Amy The Airedale

more on my Newfoundland trip '09

2010-10-14T14:20:00.000-02:30

okay so I never finished telling you about my great Newfoundland adventure! There were lots of animals that smelled really interesting. I wanted very, very much to get out of the truck and give chase, but nobody would let me out. Moose were everywhere! Cows with their young calves too! The weather got quite cold, windy and rainy when we got to L'Anse aux Meadows and the historic viking settlement site. It was so cold and wet that I wouldn't get out of the car. The only good part about the cold arctic winds that we ran into at the tip of Newfoundland's Northern Penninsula was that they blew icebergs close enough to the land that we could see them and get a few good pictures. We've never seen an iceberg before. Mom says global warming will eventually melt all the icebergs, so she was so happy to see some. Do you like this painting that my mom did of me? that's a real iceberg out in the ocean!

I spent hours gazing outside at the cold driving rain but still it's time for a return trip to stunning Newfoundland

Mother's Day Walkies: Oshawa's Beautiful Kinsmen Valleyview Gardens

2010-05-12T15:06:00.001-02:30

Above: Oshawa's beautiful Kinsmen Valleyview Gardens is one of our favourite trails and on Sunday we got to spend time there admiring the new blooms.

We usually enter the Gardens via the Arena Street Fire Hall parking lot near the creek.

Dad can be such a bore... always trying to get me to focus and pose. Sheesh how lame!

It was a great day! Above: I met Baron who's a really good dog too and we played for a bit.

Enough with the poses already!

Oshawa's Kinsmen Valleyview Gardens is bordered by Adelaide Street West to the north, Kaiser Crescent to the east, Arena Street to the west and Bond Street to the south. This park forms a northern portion of the Oshawa Creek Trail's great paved biking route.

The Oshawa Creek Trail is an easy and scenic off-road pathway leading all the way south to Lake Ontario where you can connect with Ontario's extensive Waterfront Trail system for even more biking fun.

World's Best Dog Food is Harvest Blend

2010-05-12T14:20:00.000-02:30

Uncle Ron came to visit the other day to deliver my fresh bag of num-nums. Ron is a distributor for the premium pet food called Harvest Blend. Harvest Blend is an all natural kibble that is delicious AND it's specially formulated from the best ingredients, vitamins and minerals to keep me healthy.

Mom and dad are still amazed that in this day and age someone actually takes the time and effort to personally deliver fresh bags of dog food right to our home! But Uncle Ron is very prompt with a delivery once he gets our phone order. My parents have been customers of Ron for a long time and they highly recommend this supplier and his premium dog food.

Ten years ago Dad got REMARKABLE improvements in the coat of his dear Nathan, a Giant Schnauzer who suffered from severe oily dandruff when Nathan was moved to a Harvest Blend formula. Nathan was turning grey at only 4 years of age, he had little energy and was 30 lbs. over weight on standard "store" brands of kibble.

But after a few months on Harvest Blend Nathan's grey hair was gone and so was his dandruff and smelly coat. But the most incredible thing about the Harvest Blend food was how Nathan slowly gained energy and lost ALL of his excess body fat. After a year or two on Harvest Blend food Nathan's coat was glossy and wow his activity level transformed to power packed and vibrant! In fact Nathan actually looked younger at 8 years of age than he did when he was four years old.

Dad says Harvest Blend dog food works out be VERY affordable because it doesn't contain any fillers, chemicals, crappy meat byproducts and other junk. It's pure goodness and energy -- so I only need to eat a few cups of this kibble per day. I love my Harvest Blend Chicken Formula!

Here's what the company site says: "Harvest Blend Chicken Formula is a completely balanced premium dog food suitable for "All Life Stages". Our high quality ingredients ensure that your adult dog will receive all the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients necessary to maintain a long and healthy life. The complete amino acid profile and high energy level derived from our superior protein, fat and carbohydrate sources also makes this food ideal for growing puppies, working dogs, and pregnant/lactating females."

Mom just found out that Harvest Blend has a new Salmon Formula and since this blend may have a bit more Omega oils, mom is keen to supplement my diet with it. mmmmmm new num-nums! I can't wait!

For free Harvest Blend pet food delivery in Whitby, Oshawa, Courtice, Bowmanville, Port Hope, Cobourg , Ajax, Pickering and Port Perry contact:

Ron Wright
905-433-4017
Email Ron
ronallwright [at] rogers dot com

Ron *might* have a FREE sample of this great pet food for you too so call or email him!

