Toggle, just after his arrival.	So I'd had them both for a year and a half when I decided maybe I was ready for a new challenge. Carol has called me demented. There was this little guy named Toggle who growled and bit people. He is a perfect specimen from Canada and a long line of champions.
He was trained with a heavy hand, however, and his owners gave him up when he did not fit their lifestyle. He had been in five homes since Memorial Day and despite training, was too much for people to handle.
I had to fly to Michigan to pick him up. During one of the training sessions I made the mistake of trying to pat his head and he snapped at me, breaking my bracelet rather than my skin. (Rumor has it that he took off the thumbnail of one prospective owner, who quickly abandoned the idea of taking him.) My solution was to buy a pair of leather garden gloves on the way to the airport to take him home.	Toggle, getting back to nature.
Although we gave him Valium® for the flight, it had worn off by the time he got to Kansas City. I was standing at the luggage carousel in crowd of people when, in the distance, I heard this growling and snarling. The entire group turned around to look at what kind of beast could be causing this ruckus. Trying to downplay this circus, I chirped, 'Oh, I think my cargo has arrived.' The airport handler, who was extremely nice, said 'This here's a show dog. You can tell that just by lookin' at him. But he don't act like no show dog. He's actin' like a Rottweiler.' He had spent two days growling at me whenever I got too close, but when he sniffed my scent standing next to his crate, my stock went up. I had become familiar. He quieted down and wagged his tail a bit.
Left to right: Nell, Charlie & Toggle
He has changed a lot since he's been here. I spent the first week I had him wearing gloves to handle him so I wouldn't get bitten. I had to use timeouts for the growling because I did not want to physically put him through any correction. The timeouts worked and he quickly reduced his growling. Now, when he growls at me, he knows he has done something wrong and hangs his little head. He willingly goes to timeout for this, although I am beginning to add some different corrections. I spent a lot of time (and still do) hugging and touching him, which he has learned to like. He now comes up for hugs and kisses. I waited two weeks before introducing him to Charlie, although he & Nell hit it off from the start. He challenged Charlie for dominance and lost. He & Charlie fought several times the first few days but pretty much worked it out. Charlie gets corrected and crated for other dog aggression, which has helped. He typically gets along well with other dogs, however.
Toggle & Kitty-Boy, surprised by the camera. Toggle started out being somewhat cat-aggressive. After working with him for 4-1/2 months on this, he & Kitty-Boy are now friends (see the photo for proof). I no longer have to segregate either of them. On 14 November 2002, Kitty-Boy crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Mary Giese writes: He was my beloved Kitty-Boy, companion to the Airedales, especially Charlie, and special friend of my first Airedale, Sally after she lost her hearing and vision. I hope that people will look skyward and see a star flying through the heavens. I miss him a lot. Toggle continues to need work on his people skills. He finds people very threatening and all new people get introduced slowly. My friend Elise comes in daily for an hour while I'm at work to play with them and he warmed up to her again after an interim cooling off when he didn't see her for several weeks. He seems to need frequent exposure to the same person before he can trust them. But I have had him less than five months. My experience with the others tells me that I will probably need another year before I see major breakthroughs in this area. We continue to work on it.
Now that I'm home, bathed, settled and fed, All nicely tucked in my warm new bed. I'd like to open my baggage Lest I forget, There is so much to carry - So much to regret. Hmm . . . Yes there it is, right on the top Let's unpack Loneliness, Heartache and Loss, And there by my leash hides Fear and Shame. As I look on these things I tried so hard to leave - I still have to unpack my baggage called Pain. I loved them, the others, the ones who left me, But I wasn't good enough - for they didn't want me. Will you add to my baggage? Will you help me unpack? Or will you just look at my things - And take me right back? Do you have the time to help me unpack? To put away my baggage, To never repack? I pray that you do - I'm so tired you see, But I do come with baggage - Will you still want me? -- Evelyn Colbath
Toggle in his favorite chair on the porch, June 1999.
Toggle coming to get that treat, June 1999.
This is the notecard Mary sent the last two photos in . . . isn't it cute?? It is a photo of a hooked rug designed by Polly Minick; she and her two Airedales, Dixie & Pepper, are featured in the July issue of Better Homes & Gardents , pages 160-161. The card is sold by and benefits ATRA (AIREDALE TERRIER RESCUE & ADOPTION)
You're gonna stick that needle WHERE?!?! Harriet entered Mary's life in 2000, and has had several acupuncture treatments; hence the caption. Mary says, This heart-stealer is now having the puppyhood she missed - TUCKBUTTRUNS, COUNTERSURFING on her surgically-treated hip, and stealing my socks. I know she's a real ADT because she's starting to act naughty.
On Tuesday, 15 July 2003, Mary writes: My beloved Charlie collapsed and died this morning at approximately 6:40. He was only 9. He'd been to the vet last night for a thorough exam prior to going in for dental surgery on Friday. Everything looked great. He was fine last night and earlier this morning. I called the dogs to go outside. I heard a thud that I thought was a lamp falling or something falling. When I went to investigate, Charlie had collapsed. He could barely lift his head. I rushed around trying to figure out how to get him to the vet. When I came back into the room, he was dead. I am in shock right now. This was completely unexpected. The vet is doing a necropsy so I can find out how he died. Then he'll be cremated and I'll get his ashes. We all have our favorites even if we don't like to admit it. He was mine. For good or bad, he always knew what I was thinking and was always trying to help in his own way. I had to move some furniture and crates around last Sunday. He was with me every step of the way, supervising and checking out the new locations. He was so good for his bath yesterday. And later, he helped me core strawberries, eating the tops that I took off. Yesterday afternoon he climbed into my lap, all 81 pounds of him, to be close to me. Now I'm so glad he did. Mary minus one Praireiedale. Last photo of Charlie, taken on 14 July 2003

Continue with the saga of the Giese Pack HERE