Rummy Napping in Mum's Office

Zzzzzzz.....

At night time, both of us put on blinky lights, which can be turned on so that we can be tracked in the pitch dark yard. Rummy needs to go out to pee many many times, and it was decided that if we both had our blinky lights on at night in the yard, it would be much safer for everyone. It makes it much easier for the humans to see where we are at all times.

That's Rummy, sleeping oh so comfortably in Mum's office.

Hugs,
Kimi

Rummy's 13 Week Old Photos

Rummy just turned 13 weeks old

Everyday, his legs get longer and lankier. His whole body is a bit out of whack now, but that's because he is still growing. He is starting to look more and more like a full Airedale as he grows. We guess that he must be experiencing growing pains, and when the adult wiry hair comes out, he must be feeling slightly itchy too.

He is growing more adult wiry hair now, and the baby fuzz will soon be all gone. His back has lots of wiry hair, and his tail is almost just fully wiry now. The base of his tail is starting to get very wiry too.

Rummy and I

Zzzzzzz....

Hugs,
Kimi

Crabbing at Joemma Pier

Rummy and I, on the pier

We went crabbing on a sunny Monday at Joemma Park pier with Rummy for the very first time. This was the first time Rummy was seeing the sea, and because it was very very cold, Mum didn't want either of us on the sea shore running and getting nasty dirty, so she kept us on the pier, where we were putting out crab pots and trying our luck.

Within 20 mins, we got our first catch, just tiny crabs that weren't good enough for humans to eat. Mum gave me one, so I could have some fun with it. I love eating crabs too. Raw of course. When we go crabbing on the sea shore, I actually do my part and watch the crabs in the pails. If they tried to escape, and crawled out, I would sound an alarm bark, and Mum or Rob would come and put it back in. I get tonnes of praise when I do that. I do my part when we go crabbing. We all have our roles to play. I would also follow Mum into the chest deep water and search for crabs. I learned to swim in this way.

Rummy also wanted to have a share of the raw crab, so I gave him my leftovers. The crab was young so its shell was soft, Rummy didn't have any trouble chewing on it. In fact, he liked it very much. Yummy good sea saltiness.

He was right in the middle of things constantly. He just had to be involved in preparing the crab pots, putting in the sardine baits, tying the buoy, putting the pots into the water. He was so curious about everything, he just wanted to be part of everything.

That's a very healthy sign of a happy curious Airedale puppy.

Rummy was enjoying himself, roaming around on the elevated pier off leash. He was never straying too far, and he stayed close to the pack which made it easier to keep an eye on him. It was also nice that the pier was very quiet.

Peering off to the sea, soaking in the sunshine

That's me, I love going to the sea and the ocean. Because we live on the peninsula, we are surrounded by the Puget Sound. The sea water surrounds us and we are not far from sea-oriented activities. Its a shame that it is so cold here, otherwise, we'd be swimming more often.

I watch on, as Rummy follows Rob with another crab pot to be put into the water

Canines helping out with crabbing. So this is how we catch crabs..

"I'll run over here, and then I'll run over there.. so much to explore" says Rummy

A boat that looks like a barge came by to dis-assemble the end of the pier. It was called the Thunderbird. I watched it as it moved easily on the water.

Running with my flying ears.

Rummy running

Rummy barely fits in Mum's arms anymore. He is now 13 weeks old and already 20 lbs. He is 2 lbs heavier than I was at this age.

Rummy trying to play with the buoy

Looking out to sea

Shall we play ball mum?

Later on, Rob managed to catch a nice big red rock crab for dinner. He put it on the pier for us to see. Of course, I loved to play with it first.

Rummy wasn't too sure about what to do with the crab. It had huge pincers, and Mum had to keep an extra close watch on Rummy, she kept turning the crab around so Rummy could get close to it without getting pinched.

This was really Rummy's first time seeing a large real life crab at such close range. He was very brave in his approach. No fear at all. The crab was bigger than his head.

Rummy and I, taking turns playing with the crab. The crab would soon be dinner.

All in all, it was an adventurous day out. It was sun and fun filled. What a great day. No one got hurt by crabs, and everyone was happy because the sun was shining.

Hugs,
Kimi

Mav's and Chester's Birthday Celebration

Sebastian and Rummy, meeting for the first time. Rummy just stood still so that Sebastian could figure out if he could carry Rummy up.

We were invited to Maverick and Chester's joint birthday celebration in Bothell on Halloween Saturday. It was really great fun, because we had a private party of around 20 dogs and their owners. The humans made dog birthday cakes and treats for us to eat. We had a lot of fun, affection, and games.

Isabella with Rummy

She wore a very interesting hat and her baby brother Sebastian liked Rummy so much, he wanted to carry him like a baby, but Rummy was already too big to be carried like a baby. Isabella did manage to carry Rummy like a baby and he was being so good. He wasn't afraid of her in the odd hat, and he wasn't overwhelmed by all the giant grown up dogs.

Debbie and Isabella giving affection to Rummy since he was calm and well behaved. What a cute little puppy, everyone said.

Karla and Megen, giving love to Chester the birthday boy (in the red jacket) and Monty, Barley and me on the left.

Megen giving love to Rummy. And Rummy not jumping up at her.

We are hard at work with training Rummy not to jump up to people to get love and affection. So far, we've been quite consistent with it, but he still tends to jump up at strangers in Petco or Home Depot and we are still working on Rummy not to jump.

In a sea of adult dogs

Me on the left in a pretty purplish scarf, and Rummy wearing a blue scarf.

Rummy doing a very obvious play bow to Mavy, the other birthday boy. Mavy just turned 1. Rummy was the youngest puppy at the party, and he was naturally drawn to Mavy because he could probably smell that Mavy was closest to his age. The two of them played chase, ball chasing, tag and were just running around like two silly puppies.

