Aidan

09/09/2007-10/03/2015

AidanPortrait.jpg Aidan_2ndPlace_KOTC_062011.jpg Aidan_Nose.jpg Aidan_Tounge.jpg AidanArmada.jpg IMG_6429.JPG IMG_6464.JPG TheBridge.jpg

Bio:

Aidan was an American Bulldog mix registered through AKC’s Canine Partners program for mixed breed dogs to earn AKC performance titles. His registered name was Rough Seas of Aidan BN RA CGC. Aidan’s registered name is in reference to his rough puppyhood (before Colleen got him) and Colleen’s affinity for geography with the Gulf of Aden. He was Colleen’s very first performance dog, our honorary PWD, and Armada’s bigger brother. Colleen decided to make Aidan’s birthday 09/09/2007, since she did not actually know his birthday, and we decided to lump him in with our Masters Litter.

Aidan’s life started out pretty rough. He was found on a cold November night in a fast food restaurant’s parking lot. The Good Samaritan who found this pup immediately took him to the Animal Emergency Clinic in South Charleston, WV where Colleen’s sister Jennie worked at the time. Upon the initial exam Jennie realized that this puppy’s upper lip was not attached to his jaw, along with other less serious injuries. Surgery to repair his lip would be very costly, especially for a stray puppy, so the Good Samaritan signed Aidan over to the Emergency Clinic as a stray. As the night progressed, the staff fell in love with this little goober, and decided to go ahead and fix his mouth as long as one of the techs would foster him. Jennie volunteered to foster Aidan, and it was love at first sight when Colleen met Aidan. A few weeks later Aidan became ill with parvo-virus, but pulled through like a champ!

As Aidan continued to grow up, it was clear that this dog was very high energy, and needed some kind of outlet, so Colleen signed Aidan up for obedience classes with Kanawha Obedience Training Club, which is how we all met. With a lot of hard work Aidan passed the Canine Good Citizen test after the first 8 weeks of obedience class. Over the years Colleen and Aidan would also get into training in agility, rally obedience, and eventually water work. The obedience and rally obedience helped Colleen be able to control him, and agility helped burn off some energy. Aidan was a party puppy! It was very hard for him to not inappropriately greet every dog he saw. At first this made any kind of off-leash training nearly impossible, but with proper training, persistence, and consistency it became a reality.

Some more health problems plagued Aidan, such as the diagnosis of an enlarged heart, which made doing any activity during the summer very dangerous for him. The summer of 2011, Cristi invited Aidan to come learn to swim in her pond to burn off some pent up energy. He took to it like a fish in water! We made sure to use a lifejacket with him, not because he had trouble, but because he was too good! He could get really far, very fast! This is when Aidan got to really meet Jill. He had seen her at classes here and there, but this meeting she instantly helped Aidan learn some dog manners. She treated him like he was her own. It became much easier to have Aidan around other dogs after some Jill lessons.

In 2010, AKC began allowing mixed breed dogs to compete in performance events with their Canine Partners program. Colleen had been training with Aidan for a number of years just for fun, so she decided to register him to see what would happen. Aidan received his Rally Novice title very quickly he obtained his first two legs at Kanawha Obedience Training Club’s trials with a 1st place and 2nd place finish in June 2011, and earned his last leg and title (plus an extra leg) at Huntington Kennel Club’s trials in July 2011 with two 1st place finishes. In November 2011, Aidan was entered in an agility trial, but the excitement and energy level at the trial was too much for Aidan to handle. He ended up running out of the ring with the zoomies. After Colleen regained some confidence with Aidan’s training, she entered him in the Beginner Novice Obedience class. In June 2012, Aidan earned his first two legs with a 3rd place finish and 1st place finish at Kanawha Obedience Training Club’s trials. He completed his title, plus a leg, with two 3rd place finishes at Charleston Dog Training Club’s trials in Charleston, SC in January 2013. In April 2013, Aidan received his first leg with a 1st place finish towards his Rally Advanced title at Kanawha Obedience Training Club’s trial. Aidan finished his Rally Advanced title at Parkersburg Obedience Training Club in Marietta, OH in November 2013 with two 4th place finishes.

Aidan eventually learned how to retrieve, but he would only retrieve three things: anything in water, his Frisbee, and his obedience dumb bell. He was instrumental in helping Armada build some drive to retrieving in water work. Aidan loved to travel and would frequently visit his Aunt Jennie in Charleston, SC, where he got to swimming at the beach, and walk around historic downtown Charleston. Aidan’s last big adventure was to the Portuguese Water Dog National Specialty in August 2015 in Frankenmuth, MI.

On October 3, 2015, Aidan suddenly became ill. He was very lethargic, shivering, and dehydrated, so he was rushed to the Animal Emergency Clinic that saved his life when he was a puppy. It was determined that he had a ruptured spleen. Colleen had initially opted for a splenectomy, but, during pre-op tests he was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma (very aggressive cancer). The cancer had secretly spread throughout his entire body. That night Colleen made the most selfless decision possible, knowing that any treatment would only prolong the inevitable and not actually cure him, she said goodbye to her best friend.

Awards/Titles Received:

Canine Good Citizen (CGC) 10/26/2008
Rally Novice (RN) 07/10/2011
Beginner Novice Obedience (BN) 01/27/2013
Rally Advanced (RA) 11/03/2013

Registration Information:

Dog Information

      
AKC No: MA04206201 Markings: White markings
Name: Rough Seas of Aidan BN RA CGC Birth Date: 09/09/2007
Sex: Male Sire: Unknown
Breed: All American Dog Dam: Unknown
Color: Brindle Breeder(s):

Unknown