About Jaffa
In 2006, I learned of a particular breeding my breeder was planning on doing using Sunshade's champion brother. She had kept the brother for show and breeding purposes, and this was going to be his last natural breeding before being neutered. The thought of having a second Airedale who was closely related to my Sunshade became very tempting. Sunshade was 7 years old at the time, and had been the only dog all those years. I knew she would NOT be happy (and that's an understatement) about sharing me or her home with another dog. But...... of course, temptation prevailed. What can I say, its human nature, or, Airedale Addiction perhaps?
So, Jaffa, a Sunshade nephew, came home with us at 8 weeks of age. Being closely related to Sunshade, I expected him to have similar looks, behaviour, and personality traits. Four years later, I have come to realize that the only traits my two Airedales shared are: gorgeous looks & the tattoos they have each left on my heart. Everything else, from coat texture to personality, they are complete opposites.
Jaffa is my energizer bunny. His batteries never run out, and he is always game to play, whenever and wherever. He is handsome, sweet, goofy, and a very happy go lucky guy. If you just watch him for a few minutes, you will envy his perspective of the world. In Jaffa's world, there is never a worry. He loves all dogs and all people, young or old. He thinks he is everybody's friend, whether they want him to be or not. You can never stay mad at him because he has a special ability to make you shake your head and want to strangle him and kiss him to death at the same time (even after incidences where he had decided to urinate on another dog's face because he "liked" the dog). He is extremely playful and loves to do a whole body rub down against anyone who shows the slightest affection towards him. He also thinks he is a 70 pound lap dog, unlike his aunt Sunshade, who is more independent and prefers not to be a cuddle bear.
The relationship between Jaffa and Sunshade is very dynamic. Jaffa LOVES & ADORES his Sunshade even though she has always acted indifferent towards him. He is always trying to suck up to her, desperate for the littlest bit of affection. If he has been away from her for any amount of time, he would always greet her with excited, submissive kisses and nibbles under the chin. He wasn't crazy about water when he was a pup, but learned to swim because he was so worried that his Sunshade had swam out. Now he is an excellent swimmer and absolutely loves water.
Above is a video of Sunshade and Jaffa's first year together. Make sure you have the sound on.
In the beginning, Sunshade wasn't too pleased about sharing her house with another dog. She made sure she got the "alpha b*tch" message across ever since the first day little Jaffa set foot in the house. However, when the two of them are out together, Sunshade would always protect and stand up for Jaffa against other dogs. Jaffa in turn has learned that whenever he's unsure of something, he just has to go to his Sunshade for protection. Nowadays, Jaffa is bigger and stronger, and yet his respect towards his Sunshade remains the same. Never once did he try to take over the top dog status. I doubt he ever will, he is my sweet boy!
I feel very fortunate to be blessed with the best of both worlds in Sunshade and Jaffa.
If you would like to read more about Jaffa's antics and adventures, please visit his blog:
