Several years ago, and four dogs later, I had an incredible desire to have an Airedale Terrier.  I even got a key chain with a picture of one.  Thing is I was never around one.  I thought perhaps I had seen one or met one at one point in my life but I just cannot remember where.  Even my older brother said we never knew anyone with one.

So the time came to get a new puppy with the new house we had just bought.  Airedale Terrier here I come!  But no, everyone in the family wanted a Siberian Husky.  I read up on them and I was not convinced.  They tend to run and get into all kinds of trouble.  But no matter how much I debated I lost.  So my husband, with a smile on his face, loaded me into the van and we drove about three hours up into the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania to pick up the last husky pup of this particular litter.  We walked in their house and the lady picked up this gangly legged , blue eyed puppy and plopped in into MY arms and talked to my husband about her dogs.  I looked into those blue eyes and he looked into mine and he shook and so did I.  I sat in the back of the van with him as he proceeded to throw up on my feet.  I house trained him and everything else he learned.  I was his Alpha dog.  And he was wonderful – Eryndil was his name and he lived a ripe and healthy life with us until he was thirteen.  When he was about eleven we finally got our Airedale.  I named her Hayley Mills – after my favorite childhood actress – and we call her Hayley Mills, the full name.

This is Eryndil.   And here is Hayley Mills and Eryndil together.  He wanted  nothing to do with her – she wanted everything to do with him.

When he passed away she was a little lost and so were we.  But I have to say Airedales are very people attached and she prefers us to any other dog.  She now has a brother named George Bailey (yes, the character in It’s A Wonderful Life) who is a basset hound/border collie mix.  A snuggler.

When I got Hayley Mills I fell in love.  She is the smartest breed dog we have ever had and there are times she scares me because I think she is actually part human.  For real.  When our grand daughter Lucy came along that dog took to her as her own.

She loves to snuggle her girl and try to comfort her.  Hayley Mills weighs eighty pounds and lets Lucy sit on her and play horse.

There is nothing more comforting than a dog (except God) when you feel down or life hurts.  They are faithful and kind and love you even when you are a jerk. I’m glad we waited to get this Airedale because the joy of knowing our husky was wonderful but also because this Airedale – Hayley Mills – is perfect for me.

George Bailey

Hayley Mills today.  She will be four this year.

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.  ~Samuel Butler, Notebooks, 1912

Enjoy!   cateb