May we please play ... like NOW?

I've shared before about my brother's dog, Keelan. (I'm never quite sure how to spell his name but this is how it sounds!) Sure enough, when I arrived in Atlanta last weekend, he was there to greet me! I was trying to talk to Tim but Keelan wasn't going to even let me through to get to the living room from the kitchen. His tail was going and he was trying to jump up to get my attention. I guess he thought I needed a conversation with someone really intelligent on New Year's Eve because as we were all sitting there watching a football game (fun!), Keelan came up and sat in front of me. When I didn't respond as quickly as I should, he began a conversation -- he growls out what sounds like words. Doesn't bark -- just growls and dances around the floor until you somehow figure out what it is he is trying to say -- from, "I need to go outside" to "Can you pet me NOW?" to "Let's play!!" Obviously, in the second photo, he really wanted to play. The thing is about this toy -- Keelan is quite powerful so once I get ahold of one end, I better hang on for dear life or he'll drag me across the room! I know -- hard to believe, right??!! LOL!!