Monday, 28 July 2008

Remembering Oscar 28/05/2006 - 28/07/2007

It's one year today since our darling Oscar died so tragically and suddenly. While not wanting to be morose, we do feel it's important to keep his memory alive and remember annivesaries such as this and his birthday. In some ways it seems like the awful events of last year were only yesterday, such is the pain and loss we still feel, but in other ways it seems like a lifetime since we last cuddled, played and generally shared our lives with him. While we have obviously come to accept his death, the feeling of injustice and the shock of it will probably always remain.

We are thankful of the 10 months we got to spend with you Oscar, and despite the pain of losing you so young and so unexpectedly, we will be forever grateful that you came bowling into our lives as a 14 week old ball of fuzz.

Rest in peace Oscar. In our hearts for ever and ever.

xxx

Friday, 25 July 2008

Yum, Venison Ears!

Now as you probably know by now, I'm a gent of discerning taste, so when I have a treat, I tend to go for the less common or garden variety. It was only fitting then, that rather than the bog standard pig's ears, ma bought us some venison's ears recently.

As you can see, it was the first time Cassidy had had anything like this, and she was a bit bemused!


It didn't take her long to work out what needed to be done however.


Though she did seem more interested in saving it for later than getting her big Dale teeth around it.


Cassidy managed to make hers last for around 3 days!



Now I too took my time giving my venison's ear a good sniffing too. It was quite different to a pig's ear, less greasy. It still smelled jolly wonderful though let me tell you.

Chomp, chomp, chomp. I soon got to work.


Yum. I gave it two paws up. It also lasted me around 30 minutes, which believe me is very good going where me and treats are concerned.


See how happy I am! Food has got to be my number one favourite thing...no, maybe that's walks...no ear scratches and cuddles...no sleeping...hmmm, well it's up there at the top of the list anyway.


Gosh ma, I hope you bought plenty of these!



Toodle pip

Harry x

Monday, 21 July 2008

International Present Exchange!

Yes, remember the DWB present exchange?! Well, after all the computer woes, we have finally got around to posting about our wonderful presents from Verdi & Gaucho. Apologies to them for taking so long to do this post.

When the parcel arrived we knew straight away it was for us, and contained all sorts of lovely stuff.



We got straight down to some very serious sniffing to try and deduce what it contained.


Then of course the bossy little madame that is my dear sister pinched it from right under my nose and ran with it out into the garden and claimed it as her own. She's such a little minx (though I have to concede that she is jolly good at opening parcels!).


Oh, she said this photo's for her BabyStan! I don't know, these youngsters grow up too fast nowadays.


It really didn't take her long to get the brown paper off that parcel with those Crocodale jaws.



But then look at that look of woe when ma made her sit and pose with the box rather than just diving right in. Does that look like a happy puppy to you, har har!

Here was the first peek at what delights were inside. The pink and orange things you can see were two soft toy flowers for E & J. Sadly ma didn't get any photos of them before the girls took them to their mummy's house, but they were delightful, and the girls adored them. Thank you so much for thinking of them as well as us Verdi and Gaucho.



Their was a new collar for each of us, made of lovely soft leather. We guessed that the pink one was for Cassidy, the blue one for me, har har!


What do you think? Pretty nifty, eh?


There was also a very natty bandanne eac, so we won't have to wear Oscar's precious ones anymore. Cassidy stole them both.



But ma managed to retrieve mine so I could pose. About the floor...well all I can say is that a certain little lady was in BIG trouble. I'll let her tell you more about it another time!


And this is what we could smell, even before the pardel was opened, yummy!



And last but not least were these two toys. The pink bone has a particularly loud squeak, which Cassidy delights in chewing when ma and pa are trying to watch the television.


They have both endured lots of play, and both are still intact with barely a tooth mark, so very well chosen Verdi and Gaucho!




Thank you once again for such lovely and thoughtful gifts. We are very grateful, and sorry again that this post has been so delayed.

Toodle pip

Harry x

Thursday, 17 July 2008

Testing, Testing!

