Is there anyone here with experience of airedales? I'm looking at possibly getting a terrier pup in the future and would be interested to know what this breed is like to live with (good and bad). many thanks
Hi, Well I have an 8 month old male Airedale (see my post in this section), so can help you out a little. Oscar is the first Airedale we have owned, but I always wanted one & had done lots of reading up before we were ready to look for one. We chose a very reputable breeder & visited & met them & their dogs to see what their temperament was like as this can vary from dog to dog. Theirs are bred from dogs with good temperaments, and we were very happy with what we saw. We have stayed in contact with the breeders as well as the owners of one of his litter mates. They can be a dominant breed, so they need gentle but firm training from the outset. They grow to be quite a large dog (20kg +), so you do need to lay the ground rules whilst they are young. They do not respond well to harsh punishments or corrections. We use clicker training & lots of praise & rewards for good behaviour! We go to puppy class every week, and are hoping to start agility when he is a year old. Oscar was very easy to house & crate train - in fact we are having much more of a job persuading him that he doesn't need to use his crate anymore than we did getting him to use it in the first place, & he still "goes to bed" in his crate at night! His teething period seemed very short & he has never chewed on furniture, wires, etc. He has bones & kongs to gnaw on as he does enjoy chewing. He does have a bit of a sensitive tum, but this seems to be imporving with age. We feed him only on James Wellbeloved food & treats, and he is a picture of health. They can be quite a mouthy breed, so it is important to teach them that they must not nip hands, clothing etc when they are puppies. We found that squealing made him do it more as he seemed to think it was a game, so we used to stop play & walk away until he'd calmed down. He soon realised that nipping meant playtime was over! People told us that Airedales can bark a lot, but Oscar rarely does, mostly if a toy or his kong is stuck under the sofa, or if he needs to go out to toilet. I think making sure they are well socialised & get used to household noises, different people, different situations, aren't left tied up outside, etc that barking won't be an issue. He loves exercise, and we have now built up his walks to about 30 mins in the morning & an hour in the evening. Build it up gradually to avoid hip problems. Oscar is really quite good off the lead & with recall for a young puppy. He can cope with most distractions apart from other dogs! He LOVES meeting new friends & plays really well with any friendly dog (many people have commented on how nicely he plays). Airedales are GREAT fun to have around. They do seem to have a great sense of humour, and a cheekiness about them. He is just as happy romping through the fields as he is having snuggles! If you need any other advice, or want to chat, then just let me know. Sorry to have waffled on for so long! Katy x Oscar as a little 'un! He looks all grown up now at 8 months (see pic in my thread)
Alice, Oscar must be a grownup now. How is he doing? Could you recommend your breeder? Thank you for answering many of our questions as we too are thinking seriously of buying an Airdale puppy. The one thing you haven't mentioned is grooming. How frequently do they need to be cut and is it terribly expensive? Rick
