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The Airedale puppy grows into a fearless, versatile and determined dog, capable of undertaking any task set before him.
Agility trials are the latest form of “work,” and running the agility course is pure fun for the dogs even if they never go beyond practice sessions. An Airedale is also a good companion for the person who jogs every day. However, you will have to watch your dog’s weight if you have an Airedale that prefers his dinner bowl and a comfy sofa to activity.
It is difficult to lump all aspects of the Airedale together and say, “There you have it, that’s what the Airedale is like.” Each dog is a complex individual, with attributes and deficiencies derived from his genes, his people and his environment. After all this talk about work, many an owner will cheerfully attest to the fact that his Airedale is merely an oversized lapdog!
My sons taught one of their Airedales to run races with them. They enjoyed the game until they realized that the dog was winning every race with a sudden burst of speed just before reaching the finish line no matter how many times they extended that mark. They switched to football, only to have the dog figure out how to trap the ball inside four firmly planted feet. Good playmates for kids? Intelligent? Playful dogs? Yes, indeed.
The breed is exceptionally good with children but, as with every other breed of dog, that means “good with good, well-behaved, slightly older children.” When the Airedale has been a family member for some time, there should be no problem when a new baby arrives. However, when buying the first family dog, it’s best if the children are eight years of age or older.
To sum up the Airedale as a companion, he is a gentle, trustworthy playmate and faithful protector of home and family. At the same time, he’s a formidable watchdog. His intelligence is unsurpassed, yet he can be endearingly foolish, a clown to make you laugh or to dispel your tears. He’ll give you a look that will warm your heart and will put his chin on your knee just to let you know he’s there.
HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS
It’s always dangerous to say that a breed has few health problems, but the Airedale is so blessed. Apart from worms, which are easily controlled today, and skin conditions due to flea bites or diet (also controllable), the breed enjoys a relatively clean bill of health.
Hip dysplasia (HD), which can occur in any dog but more often in large ones, is present in the Airedale; research is underway into its hereditary aspects. Since it is an inherited debilitating disease, the prospective buyer should ask to see proof of hip testing and clearances on the pup’s sire and dam. There are special x-ray tests to detect HD and affected dogs should never be bred. A dog with the lowest degree of affliction may never show any signs of the disorder. More severe cases result in painful disuse of one or both hind legs and are treated with pain-relieving medication or surgery including the latest in total hip replacement.
Occasionally von Willebrand’s disease, which is an inherited blood coagulation abnormality, occurs in Airedales. There also is growing concern over problems with the immune system, tracing some of it to an overreaction of the dog’s system to the broad use of multiple immunizations. Some breeders are now cutting back on the number and frequency of these shots, so consult your vet for guidance.
Teach your child the responsibilities of ownership so that she respects her puppy and treats him appropriately. As puppy and child grow up together, they will form an incredible bond.
At dog shows, the dogs are measured against the breed standard. The Airedale Terrier who most closely conforms to the breed standard is selected as the winner.
A breed standard is a written blueprint of the perfect specimen of a breed. Breeders and judges use the standard to evaluate the essential aspects of the breed described. The standard’s primary function is to describe conformation in enough detail to include type and soundness, allowing one to visualize the dog with some degree of accuracy. Conversely, bland modifiers such as “fairly,” “slightly” or “moderately” also are used where a specific definition is not key to overall judgment. In addition to physical traits, the standard also describes desirable temperament and also indicates what characteristics are considered to be faults in the breed.
The Airedale standard originated in England, where it was usual for the writers to be horsemen or stockmen, men who could determine top quality in almost every animal from rabbit to sheep to horses to dogs. For that very reason, the first breed standards for dogs did not declare the obvious: “four legs and a bark” being left unsaid. The present American Airedale standard includes a description of the gait as does the English standard.
In the 1960s, poor front movement in the Airedale had become quite common and judges were forced simply to go with the best of a bad lot, pointing out in their critiques how critical proper movement was in a large working terrier. Breeders got the message and fronts soon improved. The author cites this as a specific example of how concerned people can use a breed standard properly. The standard specifies desired height, but not weight, since the description under “General Appearance” offers a picture of the desired overall balance and the breed no longer varies in these aspects as it did at the start of its development.
Despite this pattern for perfection, evaluating the Airedale Terrier is subjective. Designated breed faults are faults, but what one person forgives in the whelping box or show ring as a minor imperfection, another person sees as a major defect. One judge is smitten by a fabulous coat, another overlooks a less-than-great coat in favor of a perfect ear set, but in the end the determination of which dog gets the prize is based on an appraisal of the whole dog.
THE AMERICAN KENNEL CLUB STANDARD FOR THE AIREDALE TERRIER
Head: Should be well balanced with little apparent difference between the length of skull and foreface.
FOR THE LOVE OF DOGS
Breeding involves a major financial investment, but just as important is the investment of time. The breeder will spend countless hours in caring for, cleaning (and cleaning up after), feeding and training the litter. Furthermore, we haven’t yet mentioned the strain and health risks that delivering a litter pose to the dam. Many bitches die in puppybirth, and that is a very high price to pay. Experienced breeders, with established lines and reputations in the field, are not in the hobby for financial gain. Those “breeders” who are in it for profit are not true breeders at all, and are not reputable sources from which to buy puppies. Remember, there is nothing more to breeding dogs than the love of the dogs.
A pet Airedale of course must be groomed, but a pet trim is much easier to maintain than the coat of a show dog.
Skull: Should be long and flat, not too