Hi hi everyone!

Look, photos! We have SO much stuff to tell you. We might just have to do one post with everything in otherwise we'll never catch up!

Just wanted to test that we could get photos to post to blogger.

Look at me! 10 months old now! I weigh 18 kilos, so still quite a dainty girl! Do you like my drooly beard?




Anyway, if this mini posting works, we'll post again with photos of our presents from Gaudi & Verdi, our new Dale-mobile, Big Harry's Airecut, my show news, Big Harry's poorly paw (he's OK!), and all our other news!

Nibbles
Cassidy x

Thursday, 10 July 2008

Back in Business!

Well hello there all, remember us?!

Well sadly, our laptop never recovered from its drinking session. We have however borrowed a Mac from our friends, so once we figure out how to update our blog properly using that we'll be back in business, hurrah!

We've missed you all so much. We are looking forward to catching up with all your news, but it may take us a while as I imagine our Bloglines is showing hundreds of new posts!! We'll get round to say hello to all our pals soon.

Harry x

Tuesday, 24 June 2008

Limp Laptop!

Hello all,

Just to let you all know that we're all fine, but the laptop had a run in with a glass of drink and came off worst, so until Martin manages to revive it (or God forbid we have to get a new one, argh!), we'll be a bit quiet (writing this at work, shh!).

Talk to you all soon I hope,

Katy for Harry & Cassidy x

Sunday, 15 June 2008

Best Puppy In Show!

Hi hi everyone! Sorry we has been so quiet, but silly mummy has her final accountancy exam on Wednesday and she says she's too busy studying to help us blog, how rude! So we will catch up with all of you after that, but me had exciting news me just had to share!

Today mummy finded some free time to take me (and Big Harry and daddy and E and J came too to cheer me on) to our Airedale club show. My dog mummy Maggie, my brother Mick and my sissy Lottie beed there too, whee!

Here be Mick doing his thing. How handsome is he! Yes, me knows he's my brother, but me be proud of him. He winned best boy puppy.


Lottie did the companion classes but all the photos of her be really, really blurry, boo hoo! She really enjoyed herself and she getted a 1st for best dog under 2 years old, and 2nd for best condition, then a 2nd for best companion Airedale, whee! She had great fun and loved strutting her stuff! If her daddy has nice photos I will post some as she no has a bloggy but she reads mine. We had soooo much fun playing bitey face. Me was a bit bossy and putted her in a head lock a few times, but she no minded!

Then it beed my turn. Here mummy be getting me standing nicely for the judge.



Then the judge comes to look me over. Me has to stand nice and still and alert.


Checking my teethies, eyes and bone on my face and head. Me beed a good girl today, no slobbery kissies for the judge!


Then he has to feel all over my body starting with my shoulders. He be checking to see how sound my construction is, how much muscle me has, how my coat texture is and so on.



Still checking, yawn!


And he best bit, going round the ring. Me love, love, loves showing off. Mummy gives me a little chuck under the chin and we're off!


See how happy me is! Me not really supposed to look at mummy, me supposed to look straight ahead. Never mind!


Doing a bit better here. Me getted best puppy girl. Which meant me had to challenge my brother Mick for best puppy, tee hee!


So here be me and Mick. At first we just wanted to play, but eventually mummy and Mick's daddy got us to stand still!



And me getted best puppy in show, whee! It probably be bad form to beat your breeder tee hee! Nah, they be very pleased for us, and it is good for them to get 2 of their dogs the best puppy and reserve puppy. Our mummy Maggie winned reserve best bitch. Me beed a bit excited as you can see!



We also entered special beginners and we got a 1st in that too! Here the judge be writing his critique about me. It will be published in one of the doggy papers, so when it be published, mummy will let you know what the judge said.


So me has got 3 more rosettes for my collection! Daddy will have to make me a pin board to put them on.


A very tired but happy puppy!



Our parcel from Verdi & Gaucho from the present exchange arrived on Saturday. It be great!! Mummy needs to take some more photos then we will post about it (probably after mummy's exam on Wednesday). Muchas gracias Verdi y Gaucho!

