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History
Airedale Terrier originated in the region of Aire in Yorkshire, England.
Initially the breed was referred to as the Waterside Terrier. To make the
breed an excellent swimmer it was crossed with the Otterhound. This breed
was known for its multi-functionality and was bred as a wartime guard dog,
rodent control dog, and for hunting game and birds. It was used especially during the
Second World War as a messenger dog.
Description
The Airedale Terrier is the largest terrier and is considered to be the King
of Terriers due to its huge size. The Terrier has a medium sized, black coat
with a mixture of tan. Its topcoat is harsh while the undercoat is soft. A
little of red mixing with the black or a bit of white markings on the chest
is sometimes desirable. The dog has V-shaped ears that it can fold at the
rear of its head depending on its mood. Its nose is black while the eyes are
dark and small revealing an intelligent and keen expression. Its teeth
always meet in a scissors bite and should be white and strong, free from any
defect or discoloration. The dog’s tail is lifted high and is slightly
curved while not touching its back. The Airedale is well-balanced and stands
square with straight forequarters and a level topline.
Temperament
The Airedale is multi-faceted and this flexibility enables it to function
both as hunting and a working dog. Like all other terriers, the dog has
innate abilities of hunting on its own and this makes it intelligent,
strong-minded, and independent. Because of its independent nature it should
be trained for it to be easily controlled. When training the Airedale
Terrier be firm and in control to prevent the dog from being stubborn and
domineering. Training the dog is not difficult due to its intelligence; this
makes it able to learn new tricks very quickly. Though it is quick to learn
if told to do the same thing over and over it may refuse to do it because of
boredom. Airedales are very loyal, committed, and obedient to the owners.
They are calm and will get along well with small children if they are
socialized at a tender age. This dog is very devoted to family members and
is highly protective towards them. They are reserved towards strangers and
other dogs and should be trained to socialize at an early age.
Health and Care
The
Airedale Terrier may suffer from hip dysplasia, skin infections, eye
problems, hypothyroidism and gastric torsion. Due to their size
and active nature, they are not suitable for living in apartments and will be
happy in homes with yards. The dog is adaptive to hard work and thus needs
regular exercise such as being taken for daily jogs or walks. This breed
prefers swimming and retrieving objects. If not properly exercised, the dog
will become bored and restless.
Grooming
The Airedale Terrier’s short-haired and hard double coat needs to be plucked
at least twice in a year. Any excessive hair between the feet’s pads should
be trimmed once in a while. Unlike other breeds the Airedales do not shed
that much, though they need to be brushed daily. Pets4You offers listings of
Airedale Terrier breeders with puppies for sale. |