Chester the big birthday boy eating his slush from a bowl, and Maggie looking over. Every dog gave Chester his space and respected him because he was one of the oldest dogs there. We were all very glad and honored to be invited to his birthday party. Chester is a very special Airedale. He is so calm, wise and well behaved, he sets a really good role model for us younger dogs to follow.

Rummy being silly and pulling on my scarf, while Gromit sniffs my behind. This behavior is typical of Rummy, he just gets himself into mischievous acts and gets naughty, but I just let him be. After a while, he loses interest and goes off to find himself in more trouble.

Rummy watches and learns, as Gromit and I make our friendly introductions in our canine "meet and greet". Notice how Gromit's body is perpendicular to mine and how our eyes are not head-on staring into each other. We give a sideways glance and do not stare into each other's eyes in a confrontational meeting gesture. Our sideways approach to saying hi is polite and good doggie manners.

Gromit and I do know each other already, but this is just how two adult Airedales meet. And Rummy learns by watching.

Gromit and Rummy help Chester finish off his gooey food which he couldn't finish.

"Ha Ha Ha" says Rummy to Gromit. "You're not getting this..." and he carries the bowl away.

A sea of canine bodies.

Canine bodies mixed with human bodies. So many dogs...

Megen and Rummy, sharing a moment of love and laughter, as Rummy tries to swallow his share of dog birthday cake.

I look on as my baby brother tries to finish his birthday cake

Is that my share of the dog birthday cake?

Later on, Sebastian and Rummy were playing with the balloons together.

That's me in the right hand side corner of the photo.

I'm not keen on balloons because they burst and I hate that. I was keeping a close eye on Rummy, and making sure he doesn't get hurt by those balloons, but my baby brother doesn't seem to share my fear of balloons. He is one brave boy. We got to take the balloons home with us.

Rummy was very happy to have the balloons to play with when we got home. Mum was also glad he could get socialized and exposed to this new thing - balloons.

That's me and the dreaded balloons. Mum said I had to face my fears, so I did.

Rummy dragged and carried the balloons all around the house. He seemed to really enjoy himself and was having a ball of a time. When his teeth burst the balloons, he wasn't even scared for a moment, he didn't even flinch. He really is a brave dog.

Even when it came time to eat dinner, he was still carrying his silly balloons with him to the kitchen. He took them with him everywhere he went. But since he had them near the food, I wouldn't go close to eat dinner.

Rummy very pleased with himself and the balloons.

After a hectic day of roaming in Chinatown, and 2 hours of intense doggie party and playtime, we were beat.

Rummy and I, chilling out on the dedicated canine sofa

Mum placed the last remaining balloon right in front of me

I was not allowed to leave my "down" and I stayed there, confronting my big fear of balloons.

As you can probably tell, I didn't really want to have anything to do with it, I looked away, but at the same time, I was looking at it, and dealing with it. The balloon must have been leaking, because it was shrinking right before my eyes.

Rummy came and chewed on the last remaining balloon. It didn't burst. It just got wheezed out of air, and it shrank. This lesson taught me that not all balloons were bad, and the bursting didn't hurt me either. Rummy seemed to be having so much fun with it, perhaps I was missing out on something. I shall try not to be frightened of balloons in future.

Hugs,
Kimi

Trip to Chinatown

On Halloween, we made a trip to Chinatown to eat and shop for odd groceries. As rawfed dogs, Mum goes to the Asian market to buy us weird food, that most normal american grocers don't sell. Things such as beef heart, chicken feet and other strange bits and pieces. We go to Chinatown about once a month, and Mum eats Chinese food.

Exposing Rummy to the sights and sounds to downtown from an early age is important, since we live in the country, it is very quiet there, it is also important because we want to be able to take him anywhere and everywhere. For him to live a full life with us, we need to expose him to all kinds of surroundings and types of people, so that he can come with us on road trips and other adventures.

Beautiful fall colors in Chinatown

Rummy walked by an alley and could not get his eyes off some pigeons. We ended up humoring him and walking down that alley to get closer to the birds, but the birds flew off when we got close.

Hey Rummy, hurry up won't you?

He was very busy sniffing everything. When the scooters drove by, he was startled by the loud noises of their engines. A Fire engine drove by with its sirens, and it also startled Rummy, but no one made a fuss and no one cooed over him, so he got over those really fast. The loud sounds of the city can be intimidating, but it was precisely the kind of stimuli we needed to flood Rummy to. The more the merrier.

Hugs,
Kimi

Grapes

Rummy trying to steal a grape off the vine on our property.

Grapes are not good for dogs because there is some chemical in the grape skin that is bad for us, but I guess Rummy had to satisfy his curiosity.
Mum let us sniff at the grapes on the vines, but I didn't try to steal one, although I do steal blackberries and strawberries.

Yummy, nice purple grapes ready for plucking.

Kimi and Rummy
I am a good nanny and puppy guardian. I keep a good watch over my baby brother.

While we survey our property together, I keep a close watch on my baby brother, to make sure he is safe and not in any trouble.

Mum and Rob have now fenced in an acre out of the 5 acres we have, so that we are completely safe, there are coyotes in our area, and 3 of our chickens have already been nabbed. We wanted to make sure Rummy was totally safe and had our acreage fenced in so he couldn't get out to the street or go into the neighbors' properties. This will keep our chickens safer too.

Hugs,
Kimi

Chicken Training

It is paramount for Rummy to be trained with our chickens. The chickens give us free eggs and we must do our part to take care of them and guard them from the predator birds.

When Rummy first came home, he would chase the chickens if he was offleash in the yard. But Rob or Mum would yell at him "No Birdies" and try to teach him not to do that. When he saw the chickens more often, he started to calm down more and would not chase them so quickly. If the humans knew the chickens were grazing nearby, they would only let Rummy out on a leash so he couldn't chase.