Nibbles

Cassidy x

Sunday, 8 June 2008

Dog Show Roundup!

Hi hi everyone. Me hopes you all be having a nice weekend. Me has been to a few shows the last few weekend so me thought me would update you all!

Last weekend we went to the Southern Counties Show in Newbury, which be about 30 minutes drive from home. It be a big Championship show. My breeders be there with my brother Mick.
Here's Mick strutting his stuff!

As you see, he be bigger and more muscly than skinny ribs me. He winned best Airedale puppy dog (boy), then best Airedale puppy (so you should guess by that that me didn't win Airedale puppy bitch!).



Here he be on the right in the line up for Best Airedale boy. The others be the winners from the other classes like Junior, Post Graduate and Open.


And then it beed my turn. Here me be with mummy. There was 3 of us in the class. There was supposed to be 5, but 2 didn't come for some reason or another.



Daddy taked the photos but he didn't have the zoomy lens so the photos no be great.


Me had to stand so the judge could look at me and feel me, then move around the ring. Here me be standing back with the others.

Me getted a third out of three, tee hee! Ah well, somebody got to be last. If you compare me to the other puppies, you can see that me looks a lot less mature, and me still has lots of paler puppy coat rather than the deep tan they has on their legs. Both the other girlies be 1 this month, so this was probably their last show in puppy class, cos it only be up to 12 months.

Me behaved like a little angel though, everybody telled me that, and me had fun which is the main thing.

Also, by getting placed third (even though that be last in this case), me has qualified for Crufts next March!

Even though it costed quite a few pennies to enter, they didn't give out rosettes, meanies!


Yesterday there beed a fun dog show at a village fete near home. Me entered any variety puppy. There beed about 11 or 12 of us altogether of all shapes and sizes. Here me be standing nicely as you can see, tee hee!



Waiting for the judge to look at me. When we were in the ring, a big bunch of majorettes/band started up and it beed so loud, that's why my tail not be too happy.


Here the judge be giving me a good look over. He has to check teeth, eyes, ears, muscle, bone, coat and so on to see how good we be. Me be very used to standing still now and me enjoys the attention. Only thing is, sometimes me tries to give judges kissies if their faces get close enough, tee hee!



Ooops, my tail still be down. It popped up when me be moving round the ring, but not when me beed standing right next to that noisy band.


Anyway, me still managed 4th place out of 11, so pretty good me thinks. The doggies that got 1st - 3rd all beed beautiful. A Red Setter winned and she was stunning.


A bit later Big Harry went in for best veteran. That be doggies over 7 years old. Me thinks there beed 8 or 9 doggies in his class. We no knows if Big Harry has ever done showing, but he seemed a natural.



Aw, look at my fuzzy big brother. He had been in the bath in the morning, so he beed extra fluffy and cute looking.

And look at him move! He really no acts like he be 11. He went charging across the ring and back.



And he getted first prize! Mummy and daddy be so proud of him, and as you can see, he be pretty pleased with himself!


Here we be posing. Me knows me looks a bit snooty, but me no be jealous of Big Harry's red rosette, me be concentrating on the biscuit daddy beed dangling.

We getted SO much attention all day from everyone from toddlers to grannies. Lots of people said their grandparents used to have an Airedale, or old people said they had one as a child (we hears this a LOT!).


And this morning, me wented to Thames Valley Canine Society show in Slough. No photos cos mummy and me went on our own cos daddy wanted a lie in!

Me had to enter any variety not separately classified (AVNSC) Terrier Junior (from 6 - 18 months). There beed 3 of us in the class; me, a Bull Terrier and a Smooth Fox Terrier. Me getted 2nd place!



Phew, so that be all the show news for now. Me has another show next Sunday, that be the West of England & South Wales Airedale Terrier Club show. Lots of Airedales, whee! Mick be entered too, and me thinks our sissy Lottie coming to cheer us on.

Nibbles
Cassidy x