anything great in that these days.

So, that is how it is going here. Brew is bunking with us while he is
here visiting Kiera. Annie is doing good and learning many things.
Kinzee continues to teach and be a great hostess.

Night all.....Quansa's Nanny....(smiling big yet)

[Ken Korn]

Ruby,

I just love to read about your adventures. Especially imagining your
big smile at those three 'dales in your home. Keep it up!!!

Ken (Marilyn, Smudge, and Emma say a big Hi )