Jake

I would like to tell you the story about our Airedale adoption We had lost our beloved pet, Bubba, a yellow lab/mastiff mix on Nov. 10, 2006. He was the love of our lives. We just didn't think we could go through that again and the best way to do that was to never get another dog. Well, we have had a dog all of our 36 years of marriage and both of us had had dogs as children. We lasted 5 months without a dog and I just couldn't stand it. I walked with my friends that had dogs and helped them walk their dogs. Finally, I told Allan that I had to have a dog. I had always wanted an Airedale, so, I started looking at the North Texas Airedale Rescue site. I had seen several, but, I was reluctant to follow through. Then, I saw Mac, who was "Jake" on the website. I bookmarked his web page and everyday, I would look to see if he had been adopted yet. I showed his picture to my husband, Allan, and he agreed he was a cutie. I had been so miserable since we had lost Bubba and I was very lonesome for my walking partner. I think Allan, who travels some, finally decided it was time. I always said that I was on the fence about getting another dog and Allan was out in the field, not very close to the fence at all!! Well, I filled out the application for the adoption and sent it in. It seemed like forever before we heard from anyone. Of course, it was only 2 weeks. Sherry called and talked to me and we discussed many things about dogs and what we were wanting and why. She set up an in-home visit and Andrew and Sue came over and brought 1 of their Airedales, Missy. We had a great visit and they reported back to Cindy, the coordinator. We then had to set up a time to get Mac to us. It was a bit of a struggle getting a time that was convenient for the foster, Cindy and Allan and me. We finally agreed on a day and time and we met at Cindy's house. We arrived just as Cindy pulled up with Mac, formerly Jake, and from the minute we met him, it was "love at first sight"!! . 562.144110011444001004407174!!(Mac wanted to add his 2 cents!!!!) Allan walked him, while Cindy and I did the paperwork. We talked for a while to give him some more time to get to know us and then we started on our venture to Mac's new home. I had gotten a crate from a friend of ours and we had it set up for him, because we didn't know how he would react to his new home. We wanted him to be as comfortable as possible for the transition. I had bought him a new bed and put it in our bedroom. We took him for a walk when we got home and then went out into the back yard and let him sniff around. I had gotten some toys and new food/water dish, new leash, collar and many treats and of course, his dog food. When it came time to go to bed, he went into the bedroom, sniffed his new bed and brought his new favorite toy, Blue, (a blue stuffed doggie) and proceeded to lie down on his bed and he stayed there the whole night. We never used the crate at night from the 1st night. In the morning, we fixed our coffee and took him out to the backyard and he did his business. We sat out there for a while and then we came in and I took him for a walk. We met up with my friends that walk their dogs and he did great. We really don't know much about his background. He is not your typical Airedale. He is not as active as your average Airedale. He evidently had some obedience training, as he could already sit, stay and shake with either paw. He had been fostered and I don't know if the experience was a positive one for him or not. I am just glad that we got him into our home where he is loved more than he can probably stand, and we were told that is what he needed. Mac has been with us for over 2 months now and we think he has adjusted quite well. We had taken him to the vet to have him checked and the vaccinations updated and they all fell in love with him, too!! When I had to take him back for a check on his eyes, the receptionist who saw him the 1st time we brought him in after the adoption said he sure has gotten more confidence. She said he looked great and is such a beautiful dog. Everyone said that he is a credit to his breed. Evidently, they have an Airedale that is not as well mannered as our Mac. We took him to the Pet Spa for a much needed bath and trim and the owner said he was the most well behaved Airedale he had worked on and he said that he had worked on quite a few in his day. He said we really got a good one!! He has had a refresher course in obedience and the trainer said she wished all Airedales were like Mac! He has such a great disposition and is such a good boy!! I think he felt the love that we have for him right away. Everyday, he just continued to adapt to his new home and has become more confident. I sometimes wonder what he is thinking and I hope that anything that he went through in the past that may have been unpleasant is forgotten now and replaced with happy times and the knowledge that he is loved more and more everyday. He has filled a void in our lives that we never thought could ever be filled. We feel that our Bubba helped us find Mac and that he (Bubba) is helping Mac and helping us also. Mac is just a joy to have around and he is so funny. We could not have found a better dog for us than Mac!! I hope he knows how much he means to us, because he has brought us so much joy and helped us get through a tough and lonely time. We just can't tell you how important and very special he is to us. We thank God everyday, that he is our dog! I hope more people will consider rescuing a dog. We wanted to give a dog that had been given up a 2nd chance. A lot of people will buy the cute little puppies rather than adopt an older dog, so, it is important to give the older dogs a chance. We feel the rewards are endless and the love the adopted dog has is even deeper because he is thankful to be with a loving family. Thanks for reading our story. Allan, Colleen and Mac memecol@aol.com