Day 1 of proper Chicken Training.
Rummy is on the leash, and made to stay calm and at ease while the chickens approach close.

Rummy calmly watches the chickens while they are 1 to 2 feet away from him on a loose leash.

Day 2 of training.
Rummy is on the leash, but he is free to sit or lay down calmly while not being held on leash by Mum. The chickens are gaining confidence around him because he is calm, and he can observe them close by and as they both gain more and more trust as the days go by, he will be able to satisfy his curiosity about these birds.

Rummy enjoys the mornings on the porch watching the chickens graze. They are only a few feet away from him.

Even I can relax now. I know that I don't have to keep an eye on Rummy at all times to make sure he isn't chasing or scaring our chickens. Mum has me fully trained not to chase our chickens, and I think we can do the same with Rummy. He is a smart little Airedale and it should not be a problem for us as long as we work with him everyday with the birdies.

Hugs,
Kimi

Rawfeeding Rummy

Rummy gets breakfast, lunch and dinner, but our most heavy meal of the day is dinner.

As a full grown Airedale myself, I eat only once a day, to be precise, only dinner. And more and more, Rummy has been following my lead. He eats less during the day, because I don't seem to eat much, and then he gorges himself at night with dinner. As such, Rummy takes a while to finish his whole meal, because of the raw meaty bones he needs to chomp down.

Notice how Rummy loves to drag all his toys with him to the dinner area in the kitchen.
He is such a baby, he carries all of his toys with him into the kitchen, so that he can eat his food while he is surrounded by his soft toys.

We each get our bowls of the same meals everyday, but Rummy shows me respect and canine manners, by letting me choose my food bowl first. After Mum places the food bowls down, she puts us on a "Sit" and then she makes us wait. After she 'frees' us, I start eating at the food, chomping down on the selected meats and bones that I like, and then when I move off to take a break, Rummy moves in to pick out his food to eat. At this point, the humans are adding Colostrum and probiotics to our food, to help Rummy's digestive system create the correct bio environment to digest raw food.

To date, Rummy loves to eat raw chicken, raw beefy ribs, raw pork ribs, raw mince beef, raw mackerel, raw sardines, raw eggs, raw baby carrots and some greens.

Like myself, Rummy also loves fish, but we both don't like fish guts. Yummy mackerel.

Rummy and I taking turns eating out from 2 shared bowls of mackerel. We are not allowed to show any food possessiveness or toy possessiveness, and we share everything.

Rummy happily chomping down on raw meaty bones.

Rawfeeding came naturally to Rummy. He did not show any hesitation or fear with the raw food from day 1. Because his baby teeth are so small, it takes him a long while to eat his food, but our humans are always making sure he has enough to eat. Rummy is also very good about chewing and chomping down the bigger bones into smaller manageable pieces before he swallows. Thus far, he hasn't had any choking or regurgitating incidents, and this is a good thing. This means he is taking his time to eat properly. I'm glad rawfeeding is suitable for Rummy too, now it will be so much more convenient and easy that we are on the same diet.

Hugs,
Kimi

Rummy's Food Stashing Habit

We noticed something very funny with Rummy. While eating his meals, he would carry off a few pieces of meaty bones and hide them away for a later snack. His food stashing antic is not new, as many canines in the wild would do the same thing, but I suspect, he does this thinking I would not eat all his food that he cannot finish, and if he stashes them away, he could return to eat them later when he was hungry.

He hides them behind the sofa couch.He hides them behind the curtains.

He hides them under the dining table.

He even hides them behind the speakers behind potted plants.

He finds these little crooks and crannies and hides his leftover food all over. Mum lets him do that with a few pieces of food here and there, and he does return to eat them an hour or two later.
Unfortunately for Rummy, he hides his food and most often than not, I eat them. I think its a game, and I use my fantastic nose to find where his stashes are, and then I go eat them all up. Ha Ha Ha.

Hugs,

Kimi

Planting Tulips in Fall

October is a good time to plant tulip bulbs, and while Mum and Rob were busy preparing the earth for planting, Rummy and I made sure we were there to supervise and get involved. Rummy made sure all the bags of bulbs were lined up and ready to go, and I made sure he wasn't in the way.

Hmmm.. what is this?
Rummy is in his exploratory phase of puppyhood, where anything and everything needs to be investigated and understood. Mum allows him to approach her gardening tools and lets him do his thing, sniffing and tasting about.

Ha, is it digging time?

Yes Mum, Rummy and I are here to help dig. Remember, we are the professional earth diggers.

And on and on, Rummy digs and digs. Mum lets him enjoy himself, and he got himself very very dirty. We dug the earth, loosened the soil, removed large rocks, added lots of horse crap, and chicken poop fertilizer, and the earth smelled oh so good... yummy canine perfume.

Rummy sits in his hole. He seemed pretty proud of the hole he dug. Look at that smug face!

The most amazing thing was that he restrained himself from rolling in the good poop smelling earth. Even more amazing was that even "I" restrained myself from rolling in the good stinky earth.

Rummy laying under the wheel barrow.

When Rob came out with the loud grass cutting tractor, Rummy was initially a little reticent. He hid under the red wheel barrow and then when he saw that I was not fazed, he slowly approached the tractor to have a sniff. Rob turned the machine off so he wasn't too overwhelmed, and he gained confidence soon after he realized, oh, this wasn't anything to be afraid of.

All in all, Rummy did very well for the first day of working on the property. He dug holes like he was supposed to, he helped me supervise what was going on, and made sure he had lots of playtime with me, and sniffing and running about. We didn't chase the chickens, and we didn't make too much trouble for the humans. Rummy wasn't scared of any of the large gardening tools and he wasn't overwhelmed by the loud tractor either. He just took everything in his stride, but I suspect it was because I took everything in stride, and the little bugger was just imitating my behaviors. If I didn't react negatively, he didn't either.

