We had bought only two dogs in the last 45 years. They were both disasters. All our other dogs were strays or dogs people didn't want. No dog had dropped into our lives in the last two years. Our all time favorite dog, Shero, an American Staffordshire, had died of bone cancer. No other AmStaf could ever have lived up to her in our eyes, so we didn't even think about getting another one. After she died, we still had two other very elderly adopted strays. When they finally died, we were dog-less for the first time ever. No strays appeared. No one begged us to take a dog off their hands. We weren't going to buy a dog (because of the two disasters). I started looking for a Wheaten rescue after meeting two Wheatens I really liked. It wasn't bad being without a dog; it made travel arrangements easier, back yard clean-up more pleasant, the windows stayed much cleaner. Then we began missing having a dog. We had owned a number of mutts, but our pure-breds turned out to be our favorite dogs. Since purchase wasn't a choice for us and strays hadn't wandered in, rescue seemed the answer. There are too many unwanted dogs (just like unwanted children; we had been foster parents, too), so why not give one of them a home?

We had always owned at least one terrier, of various breeds, and thought a Wheaten was about our speed. There didn't seem to be any available in our area over a long period of time, and we kept reading of their numerous health problems, so we became less enthusiastic. One night at a party, I asked a friend about her elderly airedale and she mentioned that she had gotten it from airedale rescue. I got on my computer that night after the party, found the site, filled in the form and emailed it (without consulting my husband).

All we know for fact about Betsy is that she was picked up as a stray in Phoenix, put in a shelter and no one ever claimed her. What we know from experience and observation is that she is between 6 and 9 years old, was probably never abused, is a chronic runaway, loves people, particularly children. She was quite friendly to me when we first met, but when my husband came in, she reacted with delight! It was obvious she preferred men, not an ordinary reaction for a rescue dog! When SWAT first picked her up from the shelter, she was quite ill with kennel cough. Sidney had fostered her for several months while she recovered her health, but she still had a small residual cough when we adopted her.

Betsy was friendly, well housebroken, somewhat lethargic and decidedly unenthusiastic in her new home. She liked walks and car rides. She had no obedience training. She was quieter than we expected and did not react joyfully to anything. She was also on the watch for any chance to escape and run. She did escape three times, twice knocking over people to get out the door. The whole neighborhood hunted for her. Because she was well tagged, someone called each time to report her whereabouts. They called us, but they called Sidney, too. We thought Sidney might decide we were "unfit parents." We had an elderly cat, and it became apparent immediately that Betsy viewed cats as many terriers do, as vermin to be hunted and killed. The cat was well sequestered from the dog. Betsy also followed the ancient Airedale tradition of "counter-surfing". She was very quick and very clever at that trick. She dug in the yard, climbed on the dining room table, emptied waste paper baskets and was a general nuisance.

Little by little she learned what we would and would not tolerate. Little by little we learned what she would and would not tolerate. It took months before she exhibited that wonderful Airedale joy in life. She would stop one bad habit only to create a new one. Each new bad habit was shorter lived than the last. When we left town, we were lucky enough to be able to leave her with Sidney. At first she was not excited to be back home. Finally she seemed pleased to see us when we returned. Finally she started acting like an Airedale, playing and running and "laughing". Then, months after we first got her, she became very affectionate, not just giving affection, but absolutely demanding it. She had finally accepted us. At the same time, she became much more inclined to want to please. We had finally become her "pack".

Gideon the cat sleeps 22 of 24 hours in his old age. We can let Betsy in the same room with him, and they have come nose to nose. I would never leave her with him or have him near her without being in full control, but she has not overtly offered to harm him. I think getting used to the sound and smell for months really helped.

We are older, retired people, with not nearly as active lives as we used to have. Betsy greets us with glee every morning. She's silly and clownish and makes us laugh. She is much more my husband's dog than mine, which is a very good thing. He takes her with him whenever he can, and she loves it. He does, too. She's a dog who needs to be around people all the time, particularly because she's an "only" dog. Since at least one of us is home most of the time it makes good companionship for both human and dog. To me she will never be another Shero, and she probably won't have an equal place in our memories as Gretchen, our giant Schnauzer who helped raise our children, but in the annals of all our dogs she'll probably come in 3rd, which is pretty high, indeed.

She's definitely a character and still has me guessing. I'm still not certain if she's brilliant and stubborn or dumb and wanting to please. I still can't imagine how she might react to totally new experiences. She's a very interesting and thoroughly delightful dog. We're awfully glad to have her. She's a great dog for our old age.

Ann Jackson