All Dog Breeds >>Airedale Terrier
The Airedale Terrier, the "King of Terriers," is brimming with personality. He has the trademark terrier temperament: energetic, curious, feisty, and boisterous. He thinks he is a comedian and will provide you with years of comic relief. He craves your attention and will act out to get it. They are intelligent, and quick learners, but they certainly think for themselves, so their idea of "trained" might differ from yours. They are notoriously unreliable on the recall. They seem to think everything over. They like to work with you, not for you. They seem to be born mischievous and act like puppies until they are about two years old. They like to destroy doggie beds, shred newspapers and eat rugs. They also love to dig. They will also steal laundry and food. They like to find their own adventures in life. To minimize their misbehaviors, it is imperative that you give your Airedale daily exercise. They enjoy doing most anything you do: hiking, jogging, backpacking, canoeing, camping, and agility. They are loyal, devoted, and protective, and will bark when someone approaches the door. They are excellent watch dogs! The Airedale will certainly stand his ground (one time that the stubbornness works for you). The Airedale is a terrier, and will chase small animals. They are not reliable with cats, unless they grow up with them, and even then, it's not a sure thing. Some Airedales are aggressive with other dogs. Airedales do wonderfully with children, but these are large, exuberant, high energy dogs with head-butting enthusiasm who like to roughhouse. They can injure a young child without ever meaning to, so many breeders recommend they don't go to homes with young children. Airedale parents need to keep a close eye on their dog's health, because Airedales rarely show pain. They can be seriously injured or really ill and still be wagging their tail. If an Airedale is for you, then you will need to be devoted to a high maintenance, high energy member of your family. They need your affection and attention and they will want to supervise everything you do. With careful, diligent, patient training and parenting, the Airedale can be the best family pet in the world, but you have to be the right family. You need to be okay with a rowdy, jolly joker helping you run your house!
Character
Airedale Terriers are valiant and protective. They have a sociable, kind demeanor and they often aim to please. The breed can get distracted by small animals, other dogs, or food. In order for an Airedale Terrier to be happy, he needs to feel loved and appreciated. Also extremely intelligent, Airedale Terriers can be obedience trained at a very high echelon. As puppies, Airedale Terriers are carefree, fun-loving, and playful. For the most part, the breed is accepting of strangers, but they can become nervous if they feel threatened. Airedale Terriers frequently play too rough and rowdily for small children, but if they are raised and trained properly, they make excellent family pets. Without proper training, Airedales may become domineering or disobedient.
Weight
45-70 pounds
History
About 150 years ago, the Airedale Terrier was created by the working-class people of England by crossing the Otterhound with an older breed of English terrier. They originate from a valley in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The breed was officially recognized in 1886. Their initial purpose was to hunt small animals, but they were later used to deliver mail and carry messages to troops behind enemy lines in WWI. Airedale Terriers have frequently been utilized as police dogs, and they have a number of talents including guarding, tracking, and competitive obedience. They also make good watchdogs. Today, Airedale Terriers are predominately used for companionship, but there are still some lines of working dogs in contemporary society.
Maintenance
The thick, wiry, harsh double coat of an Airedale Terrier should be plucked twice a year. Airedale Terriers will also shed excessively if their coats are not stripped regularly. Airedale Terriers' beards should be washed daily because of their tendency to pick up bits of food and burrs. Frequent trimming and brushing can help prevent matted fur.
Ideal Environmen
Airedale Terriers are very active and need plenty of room to run around and play. They love to fetch, swim, and run. Airedale Terriers are downright hyper during their first couple years of life, and it can be very difficult to manage them. But after two years, Airedale Terriers calm down substantially and don't need quite as much exercise.
Airedale Terrier Training
The Airedale Terrier is intelligent and quite easy to train. He learns new commands quickly at an above average rate.