My Favorite Toy

I have a basket of toys that I can play with any time I want.  Sometimes I spread them all over the floor.

But some toys my mum puts up high and says I can only play with them under supervision - whatever that is.

When I want to play with those toys I have to ask her to get them down for me.  I stare at the toy I want, then go to Mum and try to get her to go back to the toy I want.  She finally figures it out.

One of my favorites is the toy she calls Frances.  (It's the stretchy pink one up there.)  I first got Frances last Christmas time.  My sister bought Francis for my brother-in-law and then they let me play with her for a little while.  They saw how much I loved her and they gave her to me.  I've had 3 Franceses so far.

I like to flip Frances up and down, toss her around, and chew on her.  She is so much fun.  Sometimes my mum and I play tug with her.

My mum and I played tug with the last one and my mum broke her in two.  She had to buy me a new Frances. I wish my mum would let me have her all the time but she says she has to protect me, so she puts Frances back up high until she can watch me play with her.  Mum usually gets her down whenever I ask.  I think Frances is my Very Best Toy. 

What's one of your favorite toys?
from Hannah

Everything's Funny to An Airedale

One of the characteristics that endears Airedales to me is their sense of humor and their joi de vivre. But not everyone loves those traits.

I have an older friend who had an Airedale. Her husband wanted the Airedale puppy but she wasn't so sure. They picked up the puppy one evening and when they got home her husband put the puppy in the hallway and went to bed, leaving her to take care of it. She wasn't happy. She grew to love the Airedale as much as her husband and was beyond sad when they lost her.

Even though she loved their Airedale, she didn't really like Airedales because, she said,

"Everything's funny to an Airedale."

There's the truth of it! Airedales have a great sense of humor and they're always ready to laugh at you and at themselves. Not only that, they love making their humans laugh. They're ready for a good time most any time -- except when there's some business at hand, and then it's all work and no play.

Our Hannah is generally a serious girl. We think its because of the early abuse and neglect during her first two years. As she gains confidence we're seeing bits of humor now and then. It's fun to watch her blossom but I doubt she'll ever regain the Airedale spirit that she was born with.

To you Airedale readers out there: What do you do to make your humans laugh?

Thanks for stopping by.

posted by Nancy.

Just When She's About to Take a Photo

My mum likes to take photos of me, but she says it's awful hard to have a blog about an Airedale when the Airedale -- me! -- doesn't like to be photographed!

This is what I do just when she snaps the photo.

I turn my head to the right.

I look at Mum, hang my ears down, and look unhappy.

I turn my head to the left, look wild-eyes, and pull my ears back even further.

I turn my head to the left, put my ears low, and squinch my eyes.

Mum says we're gonna keep practicing because she's sure I can become a better model. I want to be a model like Wyatt and Stanzie & Molly, and Mitch. They are good models!

Thanks for stoppin' by.
from Hannah