Hugs,
Kimi

Rummy's 1st Visit to Petco

In our efforts to socialize the littlest terror dale, Mum and I have been taking Rummy out to all the possible places we could find. One of these adventures included PetCo. Since they are a pet store, they allowed dogs and Rummy showed calmness and ease when we went in there. No big deal it seems.

So there were many strangers there petting Rummy. Everyone was enthralled by this handsome puppy, and some even called him "MiniMe" because he was the smaller version of me. People wanted to know what his name was, they pet his fur and couldn't believe how soft he was. Rummy did his best to behave and greet everyone with a tail wag and a soft lick, but Mum had to remind him not to jump up on anyone. We are working hard to break that bad habit of jumping. It isn't too obnoxious now, but imagine a 60lb full grown Airedale doing that. Uh Uh.. Mum wouldn't allow it.

With ears glued, Rummy took it in his stride to sniff around, and absorb all these weird packaging, sights and sounds. People rolled their shopping carts by, and he saw other dogs, but there was no drama. Mum wouldn't allow any drama of any sort. We don't need any drama canines in our pack. I am just amazed that Rummy managed to keep his mouth closed and not bite into any of the toys or treats that were at our mouth level. He was really a well behaved dog in the store.

Aisles and aisles of treats, toys, dog food, gadgets, bedding, the choices of new things were endless. But we didn't get down dirty and naughty, or rip and shred things apart. We left the things the way they were, even when Mum let go of our leashes and let us be still and calm.

The checkout counter normally means something good. The cashiers normally can't resist my good looks and feel compelled to give me nice treats to eat. Lucky Rummy, he got some free treats too. People see us and they say "Airedales aren't that common up here in Washington huh?" And they're just so happy to see both of us, and most people are in awe to see a beautiful Airedale puppy in particular.

Mum doesn't remember how I was once so small myself. I guess to her, I've been full grown for the past 3 years and those puppy days go by so quickly. That is why she has been diligently taking Rummy's baby photos. In a few months time, he's going to look just like me. I have scores and scores of baby photos myself. I would say, I have even more baby photos than Rummy. The first born will always be the first born. And I am my Mum's first born canine.

Hugs,
Kimi

Mum, Rummy and I

Rummy and Mum

We love our human Mum Sheila

Hugs,
Kimi

Hard Tools and More Exploration

Steve brought over some hard tools and an air compressor for Rob to use for work. Rummy immediately jumped at the opportunity to check it out.

Mum was keeping a close eye on the baby boy, to make sure he didn't hurt himself or do anything stupid, but Rummy was just curious and he was very respectful of the human toys. He didn't try to chew on anything or grab anything with his mouth. I think he understands now that there are still some items on the floor that are off limits to us canines.

A little sniff here, and a little sniff there.... hmmm.... I wonder what this is for...

Rummy and his beautifully glued ears, doing some exploration

Hugs,
Kimi

Ear Gluing

Rummy's low ear set (pre-gluing)

Finally, the day came when Rummy got his ears glued. We had to rectify his low ear set, and as we've mentioned before, the lower tips of Rummy's ear leather fall below the eye level, and that is a bit too low. If we don't do anything about it, it will start looking like hound ears, and that is a fault in the show ring. The gluing is purely for vanity sake, and it is fairly common to have Terrier ears glued down.

So we went into the craft/grooming room, and on to the table Rummy was set. I knew what it was all about, since I had my ears glued by Mum several times, so I was there to give Rummy support. Come to think of it, I've been sticking close to Rummy whenever he is awake, and we keep each other company through everything. We've only been together 2 weeks now, but we are very close.

Mum took out her grooming box, and all her tools, to firstly clean Rummy's ears out, then shave off necessary fur, and keep some so that the glue had something to hold on to.

While Rummy chills out on the table, I lay quietly on the floor and watch

One of the best things that comes with being on the grooming table is that there are tonnes of treats to go around. Not only the 'victim' of grooming gets treats, whoever is canine in the grooming room gets treats too. That means me. Woo Hoo!

Rummy with ears set slightly higher (Post-gluing)

Notice how the lower tip of his ear leather is no longer an inch below his eye level. The ear leather closer to his skull is glued down to his face, but the part further out is left totally open so that he can still have air circulation to his ears. Immediately after gluing, Rummy gets a brand new bully stick, and a piece of pork hock, and all I got was a piece of pork hock.

I really felt like having a piece of bully stick too. Oh well..... such is life. We don't always get what we want. Mum says that when we don't always get what we want, it helps us to appreciate what we do have. It stops us from becoming too self-indulgent and spoilt. She applies this rationale to herself as well.

Rummy with his cross section of a pork hock. He loves eating raw food. With his ears freshly glued, Rummy gets distracted by new treats and it takes a long while to chew and eat this stuff, so Rummy gets distracted for a very long time while the glue sets and dries. He didn't even try to scratch it off. He doesn't seem to notice it.

Ok Rummy, you can have my pork hock treat too.

Chomping chomping through cartilage and a bit of knuckle bone

All done.

Hugs,
Kimi

Chilling When it is Raining

On rainy days when there is nowhere to go, and no work to do, we chill in Mum's study.

Rummy sleeps on the day mattress on the floor, with his own pillow, and I get the donut bed. We hang out quite comfortably and peacefully in the study. Sometimes we play bitey face here too, but most of the time, when it is wee early in the morning, we try not to make a ruckus.

In these two photos, you can see the vivid contrast in our coats. With the light, you are able to observe that Rummy still has a lot of his baby coat, it is soft, fluffy, and thick, very much like goose downs, or duckling downs or Airedale undercoat, but my coat is coarse, wiry, and even a bit crinkly and wavy as it grows out. This is my top coat, and it helps to repel water, wind and dirt. I also have some undercoat, but it is much less, and it helps to keep me warm in winter. My topcoat is also shinier than baby fuzz, and it is wiry to the touch. When Mum strips out my coat, she strips out both topcoat and undercoat, to give it a 'reset' so that it can start growing out all over again. It helps the follicles to grow out new hair roots which causes my color to be more vibrant and rich.