I'm Back!

2010-04-22T10:55:00.000-02:30

here I was posing for mom after I got my new spring 'do a few weeks ago. My spa is Indogneeto in Oshawa...

but then I got sick. I pulled my dad's huge hollow milk chocolate easter bunny (from Williams Chocolatiers in Whitby) off the counter and ate what was left of it. That was likely about a pound of milk chocolate. In future, mom is never gonna leave the house without locking me inside my crate :(

After I ate all that milk chocolate I was really lethargic for 2 days or so. My energy returned for a few days but then last week I just couldn't stay awake. I was sleeping and sleeping, not eating much and barely drinking water too.

Mom and dad have been worried sick about me. I was a bit warm, coughing and gagging and my neck was a bit sore too. Then my bark deepened a bit too and just as soon as all those symptoms became apparent I started to get my energy back. Go figure! That was 2 days ago.

Yesterday there was a spring in my step again. I'm beginning to bounce around as per usual. I'm eating again too.

Mom and dad just don't know what to do with me. They say I'm a worry. And if I have any more weird symptoms I get to visit the doctor. whooo hooo! I just love the Doctor's office :) there is so much to see and do there... and so many new friends to meet there!

The Sun Is Back!

2010-03-11T19:43:00.003-03:30

Here I was on my walk today trying my best to hide from the camera for some reason. The weather has been so mild and we're happy to have lots of sunshine again. There was almost no snow here in Toronto all winter, but maybe we'll still get a bit more of the white stuff. I sure hope so! I love to play in the snow :)

If the weather stays this mild I'll be going for grooming soon! YAY! but today my coat is fluffy. I've been trimmed around the face, but it's definitely time for a new hairdo.

There's not much new going on with me. Everyday I try my best to be a good girl and everyday I still get barked at by mom, but she says I'm growing up a wee bit. I help mom with her work and she's opening a studio and gallery right here in the house so that will mean lots of new visitors. YAY!

Mom says I've been remarkably sane this past 6 months and that living with me has become almost tolerable. Here's another picture of my fluffy look. This photo was taken in September when I thought we were going on vacation (so I am smiling) but apparently I was going to the country club and they got to go to Block Island.

Cool Dog Blogs

2009-08-10T17:10:00.005-02:30

I've been back from Newfoundland for weeks but couldn't post here because it took me days to catch up on my sleep! The weather here in Toronto is like 95 degrees AND it's way too humid to even sit outside, so I'm happy to be in air conditioning this afternoon...

Mom says she's behind with work now too. So that's why she hasn't sorted through our vacation pics and finished my posts on Newfoundland.

Okay so today I found some cool dog blogs to follow! and we've posted a blog list on the left. If you want to be added there, please just email me, eh? :) And of course, we'll follow you too!
hugs,
~Amy

Gros Morne National Park and Trout River

2009-07-14T17:02:00.019-02:30

For three days we stayed at the Crocker Cabins in Trout River where we met Suzanne and Jeff from Vancouver. The cabins were very nice with great cable TV. I love to watch TV with mom!

Trout River is located within Gros Morne National Park on the west coast of Newfoundland. Here I am at Trout River Pond:

Gros Morne park is a UNESCO world heritage site. We learned that the earth’s mantle is exposed here and that makes this a very special spot. The mountains here are called the Tablelands because they are flat on top.

Here I am at Woody Point on Bonne Bay.

We stopped at the Seaside Restaurant because it has one of the area's few wifi cafés! And they have good milkshakes here too. Everything here smells really good!

Tonight we had local cod sandwiches from the Tablelands Restaurant in Trout River. Daddy took lots of pictures of the cute fishing port in Trout River.

Here I am on the boardwalk by the ocean in downtown Trout River. The sunsets here are gorgeous.

I'm having the best time ever!!! But mom still hasn’t found labradorite in its natural state :) I found lots of yummy moose poop deposits though...

We heard there are good deposits of high grade labradorite over on the Labrador coast near Nain, but we can’t get there. Over there native artisans carve stone statuary from locally gathered rock materials like anorthocite that they gather near Nain too. Mom wants to fly to Nain right now... but dad says that will have to be another trip.

