Rummy's 14 Week Old Photos

Rummy at 14 weeks, weighing 24lbs.

Rummy turned 14 weeks old last Saturday, but Mum has been busy with a lot so she didn't put them up on time. Here they are.

Rummy had his ears glued, so they appear "stuck" on his head, but don't be alarmed or surprised about it. Most Airedales have ears glued, especially if they are potential show dogs, because a little human aid to help the ears fall perfectly isn't harming anyone.

Even I had my ears glued too, when I was little, that is why they fall perfectly now, as they should according to my breed standard. Why do ears grow wonky you ask?... well, when the adult teeth start growing into the gums, and the baby teeth fall out, it hurts a lot just like human toddlers hurt when they are teething, and studies have shown a connection between growth of the canine jawline, and the cartilage and growth of the ear set. It is all coming into place during this crucial period between week 16 and 8 months of age. This is when the adult teeth grow into their permanent positions. It is also the most crucial time to determine ear set. Experienced terrier breeders and owners can share that ear gluing after age 1 is normally not effective anymore. Flying ears, hound ears, droopy ears are all faults in the Airedale and not desired although it doesn't affect the Airedale personality per se. I guess ear gluing is a matter of vanity.

Rummy's snout is growing longer and extending outward. He is losing his puppy roundness. His head is also becoming more brick-like and lengthening out forward into a rectangular block. He isn't quite there yet, but he is definitely showing signs of becoming a handsome dog in future. The most prominent feature for the Airedale is the brick head. It should be long and rectangular like a brick. In a few months, Rummy will have an adult head, but in the meantime, we'll just watch him as he approaches adolescence as a lanky odd teenager.

This photo shows the crinkles on Rummy's back. Can you spot them?

Rummy's coat is becoming more and more wiry and coarse, which is the desired breed standard for the Airedale. Every couple of days, Mum cards his coat, to remove the fuzz, and to keep him looking tip top, and there are crinkles appearing on his back. Carding is a grooming technique whereby the groomer uses a stripping knife like a comb, to comb through his body with long strokes to remove fuzzy undercoat - this forces the topcoat to lie flat on the body, instead of sticking outwards. This is what makes the crinkles seem more prominent.

The tan parts are creeping up his shoulders little by little, and by now, his head is almost totally tan. There are slight black fuzzies on his snout from his baby age, and perhaps that will also disappear completely when he becomes an adult.

Hugs,
Kimi