The “King of the Terriers,” the Airedale Terrier is not only the largest of the terriers, but has been called the dog who can do it all. Plus, isn’t he just adorable!? Best Bully Sticks Breed Spotlight on the Airedale highlights the regal, unique looking yet beautiful English breed and we know you’ll love learning about this terrier.
History & Background: First called Waterside or Bingley Terriers, the modern Airedale looks very different from the Airedale of the past. The breed originates from the Valley of Aire, a dale in West Yorkshire, England where the river Aire flows through the land. The first Airedale’s were used as all-purpose working terriers. This dog was mostly a hunter and was bred by crossing a black and tan terrier, bull and terrier dogs, and otterhounds. Hunters soon noticed this dog was adept at almost all hunting aspects; speed, quickness, cornering, following a scent and was even great in water.
When the World Wars came to Europe, the Airedale was again used in a myriad of ways. They carried messages to soldiers, transported mail, guarded camp, and found wounded soldiers on the battlefield. After their work in war, the Airedale transferred to police work. Before police forces started adopting German Shepherds for their work, Airedales were used extensively.
Airedales came to North America in the 1880s, but increased in popularity after WWI. The tales of Airedale bravery on the battlefield inspired dog lovers to have this breed in their own home. Another reason for gain in popularity was the Presidential owners of Airedales including Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge and Warren Harding. It’s said President Harding’s Airedale, Laddie Boy, was the first celebrity White House pet. Mr. Harding even had a custom chair made for Laddie Boy to sit in during important Cabinet meetings. By the 1920s the Airedale was the most popular dog breed in the USA and continued to peak until 1949.
The Airedale is mostly a companion dog today, but is still used as a working dog in some parts of the world. The AKC recognized the Airedale in 1888, and the breed standard was approved in 1959.
Height: Average 23 inches at the shoulder
Weight: Males: 50-65 pounds; Females: 40-45 pounds
Coat: The Airedale’s coat is straight, of medium length and lies close to the body. The texture is hard, dense and wiry. Some of the hardest coats have a slight wave or crinkle to them. Airedales do have very short and soft undercoats.
An Airedale’s coat was first useful while being used as hunters. Their dense, wiry coat helped guard against animal’s claws or teeth.
Color: The Airedale is a tan and black, or tan and grizzle colored dog and by all standards, should have very particular markings of those colors on the body. The head and ears of an Airedale should always be tan as well as the legs, thighs and elbows. The dark markings should appear on the sides and upper parts of the dog’s body.
Appearance: The Airedale is the biggest of the terriers and has a very square look. The head and muzzle of this dog are one in the same with a broad and long foreface, which ends in a small black nose. The face does narrow at the eyes, which are small, dark and have the full alertness of a terrier. The ears of the Airedale are small, V-shaped, and folded, hanging off the side of the head. An Airedale’s front legs are completely straight with plenty of muscle. This dog’s feet are small and round. The Airedale usually sports a docked tail, which stands straight and up on the back.
Temperament: The Airedale is a fearless, non-aggressive dog that loves being active. As with any terrier, socialization needs to happen early to be accustomed to strangers and children. Airedales are also extremely intelligent and train well with a persistent and stern attitude. Again, as with many terrier breeds, they have to be taught to be submissive to their owners or they will become top dog.
Because of this dog’s past as an avid hunter, an average sized, enclosed yard is best for an Airedale. They need a lot of mental and physical exercise or this dog will get bored which then turns into rowdiness or destructive behavior. For these reasons, raising Airedales in an apartment isn’t recommended.
American author and dog breeder, Albert Payson Terhune said this of the Airedale, “He is swift, formidable, graceful, big of brain, an ideal chum and guard. ...To his master he is an adoring pal. To marauders he is a destructive lightning bolt.”
Health & Grooming: The Airedale is a sturdy breed not only in stature, but in health as well. This dog is usually very healthy, but on occasion can suffer from hip dysplasia, eye problems and skin irritations, particularly skin dryness.
Grooming the Airedale needs to be “stripped” twice a year. This is the process of using a small, serrated knife to loosen this dog’s hair from the coat. If the coat is groomed regularly, then the Airedale shed very little. Airedales do require a good amount of grooming and should be trimmed every so often. The beard of this terrier should be washed and cleaned out daily from debris and food buildup.