Tomorrow we’re heading back around Bonne Bay to resume our northward Viking Trail explorations. It should be fun!

Newfoundland's Southwest Shore

2009-07-06T20:31:00.009-02:30

This morning we got on the Trans Canada Highway and headed northward up the southwest shore of Newfoundland. We saw this young female moose crossing the highway and the photograph was taken through the front window of our van.

Now we know why Newfoundland is called ‘the rock’. Rock outcroppings are everywhere. The entire island appears to be one large rock formation.

Mom is looking for labradorite stones and other mineral specimens that she can make into her handmade jewelry so she makes dad stop the car quite a bit but I don’t mind because I love to get out of the car!

There are alpine flowers, wild grasses and lichen for ground cover. Wild strawberries are everywhere too. There are blueberry bushes along the highways and we’re hoping to learn about the partridge berries and cloudberries (bakeapple) that we were told grow here.

Here I am at the Cornerbrook, Nfld tourist information center.

And mom took this picture at the Captain Cook historical site overlooking Cornerbrook, Nfld.

Now we’re headed up the Viking Trail!

I'm on the Island of Newfoundland!

2009-07-06T02:10:00.002-02:30

A few days ago (June 29th) we stayed at the Beacon Hotel in Sydney, Nova Scotia. It was a nice place! This morning we drove to North Sydney to ride on a very big boat. While we were in the lineup waiting to board the M.V. Caribou ferry mom realized that she had left her purse in a Tim Horton’s restaurantlocated in Sydney! But daddy called them and they promised to hold on to it until we get back.

I had some timbits and new liver flavoured chews (“Pet-EZE” with chamomile, dried hops, ginger root extract, L-tourine and L-tryptophan in a base of brewer’s yeast, dried whey, liver meal etc.). Those yummy treats helped me sleep on the boat.

Crossing the Cabot Strait from North Sydney, NS to Port-aux-Basques, Nfld is at least a seven hour trip by ferry. The weather was overcast, cold and very windy. The ferry crossing was choppy but none of us were sick at all. Mom and dad watched inboard movies, drank hot tea and got to know some nice folks.

Because it was such a long boat trip mom & dad were worried whether I would be okay down in the ship’s hold. But I just slept in my kennel inside the van and was quite happy to see mom and dad when they got back.

Here I am at the Hotel Port-aux-Basques where the Heritage Center is beside a real train! So we've made it safe and sound to the Island of Newfoundland!!

Here I am in New Brunswick!

2009-07-04T03:13:00.000-02:30

Here I am in New Brunswick where we visited this long covered bridge!

The hotel where we stayed (Fredericton, NB) advertised wifi but it wasn't working so mom and dad were cheesed. This article should have been posted 5 days ago...

But I'm having a blast. Everything on the trip has been good. I'm getting lots of treats and even had KFC with my kibble for supper! Now we're heading for Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island where we'll board a ferry to Newfoundland.

I'm In Nova Scotia On Vacation!

2009-07-03T17:46:00.000-02:30

Here I am in Nova Scotia. The weather was okay but got very rainy as we drove across the magnificent Cape Breton Island.

I'm so happy to be with mom and dad on this road trip.

Handmade Really IS Better

2009-06-26T11:36:00.000-02:30

Mom always says that people should buy handmade. To me, handmade items ALWAYS smell (and taste) good!!!

Mom spends a lot of time making handmade thingies that she sells online. Well she sells only what I don't find and eat :) Mommy's handmade goodies are irresistably tasty!!!

Here are some handmade items that we just found for sale on Etsy. They show Airedale Terriers!!! And we just wanted to share them with you...

Airedale Terrier Puppy Plush Toy

2009-06-25T11:30:00.000-02:30

Okay who took this? I was really tired. Mom and dad had just come back from Philadelphia. I stayed at the country club for a few days while they were away and there were so many dogs to run and play with there that I was totally pooped I guess!

This is the love seat that mom reupholstered. It's very cozy and one of my favourite spots...

Now to get down to business... This beautiful Airedale puppy plush toy is now on my Christmas wish list!

THEY won't get me a little brother or sister, so I'm gonna ask Santa for one of these.

Santa, I've been a very good girl. VERY good I think! And I promise to be even better... The website says this toy is only 115 Pounds Sterling from Bear Garden in Germany. I don't know what that means, but Santa you can make me one for nothing, right?