With the change in season now, Mum is deciding if she should strip me now, or wait till Jan. She is trying to time it right, because it takes about 6 - 8 weeks for my hair to grow out perfect. In between the different stages of stripping, I look really odd and naked in different parts. She said she'd like for me to look great during the Christmas holidays, and to do so, she'll have to strip me now. But at the same time, the weather is getting colder as we speak, and perhaps she should let me grow out my woolly coat and look silly like an overgrown Ewok. We shall see how long she is able to endure letting me look so bushy. Mum doesn't like it when I look bushy, she says I look so untidy.

Hugs,
Kimi

A Walk in Our Woods

Mum is training Rummy to sit by the door, and only exit when the release word is said. We can only step out when we are 'freed'. Mum, look, we're both really ready to go out in the woods to explore and play. This will be Rummy's first time walking in our woods.

We have 4 acres of woods on our property, and we've also created some trails in there when it was still summer. This is the first time that Rummy has ever been in our woods. I'm taking him to explore the smells and sights of walking on the trails. It is so nice.

So many things to smell, this root here, that leaf there, there are so many things to explore, and so much to experience. The evening sun is not going to be around too much longer. Got to do so much while we can.

We even have our very own firepit to make fires and have picnics.

Rummy likes our woods. We'll have to come here more often. He doesn't seem afraid of anything. He is such a curious exploratory puppy, and he has a healthy interest in everything new.

Rummy

Hugs,
Kimi

Steve's Visit

Steve and Rummy

Steve is Rob's younger brother. He lives close by so it is nice when we have extended family over. But he didn't bring Japhy with him, Japhy is getting older and older, so he is having more difficulty getting into the truck.

Steve came over to visit and cuddle Rummy. It was really good because Rummy needs to have more and more interaction with other people from outside our pack.

Let's play tickle. Hee hee hee.....

Steve getting love from both Rummy and Kimi

Hugs,
Kimi

Rummy's 12 Week Old photos

Rummy at 12 weeks of age

His face changes week by week. It is quite amazing to see how he is growing. He's starting to look more and more like a grown up adult. Rummy is starting to sprout out more and more wiry coarse hair. 1/3 of his tail is already covered with wiry hair. His front and back legs are getting lankier and lankier, and his coordination is getting so much better.

Hugs,
Kimi

The First Grooming

"You know, I'm not so sure about being on this high table" Rummy says.

"Hi Mum, do I really need to be on the grooming table? You're going to pull hair out? It won't hurt? Ok I believe you. Oh? I get lots of treats while I'm up here. Ok"

Look at all the fuzzy hair that needs to be pulled out (handstripped).

Rummy, pre groom

Getting introduced to the pumice stone, Rummy tried tasting it, and he didn't like it too much

Hmm... which should I choose? Pumice stone, or dried beef?

It is so much easier to be trained early on the grooming table. The earlier, the better. A lot of dedication and hard work from both humans and canines will have to go into training Rummy to endure long hours on the table as we go along. Especially if he may be a show dog in the future. But for a start, we will work, little by little, and supply Rummy with tonnes and tonnes of treats. That way, he will associate the table with treats, affection, attention, love and good fun.

Hugs,
Kimi

Rummy's Visit to the Vet

The time came for Rummy to see Dr Siegler, our holistic vet. I've been going to see Siegler since I was 8 weeks old, so it was no surprise to me that Rummy went to see him too. He's a cool dude, and he always gives me treats. He supports the rawfeeding attitude as well, which is really nice, because he doesn't grill Mum for it, and he doesn't subscribe to the over-vaccination mentality, which is crucial.

Rummy on the examination table

A lot of vets insist on dogs getting annual boosters, and are against feeding raw, only because they don't know any better, and were brainwashed by the major pet food corporations while they were still in Vet School. Of course, if dogs like me go in more often to get shots, then the vets get more income too, so I'm really glad that Siegler isn't the usual vet off the mill.

"Hey Siegler, that's my brother, isn't he being good for you?" Siegler said that Rummy is one mellow fellow. And yes, he isn't the first other human to mention that about Rummy.

And after the visit and the jabs, we got to wait at the main counter and sniff in all the good treats for sale. We didn't get any though. Mum said we've got tonnes at home.

The vet clinic is also another good place for bitey face rough playing. Rummy and I are always up for bitey face, anytime, anywhere.

Hugs,
Kimi

Early Mornings

In the early mornings, after Mum takes Rummy out to answer nature's call, we proceed to work in her study. Ok, Mum works, and we play and take naps.

When Rummy naps near his crate, I keep watch over him and I snuggle close. I love my baby brother, and I feel protective over him. He's tiny and he needs a big brother like me.

Kimi snuggles close to Rummy while he naps in the living room

Back in Mum's study, we take turns napping and playing, and chewing on old cardboard tubing. These things are fun. I have taught Rummy not to swallow any of these shredded papers. He just follows my example and mimics whatever I do. The trick is simply to play, chew and then spit it out. It's also fun watching Mum clean up the shredded papers.

These pics are a week old, see how his fuzzy hair is all over. He hasn't been groomed yet, very soon, all his puppy fuzz is coming off.

Another main thing to play with is the bubble wrap. Mum saved these when they came in a package and I hate them. She let Rummy have them, and she was trying to teach him how to burst them with his teeth. He wasn't afraid of the pop sound, but I was. I made sure I wasn't close by. I stood at the door watching him.

Crazy puppy eyes..

Isn't it amazing that Rummy hasn't chewed up any of Mum's precious books, magazines, DVDs, and stationery? It's all at Rummy's teeth level, and mine too, and for the very few times, Rummy did attempt to chew on book covers and book spines, Mum gave him a big clap and yell "No" and he got the message quick.