Product Suggestions: Anything that gives the Airedale a challenge is good, so Best Bully Sticks wants to suggest something a little more unique than a ball. The West Paw Bumi allows you to pull, flex, throw, float, and repeat for hours of playtime and enjoyment for Airedales or any other breed! Very versatile and very sturdy, your dog won’t want to put it down!
A good treat for the Airedale is Lamb Weasand. Lamb Weasands are all-natural gullets from US free range lamb. They are twisted together to form the equivalent of a lamb jerky/chew. These are great for keeping teeth and gums healthy and clean.
Do you own or know an Airedale Terrier? Tell us your favorite Airedale story in the comments section!
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Life w/two airedales —-11:30pm.. Dad's in bed, mom finished cleaning the kitchen & catchin' up w/a friend on fb, when all of a sudden..Lexie comes in the house & starts barking. Mom gets up, 'cause it's a weird barking. There's Lexie w/a big ol' opposum in her mouth…in the house. Surprised, mom kinda loses it..Lexie decides that maybe showin' mom her trophy wasn't such a good idea. So, she grabs her opossum & runs back outside w/it. Mom's hot on her trail w/the flashlite & a shovel. After at least one turn thru the garden & around the fig tree, mom finally calms down enough to tell her how good she did…& get her to "drop it". Then she picks it up w/a shovel. There's mom, traipsin' across the yard in the dark, w/ a opossum on a shovel in one hand, Lexie by her collar on the other. Lexie's jumpin' at the shovel the whole tiime. Mom finally gets to the fence to throw it over into the woods, & trying to do it w/one hand, hits the fence, drops the possum. Lexie grabs it & the chase was on again. The neighbor comes out to see what going on…mom don't have time to explain (plus she's in her nightie & wasn't expectin' to have to be social)…but I went & gave him a quick "hello", then went back to follow the action. Mom finally I got her to stop. This time, she locked her in the house, then went back out for the "possum (I was standin' guard, just in case it was playin' possum) & successfully got rid of it. Then (without gettin' too close) she had to go talk to the neighbor, who was out in his backyard w/his flashlite looking for a opossum in his yard. He thought it had escaped, & we all were chasin' it. Mom had to explain, that Lexie had already gotten it & was runnin' around w/it. Unusual activity living with two airedales? Nope, just another nite….you oughta hear the one of when mom thought Lexie jumped up on the bed in the middle of the nite w/one……
Life w/two airedales as told by Bailey Airedale about his little sister airedale, Lexie —-11:30pm.. Dad’s in bed, mom finished cleaning the kitchen & catchin’ up w/a friend on fb, when all of a sudden..Lexie comes in the house & starts barking. Mom gets up, ’cause it’s a weird barking. There’s Lexie w/a big ol’ opposum in her mouth…in the house. Surprised, mom kinda loses it..Lexie decides that maybe showin’ mom her trophy wasn’t such a good idea. So, she grabs her opossum & runs back outside w/it. Mom’s hot on her trail w/the flashlite & a shovel. After at least one turn thru the garden & around the fig tree, mom finally calms down enough to tell her how good she did…& get her to “drop it”. Then she picks it up w/a shovel. There’s mom, traipsin’ across the yard in the dark, w/ a opossum on a shovel in one hand, Lexie by her collar on the other. Lexie’s jumpin’ at the shovel the whole tiime. Mom finally gets to the fence to throw it over into the woods, & trying to do it w/one hand, hits the fence, drops the possum. Lexie grabs it & the chase was on again. The neighbor comes out to see what going on…mom don’t have time to explain (plus she’s in her nightie & wasn’t expectin’ to have to be social)…but I went & gave him a quick “hello”, then went back to follow the action. Mom finally I got her to stop. This time, she locked her in the house, then went back out for the “possum (I was standin’ guard, just in case it was playin’ possum) & successfully got rid of it. Then (without gettin’ too close) she had to go talk to the neighbor, who was out in his backyard w/his flashlite looking for a opossum in his yard. He thought it had escaped, & we all were chasin’ it. Mom had to explain, that Lexie had already gotten it & was runnin’ around w/it. Unusual activity living with two airedales? Nope, just another nite….you oughta hear the one of when mom thought Lexie jumped up on the bed in the middle of the nite w/one……
wow bailey worst thing my charlie ever did in addition to bringing me a live possum was he decided while I was in shower to come running at high rate of speed and hit the doors needless to say they came off track and scared the living daylights out of me.