Visits with my sister Kate

2009-06-24T15:07:00.000-02:30

Here's my Dad and my sister Kate. I love life the most when I get to go on car trips! I always have a great time when I visit with Kate. She lives with lots of kind folks who make me smile. The nurses and caregivers are always so happy to see me when I visit there. Sometimes they give me treats and snacks too. Kate's place smells good!

My sister doesn't have much energy and she's in bed a lot especially when I visit her after supper. But if she's in bed, I still get to jump up there to give her kisses anyway!!!

I guess I'm too big for Kate to hold me like she used to when I was a baby, but I still love her hugs a lot...

Mom and dad won't let me run around loose at Kate's place though and there's really so much to see and do there... So many people to visit with too. But THEY keep me on my leash! So I don't get to jump up on all the people in wheelchairs either... only on Kate!

Wow, I just found these nice Airedale things on the world wide web. I don't get much chance to surf. Mom hates it when I download stupid pics. But I might ask Santa for some of these things!

Uncle Max

2009-01-12T12:30:00.000-03:30

This is me and Max. Max says eating ice and snow is good, so I'm trying it. I don't know what he's doing here in my house but mommy calls him her baby! That's just stupid. Everybody knows *I'm* her only baby.

Max ignores me a lot. I tried talking to him and playing with him but he's not much fun. So I yelled at him and jumped on him and he still won't play! He's strange. But he likes mom and dad. He sure eats fast! and boy he has a huge dish. Max even has a big pail for his water!

I offered Max my bones too, but he won't even pick one up. Max won't let me sit near mom or dad either. I've yelled at him about that too, but he still ignores me. And he growls at me too.

We get to go into the back yard together all the time! It's fun running around out there with him. Max is my buddy!

Chicks With Beards Rock

2008-11-21T04:39:00.000-03:30

I got a new do a few days ago and mom says I'm beautiful. Do you like chicks with beards? The pretty ladies at Indogneeto in Oshawa always give me this cute beard! I like those ladies. They give me cookies and make me smell great. I have tons of energy so I talk fast....

What does immature mean? Dad says I'm immature. I don't know what that word means. For some reason mom and dad don't want me to jump up on them anymore. Learning not to do that is a real drag.

I ate mom's new thingy today. Mom said it was a working compass pendant. Mom is angry. Mom says she ordered the thingy by mailorder. What is etsy? Anyway mom told dad she was going to make a steampunk necklace called "Finding My Way". Oh well! That thingy was tasty. I always smile for mom after I've eaten her stuff. Then mom gets even madder. Why is mom so angry these days?

I also chewed a strand of crunchies today too. I just love those little crunchies. I get yelled at for pulling stuff down off mom's desk. All the items on mom's desk smell great! Dad calls the crunchies "gemstone beads". He says I'm living on borrowed time. I don't know what that means either.

Mom says "some day" I will grow into a great friend for her. I think we're great friends right now. I just love mom and all her stuff. Well, gotta go! If I sit in my window I can watch the traffic...

2008-10-15T16:59:00.001-02:30

adding photos to flickr

Amy's First 'AireCut'

2008-05-21T00:24:00.001-02:30

Well Amy just got her first airecut on Saturday and I have to admit that she is finally beginning to look like an airedale. She's such a pretty girl!

We took a chance on a new groomer, Indogneeto, located on King Street in downtown Oshawa, and we're very pleased with the job!

Daddy just couldn't wait to take Amy out for a photo shoot after her visit at the spa. Oh I forgot to mention that Daddy just got a new camera... so he's into pics again, big time...

If you're looking for a decent airdale terrier groomer in Durham Region, why not try Indogneeto?

This job runs circles around the work from PetsMart at the Whitby power mall and costs considerably less.
For Indogneeto appointments telephone: 905-710-0719

Email Indogneeto:

Grooming Airedale Puppies - "Starting to Look Like a Real Airedale!"

2008-05-16T17:50:00.000-02:30

Here's Amy at about four months. This wasn't really her first 'airecut'. I had hand stripped her coat. Hand stripping the old outer coat isn't painful to the dog, but Amy was very young and her stripping & grooming sessions were quite short at first and gradually extended as her patience and tolerance grew.