Now we just leave them books alone. We've clearly established the boundary in the study - Anything on the shelves belong to Mum, anything on the ground is fair game. Anything made of cardboard is also fair game, they are by default, Airedale toys.

Rummy and I

Rummy has so far learned our pack rules and boundaries very well. There is so mistaking who the Alpha in our pack is, and that's Mum. I get to sleep in the comfy donut bed if I choose to. He can sleep on the floor.

Hugs,
Kimi

Roughing it Out

Before we even consider Rummy's show potential, and all the mumbo jumbo of the politics and intricacies of the show world, my main role in life now is to make sure Rummy has a wonderful childhood, we want him to grow up healthy, balanced, playful, and leads a full Airedale life, that he is meant to.

While the sun shines in Washingston state in the Fall, it is a shame not to get out there and tumble in the grass. As the saying goes, "make hay while the sun shines". In this case, "let the Airedales play while the sun shines". Humans can learn a lesson or two from that.

A canine hug equivalent perhaps? Let's rub our necks together. And then let's play rough.

"I'm going to get you" says Rummy. Let's play chase. Chase combined with the game of Bitey face is great fun.

Bitey face can be played standing up, sitting down, or laying down. What a versatile game.

"Grrrrrhhhh.. see my sharp piranha puppy teeth?"

"Ha!! Ha!! Ha!! I've got sharp adult teeth too Rummy, watch out!"

"Awwww.... I'm only playing, I'm just a kid, let's play some more."

"Ok, let me show you who's the boss around here." Mum is encouraging me to "Get it, show him".

Wow the puppy's teeth are really sharp. He jumps up and nibbles my cheeks, grabs my beard, pulls on my goatee, chews on my ears, and I just let him.

My oh My, look at how sharp his teeth are...

Rummy can be quite the persistent little puppy. We can go on like this for hours in the sun.. if we were allowed to. When I've had enough, I put my foot down and I tell him in no uncertain terms, enough is enough. And he leaves me be.

"Oh, let's play some more, please?" begs Rummy

I love having a baby brother around to play bitey face with. It is hard for me to find someone who is up to this challenging game. You've got to find a dog who knows bite inhibition, and the main rule that no matter what, bitey face is just a game, it's not meant to be serious. Most dogs don't know this game. But all the Airedales I know love this game.

Bitey face entertained Rummy for quite a while, until he found a pile of ash to play in.

Hmmmm... Rob left the burn pile outside, and the ash is fun to dig in.

Who loves to dig in ash? This stuff is fun.

Staying true to his terrier nature, Rummy loves to dig - yes he loves to dig the earth, dirt, ash, and grass too. I think he can smell the moles and gophers on the property, because I've seen him try to dig to China.

Hugs,
Kimi

Rummy's 11 Week Old photos

Rummy turned 11 weeks old 2 Saturdays ago, but Mum has been incredibly busy, so she hasn't had time to update all his entries into my blog, so here goes, better late than never.

Rummy looks more tan than I was when I was his age.

His ear set is a little low, and Mum will need to rectify that by gluing his ears up a little higher so they don't set so low. Notice how the lower tips of his ear leather lay down, lower than his eye level.

"Glue my ears?? Are you serious? Will that hurt?" says Rummy

No it won't hurt. Lots of terriers get their ears glued. That's how we get perfect ears Rummy. It may be a bit uncomfortable, but you get tonnes of treats and bones as a distraction, and you get used to it after a while. Besides, the glue falls off slowly over 2 weeks, and you won't even notice it. I had it done to me too, when I was little. See the photo below, that's me. I can't believe nanny Lydia used pink wrap on me, I'm a boy!Kimi's ears were glued by Nanny Lydia when he was little

Rummy has a very good looking face. Mum says that he might have to be shown in the Show Ring if he turns out really well, we think he has to be as good as the epitome of an Airedale if we're going to show him. Oh boy... that's going to be a great challenge for Rummy and Mum. It's going to be tough maintaining his coat for show. We'll see how Rummy turns out in a year's time.

Hugs,
Kimi

Socializing the Littlest Terror

Rummy at the nearby grocery store checking out shopping carts

A lot of work goes into socializing a young puppy like my brother Rummy Cub. When I was little, I also endured the same treatment, from the time I turned 8 weeks old, Mum resolved to expose me to something new every single day till I turned 4 months old. It was very hard work, but she took me out from our house and allowed me to explore the world. Now she is doing the same thing with Rummy.

It is important to widen our world view, and broaden our perspective of what the universe encompasses, to absorb and experience, different scents, sights, textures, sensations, sounds, people, elevations and places. The more we get exposed now, the better we become as well-balanced calm dogs. The more socialized we are, the more places we get to go as adults and the more we get to experience of the world. It would really suck to stay at home caged up like prisoners.

Rummy and I on a "Climb" at the stores.

Rummy is getting bigger and heavier by the day. Soon, Mum won't be able to carry him any longer.

"YAHHHHH!! This is the best" Says Rummy

While Rummy waits with human Dean, I escort Jumbly to come say hi to my baby brother. We were on a visit to Rob's brother Steve's house. There are more friendly and well balanced dogs there to say hi to. Our own neighbours are not too dog friendly.

The more well balanced dogs that Rummy gets to meet now, the better. That way, he learns to be canine friendly to his own species and not to lose his identity. Rummy is learning to be polite and friendly to all kinds of people and dogs.

Meeting Bailey and Finnigan.
Finni is also a puppy, but older than Rummy. When they were playing in the backyard later, Rummy started doing the humping motion on Finni. This was the very first time anyone had seen him try to dominate a new dog friend. We were all so shocked. He was trying to assert his dominance on someone else from outside our pack. I guess he knows he's the omega dog in our pack.

