So I walk into my dad’s today and he says he’s got a treat for me and places a long lost photo on the table.  It turns out to be not only of one his childhood dogs but his favourite.  It’s was his first Airedale, the infamous “Rinty”.  It was taken in August 1963… How’s this for cool?

My dad went on to share a few stories about him.  Apparently he was an escape artist of the highest quality and would regularly disappear.  It was common for someone to waken in the house in the wee small hours to hear a thumping at the door.  When they went to open the door, Rinty who had been thumping the door with his tail bolted up the stairs and onto my dad’s bed.  He immediately curled up and by the time the person had got to the top of the stairs Rinty was pretending to be a sleep.  Legend!

Having spoken with my dad for the last few days about Airedales I can understand why he has a twinkle in his eye for the breed.  What I don’t understand is why I’ve never had one lol – a situation that I hope to rectify over the next year or two.