Three Cheers for Three Years!

Three years ago today, a litter of four Kerry Blue Terriers came into the world... and my baby girl Augusta was among them. I obviously didn't meet her on the day of her birth. I mean, that's not generally the case when it comes to puppy adoption, is it? Most pups are introduced to their new parents at around the age of eight weeks.

I met Augusta (known then as Wednesday) when she was six months old, and this is the story of how we were united:

Remember Covid? And the spring of 2020? Remember how everyone wanted to adopt a puppy and no one could find any? Well... I was puppy-crazed just like all those other Americans. "Why do you need another dog?" my mom asked multiple times. "Arlo's still so young."

"That's why I need another dog!" I assured her. "Because Arlo's still so young."

In truth, owning Arlo is the equivalent of owning a dozen dogs and I definitely didn't need to add another terrible terrier to the mix. A terrible terrier is what I ended up with, of course, but I wasn't dead set on a Kerry Blue. I toyed with the idea of a P.B.G.V. and got in touch with a breeder named Carol who lives in Pennsylvania. I talked to her on the phone several times, learning all about the breed's temperament and determining that they're not ideal for folks who like cats.

My dog-lady friend Carol did steer me in the direction of some other potential breeds, however. She put me in touch with a woman who breeds Otterhounds and another who breeds Spinoni Italiani. Unfortunately, neither one was going to have available puppies anytime soon.

As you are probably realizing by now, I like my dogs like I like my men: bearded.

Terriers generally have beards, and I grew up with terriers, so I returned to what I knew and considered a Soft-Coated Wheaten or a Kerry Blue. I researched more kennels and sent more emails. I was in touch with a lot of folks.

(Interestingly, the overall writing and grammar of people who breed terriers is, as a whole, better than the writing and grammar of people who breed hounds. That's obviously a realization I came to after a relatively small sampling of communication, but if anyone is looking for a thesis topic, that might be one worth considering.)

Like the Otterhounds and the Spinoni Italiani, no one seemed to have any Wheaten or Kerry Blue puppies. I had basically given up my search when I checked my email one Tuesday morning (May 26, to be exact) and saw that I'd received a message from Kathryn:

People often ask why I prefer to get my dogs from breeders rather than from the shelter. I mean, I am a HUGE advocate for the SPCA and donate to that organization on a fairly regular basis. At this point in time, every single one of my cats (there are four of them!) were adopted from the SPCA. But when it comes to dogs, I like my purebreds. Partly because I am a definite dog snob. There are so many interesting breeds in the world that I'd someday like to experience. But even more than that, I like knowing the history of the dog. Does it guarantee the dog will be perfect and easy? Of course not! But there have been so many instances in which I've contacted Kathryn about Augusta-related things... and I'm really thankful I've been able to do that.

Needless to say, I was on the phone with Kathryn within minutes of reading her email.

First, I called my mom to tell her about the email. Then I called Kathryn and asked when Arlo and I could visit. "How about later today?" she suggested, which was obviously fine with me!

On the ride to Westminster, I remember saying to Arlo, "I have been convinced from the get-go that you are Baxter reincarnated. [Baxter was my first Airedale; Just Whistle is actually dedicated to him.] From the way Kathryn described Wednesday in her email, she sounds like she might be Agatha. [Agatha was my second Airedale and she loved Baxter more than just about anything.] If I take you down there and the two of you hit it off right away, running off and adventuring together without the other dogs just like Baxter and Agatha did all those years ago, we'll know that Wednesday is Agatha. And if she likes me without being timid, that will be another clue. And if Kathryn tells us we can bring her home, we will -- no matter how much she costs. Deal?"

Arlo licked my ear, thus sealing the deal.

Well, Arlo and I made it to Westminster and got out of the car. We met Wednesday (now Augusta) and her mom Annie and sister Gretchen. Augusta warmed up to me instantly and Kathryn actually commented, "I haven't seen her become this comfortable this quickly before." I mean, she didn't even bark at me! And then Arlo demanded her attention and the two of them ran off to play with one another in the yard, abandoning Annie and Gretchen.

Obviously, I knew.

So did Kathryn. After a while, she said, "This seems like a good fit. If you want her--"

"I do!"

"You can take her today. I think it will be easier to say goodbye now rather than later."

So I returned to Gettysburg with a six-month-old Kerry Blue named Augusta Wednesday, brought her into the house, and called my mom. "Did you talk to the breeder? When are you and Arlo going down to meet her?" she wanted to know.

"Oh, we already did," I informed her. "She's in the kitchen right now."

"You brought the puppy home?! Oh my gosh. I'm coming over."

Augusta's been a part of the family ever since. And don't get me wrong: she's a lot of work. We're still working on her behavior regarding the cats (she just loves them a little too much...), and she's fearful about meeting new people (to the point that she has bitten before), and she can be really high strung when someone comes to the house (especially when that person is delivering a package), but I love her. She is definitely worth all the time and money I've put into her over these past two and a half years.

With any luck, though, maybe she'll begin to chill just a smidge now that she's reached her third year.

Happy birthday, Augusta Wednesday! You are a loved little terror!