The dale behavior is to be expected…but dad was in bed through all of this? OK, so I'm biting my tongue!
He has to get up super early & misses out on a lot of our nite action.
Hysterical!
That story is funny…at least when you aren't the one chasin the 'possum!
Is that Bailey in that pic? They got the nose wrong in the breed description. The nose should be large and black!
Nope, not me…but he sure is handsome.
That's why I thought it was you! <3
That is so funny Bailey. It is even funnier because it did NOT happen at our house.
A Stool-Chicken, Silenced….
“I want you to know, may they scratch my name from the roles at the Airedale Sniffing Club if I’m lying, that this entire chicken episode has been merely a horrific misunderstanding.
I thought the chicken was mine! I thought he was there to be a friend to me. Later, after all of the screaming and the fuss, the snowy intestines, scattered brains and the missing song box, perhaps I did slightly miscalculated the situation.
I have lived in this house in Arizona for over two years now, this is my “Arfdom”, I am an Airedale with “Terri-tude”. On this particular day my mom brought home a chicken. Really cute, white with a red comb on his head, and matching huge orange feet and beak. Wanting to make friends, I coaxed him off the counter, and took him into the backyard. Running all over I asked him, “Isn’t this great?” He didn’t appear to be enjoying himself; just kept squawking the entire time.
Mom came running out, brushed the big baby off and took him in the house. “Bad dog Kelcee!” was all I heard. He was a present for Hobbs, her grandson who was coming for a visit. My keen nose was a bit ‘out of joint.’ (Gag me with a Milk Bone, the whiner.)
When Hobbs arrived, he began making friends with that chicken. I don’t get it! Why would he want to be friends with someone who can’t run, fetch a ball or smell pork chops from three rooms away? All that chicken can do is sing and tattle, humph. Well, I can howl up a great storm, but instead of applause, everyone tells me to shush up. My talents are greatly unappreciated. I need an agent.
One evening when the family was done eating, I offered my talents at helping clean up a sheet of roasted vegetables. I put my dainty little paws on the counter, when that Stool-Chicken began to sing, again! Mom came by and shooed me out the door and closed it firmly in my face. Grrrr.
A plan was beginning to form in my mind, a way to rid myself of this Chick-Fink. I grabbed him and raced down the hall, and out my door. I didn’t plan to hurt him… just rough him up a bit, make him want to go back to the store. That Stool-Chicken wouldn’t quit squawking and listen to me, so I shook him to get his attention. Wow! Snow, what fun! It began to pile up around my paws at a rapid rate. Whoa! What I thought was an unexpected cold front turned out to be the chicken, um, looking thinner. This can’t be good!
Mom was coming out so I ran back into the house to distract her. She opened the patio door and let out a bone chilling shriek. Let me tell you, the scene before us was not for the faint of heart. My legs began to shake, and my eye’s nearly bugged right out of their sockets. Snow-intestines, everywhere! I quickly did what any intelligent Airedale would do – I ran.
The Stool-Chicken has since been re-stuffed, and I’ve promised, toes triple crossed, to behave myself. As for his sing-song-tattle-tale voice, sure, I found that little magical box and added to my cache in the back yard. Lets hear him sing about me from under two pounds of sod.
TRUE AIREDALE
Pamela, this is one of the best things I've ever read from the dog's point of view…but of course we must consider that it came from the brilliant and very much admired Kelcee. Another Sweetheart Airedale across the Bridge.
Well….there was that one time I got myself stuck under our deck & my big brother, Bailey, had to rescue me…..http://youtu.be/DPe5bxcrYZA.
Well…there was that one time I got myself stuck under the deck. I saw this hole & thought I'd check it out. So, I crawled under there, there was room…but then kept going to the other side. Before I knew it, I couldn't turn around. I was stuck. I had crawled all the way to the other side of the center beam. I stayed there for a little while, then I head my mommy asking daddy where I was. That's when I decided to let them know…I was under the deck. At first, I just barked…but then I kinda got scared, when I realized I couldn't turn around & all I could do was poke my nose out…that's all! I was flat on my belly & couldn't do nothing. Bailey (he's my big brother 'dale), found me first. Then mommy & daddy. Daddy went & got a shovel, but Bailey stuck his nose by mine & then he started diggin'. He dug & dug…oh, he fussed at me, but he dug a big hole…so I could scramble out. No one taught him to do that or told him to dig me out…he just figured it out. He knew I wasn't playin' & was scared. That's all it took…he saved me.