We invested in a folding grooming table from Pet Supply House (next day delivery!) complete with noose and this baby took to it remarkable well. In addition to a toolkit of stripping knives, I also like the stripping stones for removing dead fluff. And David is fond of a few stripping "gloves" that work really well especially for puppies because you can gently incorporate grooming into play sessions. Whoopee!

Notice the great gooming on a mature bitch in this wonderful airedale pic borrowed from http://www.breederretriever.com. One thing is certain, if you want to showcase the features of your airedale puppy, you'll have to groom it. Hopefully someday Amy's airecut will resemble this fine example.... sigh!

Airedale Puppies and Chew, Chew, Chewing!

2008-05-13T17:25:00.000-02:30

Chewing mommy's stuff up is Amy's raison d'etre. Puppy toys and wholesome chew treats are a necessity with our Airedale, who seems bored out of her skull most of the time when left on her own. Her energy level is off the map. I've never owned a dog with this soaring level of energy. I joke that all three of our male giant schnauzers put together don't have Amy's energy level. I'm still trying to find a 'day job' for this little working dog. She needs a full time job.

Left to her own devices, Amy paces through the house looking for items to play with. This means an unusual preoccupation with anything mommy touches and especially the irresistible desire to chew up the beautiful things mommy creates. So far, Amy has only destroyed a few of my precious gemstone creations, so I've somehow managed to keep the majority of my artistic mess out of her reach.

At the vet Amy and I met a lady who said Amy was "full of beans and bologna" read baloney like phony baloney. This puppy LOVES the whole world. She simply adores every living being and true to the terrier monaker our Amy is a holy terror, just a hellion.

This means that your new airedale terrier puppy may seem a bit airheaded at times. She'll hear your commands and totally understand them, but whether she complies is another matter entirely. At times, this breed requires a good deal of patience on the part of the handler.

An optimal environment for my airedale puppy is a busy, active household. A household with lots going on - lots of visitors, lots of chatter, lots of opportunities for play, good long walks outside, and of course plenty of catch, fetch and tugging games! Our airedale is a star retriever!!! Just wait until we introduce a frisbee....

House Training etc.

2008-05-13T16:23:00.000-02:30

I'm absolutely blown away by how weird purebred baby airedales look. Amy is our first airedale and I had no idea that these funny canine babies invariably look so strange. Here she is with daddy and mommy. She loved to crawl up on us and perch behind our necks for a snooze whenever possible. I grabbed these aweful pics with my camera phone, but you get the idea how small she was at seven weeks and how funny she looked!!! Our little bear cub.

At this age our airedale puppy slept pretty much all the time - and anywhere that the urge overtook her! I started outdoor house training immediately. I don't believe in newspaper training or other forms of indoor house training since you'll have to transition to the great outdoors at some point anyhow, so why not get the ball rolling early?

Every 15 minutes if this baby girl was awake, I ran her out the door for a pee. Eventually as her tiny bladder got bigger the pee breaks extended to 20 minutes then 25 minutes apart etc. By the time Amy was 12 weeks old she was totally house trained. But it took a great deal of effort on my part. Caring for such a young dog is a full time job, and fortunately I have a home office so I could devote tons of time to working with this puppy.

Here's our daughter Kate with Amy at around 9 weeks. I found it to be fact that airedale puppies love to chew. This puppy was extremely tactile and absolutely everything went in her mouth. Electrical cords can be a true source of danger for these puppies. This airedale is very curious and pokes her head into everything. Today, Amy is a year old and as she is now getting very tall, we're still Amy proofing the house.

New Baby

2008-05-09T05:16:00.000-02:30

Here's our baby the day we brought her home. As this was my first airedale, I felt perhaps we'd been sold a bear cub not a puppy. I think it's silly that baby airedale terriers look so ridiculous. Unfortunately they grow up all too quickly...

Amy was only seven weeks old in this pic. Her canine mommy's milk had been drying up since this litter was four weeks old. So Amy and her litter mates really needed new homes. My David was certain he needed another dog and I too was eager to make room for a new baby. So we welcomed Amy with open arms! Amy was Daddy's Happy Father's Day gift 2007 and she's been filling our hearts with joy every day since.

On day two I took Amy to visit our daughter Kate at her nursing home in Pickering. Kate said Amy was just too adorable and fell in love with her too!!! Even in her wheelchair, Kate found it easy to hold Amy -- of course the puppy mostly slept all the time at that point.