Introducing our Airedale terrier, Butz

Butz at two months, soon after we got him

We had always admired Airedales but were not in a position to share our life with one until MR found herself able to work from home from year 2000.  After much searching we found just the breeder to suit us - Kate Sibley who had a wonderful bunch of ten pups being lovingly brought up, inside their bustling family home near Woburn. MR explained that we did not want a "show" dog so much as an intelligent companion, who could possibly be trained for obedience competitions.  (Ha ha!) Kate selected the pup she thought would be most suitable - Butz was quite thoughtful and easily handled, and also happened to be the biggest.  He was born in May 2000.

Airedales are born black and the tan develops
gradually during the first few months.

Butz's mother was called Chloe and was a beautiful, typy sunny natured blonde, whilst his dad Buzz was a huge (28ins) rough working-type dog.  His pedigree background has the famous Stargus lines on one side and equally illustrious Glentops lines on the other. Butz himself has one ear sticking up and the other sticking down!  This is quite common with Airedale pups and you are meant to glue the errant ear down in place in the early months. However we made a conscious decision not to do this, being worried about discomfort and maybe even infection, and anyway we love Butz's funny ears even though other doggy people have been heard muttering such things as "spoiling a handsome dog"...

Butz is pronounced to rhyme with "puts".  It's short for "Butzel", a south German term of endearment. 

We feed Butz on a BARF diet – Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, which consists of raw meaty bones supplemented with fruit and veggies and a little pasta.  His teeth are perfect even now he is eleven, and although he has slowed down he still has plenty of energy and joie de vivre.  For the last couple of years MR has been out working all day and Butz is left alone with his friends the cats, but being an elderly gentleman now he simply sleeps more.

Butzel has certainly brought lots of fun and new friends to the Vieuxtemps household, not to speak of Extra Loud Woofs!