Bailey is our hero!!! Please copy the link to the video so everyone can see how it happened! I have those images printed in my mind =)
Bailey is a true hero and genius. Is he a member of Phi Barka Doggie?? I am!
I AM SO PROUD OF ANGUS. HE IS SUCH A SMART BOY.
WE WERE PLAYING OUTSIDE AND ANGUS FOUND A TINY PINK RUBBER BALL. I WAS WORRIED HE WOULD SWALLOW IT SO I TOOK IT AWAY AND THREW IT INTO THE WOODS BEHIND THE PEN. IT WAS QUITE FAR IN SO I WAS SURE HE COULDN'T SEE IT. YEAH RIGHT. HE KEPT LOOKING IN THE WOODS AND WHINING AND HOWLING AND BARKING. YEP , HE COULD SEE IT OR AT LEAST SMELL IT. (HE HAS THE NOSE OF A BLOODHOUND).THERE WAS NO WAY I WAS GOING IN THE WOODS TO GET THAT BALL. I HATE WOODS. I KNEW HE WOULD NOT BE QUIET AS LONG AS THAT BALL THERE. SO I THOUGHT MAYBE HE COULD GET IT.
DO I DARE TAKE THAT CHANCE?
OF COURSE HE WOULD COME BACK, RIGHT?
SO I SAY "ANGUS , YOU WANNA GET THE PINK BALL?"
OH LORD, HE GOES BESERK. I GUESS HE DOES WANNA GET THE PINK BALL. SO I GO UP ON THE ON THE DECK , OPEN THE GATE , AND SAY , "GO GET THE PINK BALL"..
YIKES, HE TAKES THE STEPS IN ONE LEAPS RUNS AROUND THE DECK AND INTO THE WOODS. HE IS LOOKING AROUND THE BALL. THE WHOLE TIME I AM THINKING , PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE COME BACK.. HE FINDS THE BALL, COMES BOUNDING OUT OF THE WOODS ALL PROUD OF HIMSELF. I GO UP TO THE DECK AND OPEN THE GATE AND SAY "ANGUS COME". NOTHING BUT A GRIN AND A WAGGING TAIL. SAYS TO MYSELF, UH OH!
I SAY AGAIN " ANGUS COME ". HE BOUNDS UP THE STEPS AND RUNS DOWN TO THE PEN. YES!
THE END
When we first met Bert we saw a man with a love of the breed of Airedale's. A gentleman in his 90's, still loves these dales, now with his daughter taking over his passion as he is slowly down… He tells me that when he was 18 months old, an Airedale pulled him out of an irrigation canal and purportedly saved his life.The look in his eyes when he told me this…I will never forget! He said in 1948 he then purchased his first Airedale. His love of the bred throughout the years has produced this guy, that we now have. A very loving, rambunctious, naughty and mischievous boy named Cooper.So sweet he is..the other day my husband said ,"Look Joan, he is playing Aire-hockey with one of his stuffed animal toys". I looked out and shouted"OMG that's not his toy"…it's a real baby bunny… Since then Cooper is on the hunt, and I don't mean for stuffed rabbits or squirrels.What will he get next? No one can be sure what life will bring with an Airedale but everyday is surely an adventure.
Angus is such a good boy!!! Just my luck Mo,So n Aug would take off after a bird or butterfly.
There was a lovely older man(92) from England who came to visit his daughter in our neighborhood. He saw me walking my Airedale and asked if he could walk along. He told me all about his life with Airedales and their antics. We stopped on a park bench and chatted for quite a while. He went back to his daughter's house and told her all about his walk with Disraeli and how they shared a biscuit and that Disraeli reallllly peed on the rose bushes. The daughter thought dad was really losing it (Disraeli was Queen Victoria's Prime minister). The next day we walked some more and he told his daughter that Disraeli had chased a squirrel and sniffed a policeman's butt. The daughter was ready to put dad away when I introduced her to my 'dale, Dizzy Disraeli. The lovely man just beamed.
Bailey, you and Lexie are my mentor !!!! Smooches, Madeleine Airedale
Kelcee, Airedale ExtraordinAire