I define “Happy Aire” as the incredible feeling you have when you smile with your whole soul. I think my first “Happy AIre” moment happened at the age of five. Hugging Kandy, my first Airedale, created a smile on my face, a twinkle in my eye and more joy than I could possibly hold on too or so I thought. As an adult, this concept can be difficult to embrace. Smiling with your whole soul? Everyday? But to a dog, it’s completely natural. So, what can I learn? Yes, what I can learn from my dogs and others. Photographing dogs started because it allowed me to combine two of my passions: photography and dogs. Along the way, I stopped just taking a photograph and concentrated on the spirit in the moment. How to capture and more important, convey the absolute joy of being able to smile with your whole soul.

As with most adventures in life, a spark creates an idea and a journey begins. What example do dogs set for us? Can they teach all of us to embrace the moment no matter the size, let go when you need to, know when to stand firm, be confident in yourself to be comfortable anywhere, smile ‘til it hurts, and be so happy that your tail wags your whole body. In short, can we learn to smile with our whole soul?

Let’s bark out loud and find out!