Dean and Rummy in Steve's garage/workshop

Dean thought that Rummy is one of the most mellow puppies he's ever met in his life. To a certain extent that is true (he should see the littlest terror in our home). Mum picked out the most mellow puppy she could find in Rummy's litter, and based her decision on the energy levels she detected in all the pups. She also based it on how the pups interacted with me. Her choice was to find one who had a constant interest in me, and kept following me around. Rummy was the most consistent pup who was always near me.

Whenever I go over to Steve's house, I get really happy to meet Japhy. Japhy belongs to Steve, and he is a very old dog. We all respect, adore and love Japhy immensely, because he is so balanced and calm, he is almost human. Plus, he is fed kibble and when I get access to his food bowl, I gorge myself on all the kibble in his bowl. No way am I letting Rummy get any of this kibble treat.

Japhy examines Rummy for the first time, while Rummy stays still for an inspection.

Rummy gets a treat from Steve while Japhy's watches

That's a good Rummy boy. He shows respect for older dogs and for humans too.

It is necessary to let Rummy get used to loud noises and strange events.

Dean and Steve were cutting firewood, and Rummy was intrigued. He sniffed Dean's axe and gets praised for being so brave.

And while the men are hard at work, chopping away, he watches from a distance from Mum's side. Mum won't let him get any nearer, but I got to get closer to watch the action.

Rummy doesn't show any fear, at the loud axe cutting down the wood. He is one brave cookie. Perhaps it is also because we were all calm and normal. We did not cuddle over him or coo at him, or make a fuss. We just acted like it was part of a day's work and loud noises are normal.

Another day, Mum took us to Home Depot. She was looking for earplugs, and took that opportunity to bring him to a neutral place and expose him to giant human tools and things. There were many people walking around, and some people petted Rummy and gave him treats. He greeted everyone nicely. There was also a huge machine on wheels carrying huge crates around, and it made loud beeping noises, and Rummy took it all in stride.

The more we saw, the more he accepted as part of the normal world. There was nothing that seemed to faze him.

When it started to rain again, we were glad that we were going home.

Yay, it's time to go home.
Rummy rides very well in the back of the car together with me.
Mum is able to leave us for a short while, and goes into the stores to run errands. So far, no worries. Rummy and I take naps in the car while we wait for Mum to return. She's crept up to the car window to find us sleeping many times. I think I set a good example for Rummy. He does what I do.

Hugs,
Kimi

Turning 11 weeks Old

My baby brother Rummy just turned 11 weeks old 2 Saturdays ago. And as it is the norm, Mum takes weekly photos of us while we are kids, so that she can juxtapose our pictures to see how we evolve and grow out of our puppy phases into adulthood.

Above is a composite photo of myself, and my brother Rummy. Both pics were taken when we were just 11 weeks old. My my!! How I've grown! I look so different now.

From the pics, it can be observed that I had a lot more black hair, than Rummy does. Rummy started turning tan much earlier than I did. However, I do think we both look very similar, other than our colorings. Very soon, Rummy will lose all the black on his face and ears, and turn tan.

Hugs,
Kimi

1st Night Home in Lakebay

Its been a week, and we've finally settled into our own home. Ahhh... bliss in the country again. Ergghhh.. NOT!! Look at the little terror, he's in bed, showing me his puppy teeth. It's a good thing Mum got him his own dog bed, but he won't be using it in the bedroom, because he's still being crate trained.

Its been said, unless Rummy is fully toilet trained and has learned to notify the humans he needs to answer nature's call, he isn't going to be allowed to sleep like an adult in the adult dog bed. Ha! Ha! Ha! Pants Kimi. Rob says its going to take a while for the young one to be 100% toilet trained, but so far so good, he's been about 90% good and has been running to the door to be let out. Smart little cookie.

This is my current favorite toy, it has a piece of cow hoove on the rope with knots. Rummy loves it too, but I'm good at sharing my toys, so I let him have it.

Ok Rummy, I'll let you chew on my toy while I nap, but watch it, its still mine, see how I'm holding on to my toy?

There are tonnes of toys around, but I'm pretty good at sharing. I don't have issues with toy possession whatsoever. I'm sure Mum wouldn't allow that, so I won't even try. I doubt she'll let Rummy get away with that bad behavior either. All the toys belong to her, its our privilege that she shares them with us. She does these mind games with us, playing toys with us, and then demanding for them back, and then freeing us to play again. She's teaching Rummy to "leave it" already, and he's getting it.

Zzzzz.... Thanks friends, I'm taking all your advice and I'm catching as many Zzzs as I can. Rummy is quite good at leaving me alone when I rest. If he tries to jump on me, I growl to let him know, this is not acceptable behavior, if he insists on it, Mum steps in and does the 'touch' correction and she says "Leave it" and he leaves me alone. He won't try to challenge her, not yet anyway... Awwww... its going to happen.. sooner or later.

Hugs,
Kimi

Getting Worn Out

Having a bright young puppy is no joke, it is a joy, and it is also very hard work. Take my word for it, because I'm beat!!

At any given opportunity, I will take a nap away from Rummy, by Mum's side. If Rummy insists on chowing on my body parts, such as my goatee, and I say "Ruff - which means NO!" and Rummy doesn't back down, Mum steps in and corrects Rummy, and he backs off immediately. Thank goodness for an Alpha who knows how to control Rummy.

Testing the waters of the pool, checking to see if it is a good temperature to soak my feet.

Ahhh... yes... just a good nice soak to relax any Airedale's tired feet.

Hi Mum, I could sit here for hours, just soaking these tired feet of mine. I do this at Koa's pool every other day, because it is fantastic. You don't know what you're missing. This is just wonderful.

Rummy loves to lick at the little black knob things in the tiles.

Hey Rummy, I don't think you should try this just yet. You're too short.

Rummy Cub, the littlest Airedale Terror

Day dreaming....

ZZzzzzzzzzzzzz.......... a worn out puppy is a good puppy

Look at those big paws. Rummy is now 13lbs at 10 weeks of age. He is going to be one big Airedale.

Hugs,
Kimi

Getting to Know You

We spent the weekend getting to know one another. Rummy, Koa and I. We romped around in the front yard, back yard and inside the house. Everyone was busy toilet training Rummy Cub. Rob found Koa's old puppy crate, and we used that to contain Rummy at night, or when he needed to take naps during the day. The crate gives him a den-like feeling, a sanctuary to call his own, a warm safe place to hide and rest from the overwhelming stimulation of the world.

Here's Rummy getting acquainted with the crate.
Instinctively, Koa and I knew that the crate was out of bounds to us, we sniffed it and gave Rummy his space whenever he went into it. Rummy likes his crate now, he would go into it to take naps on his own. It is in the family room, so he's still in the middle of family life, and the mesh allows him to see what is going on, and just to observe the world from his safe zone.

On the first day he came to us, we gave him his very own pig ear to chew on. It was bigger than his head, and he needed to spend a lot of time just gnawing on it. He seemed to love his pig ear. Koa and I both had our own, so we all just laid around in the family room, chewing on our pig ears. It kept us entertained for a good few hours.

When we got bored, we went out to the back, where there was a pool and jacuzzi. I led my brother Rummy around, showed him where everything was, and where to pee and poop. There wasn't any gate or fence around the pool but Rummy wasn't scared. He followed my lead and stayed calm as we played around the pool.

Koa watches over his backyard, while Rummy explores, and he makes sure Rummy doesn't tear up anything or get himself into mischief. With 2 big brothers around and 2 humans to watch Rummy, it is hard for him to get into trouble without getting corrected.

"Hmm... what can I explore next? I'm curious about everything. My little world is expanding, and my universe is getting larger by the minute. So many changes, so many new scents and things to experience. So much stimuli to understand and absorb." says Rummy.

Big brother and little brother.

Rummy, "Hi, I'm sitting by my brother Kimi at the pool. We're just sniffing the air, and watching the world go by."

Kimi watches over Rummy as he explores the boundaries of the jacuzzi and pool.

Hi Mum, I'm doing my best being the good brother that I am. Rummy is a good boy, he hasn't been too much to handle. We chose well Mum.

Kimi and Koa watching over Rummy by the pool area

Hmmmmm..... that's my reflection in the water.. strange

Kimi almost 4 years old

Rummy 10 weeks old

I've got to keep an eye on this fella, what's he up to now?

Rummy observing Kimi in the family room, chewing on his pig ear... "ahh, that's how they do it, just chew and chomp". Says Rummy.

When will I get my own pig ear?

Rummy says "Thank you for allowing me to join your pack, I'm as happy as can be, and I couldn't ask for better."

Hugs,
Kimi and Rummy

Rummy Climbing the Stairs

The first day he came home to Koa's house, we were all amazed at Rummy's fearlessness. This was really the first time this puppy had seen or attempted a real flight of stairs, and who would have imagined that he'd just come straight up? I had come up the stairs to fetch a toy, and then when I turned, I saw Rummy following me up, he did not flinch, or even show a moment's hesitation. He just followed me straight up. One thing particular about this puppy, he just loves to follow me around. Whatever it was that I did, this puppy would want to be right next to me. Strange huh?

Rummy attempting the stairs for the first time, while I watched over him, and his clumsiness.

While I was at the top of the stairs, Koa was at the bottom, together with Mum, watching the puppy. He climbed right to the top, and then turned and walked back down the stairs. He was more unsure about going down the stairs, but he did really good for a first timer. After a few more tries, he was going at the stairs like it was a natural thing for him. What a trooper!

Koa and I watched over Rummy pup closely, to give him support and guidance. He was watching me and emulating me while I climbed up and down the stairs. What a brave Rummy Cub.

Rummy sniffing my butt while I stood at the top of the stairs. He just loves my butt. I think he is absorbing my scent and attaching himself to me, as he remembers my scent.

Hello baby brother Rummy

At such a young age, but already conquering stairs without fear. This is going to be a smart cookie of a pup.

Hugs,
Kimi

Our First Offical Meeting

On Saturday, Mum brought back baby Blue. Koa and I met him in the front yard, and he was presented to us. Mum carried him and allowed us to sniff his butt and belly, and after a while, she put him down on the ground, so that we could investigate a little further. Koa and I showed great interest in the little fella, Rummy was a little tentative, and who wouldn't be? Koa and I are both huge dogs. But Rummy wasn't too timid or shy, he allowed us to sniff him, and let us come near to him.

If it got too much for the little fella, he would go behind the bush, thinking he could get away from us, but no, we could still get to him, and after a while when he saw that nothing bad was happening to him, and no one was making a fuss, he would just come back out. Rob and Mum didn't make any sound, or make any moves, they just let us do our dog thing, and make the introductions as smoothly as possible, without too much human intervention. Mum said, no need for nervous or anxious energy. Everybody staying calm is the best way to introduce a new pack member into our pack. So he's here to stay huh mum?

Koa and I, keeping a close eye and a close nose to Rummy's every move and sound he made. Koa was even more interested in the puppy, practically following every move he made. Seeing puppies and dog is a norm for me, and I didn't think it was such a big deal. But I guess, Koa felt that he needed to pay more attention, after all, this was his house. And besides, this was really the first ever young puppy to stay with him, even for a while, so this was a big deal for Koa.

"Hello big brother Kimi", says Rummy. "I'm just a little fella, I'm not a threat to you, see my submissive body postures and polite canine manners? I'm the blue boy who kept following you when I was at the breeders and you first saw me. Please accept me."

Rummy is a pretty cute puppy, and I can tell from his scent, he is male, 10 weeks old, been eating kibble, and he has many brothers and sisters.

Hugs,
Kimi