Airedales - Are they the largest terrier? Questions

After looking at pics of Airedalekate's beautiful puppy Cassidy, I would like to know more about them, I really don't know much about the breed. I think I am right in saying they are the largest of the Terriers.

SO what were they originally bred for? What are they like with other animals, dogs, children,are know each dog is an individual, just would like to know more please?

Thanks for your time.

There is a good book about someone's experiences living with various Airedales.

It's called Honorary Dog by Dora Wright

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/0352315415/ref=dp_olp_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1200599355&sr=1-1

Hi Moonstone!

Airedales owe their origins to dog owners living in the Aire Valley, Yorkshire from 1840 -1870. It is thought that it was produced by crossing various terriers with the Ottorhound to produce a terrier that would work well in water and have a good nose for hunting.

Airedale Terrier were introduced into the Kennel Club stud book in 1886.

They are the largest of the terriers, and are referred to as the King of Terriers. Bitches should be 22-23 inches to the shoulder and between 18 and 22 kilos, dogs should be 23-24inches to the shoulder and weigh between 24 and 30 kilos.

They are outgoing and confident, friendly courageous and intelligent. Alert at all times, not aggresive but fearless. They have a great sense of fun and humour. They make good family dogs and are good with children and can accept cats as part of the family. They are less frenetic than the smaller breeds of terrier and are happy to snooze the day away if properly exercised.

They are a very versatile dog and can participate in many activities - obedience, agility, tracking.

Grooming requirement is high. They will need brushing out a few times a week, and stripping or cliping frequently to prevent them becoming a big woolly bully.

They are a hardy breed with few known health problems. They can suffer hip dysplasia, so if purchasing a puppy ensure the parents have been hip tested and have low scores. They are a deep chested dog and are more susceptible to bloat than some breeds. They can suffer from skin problems if not kept properly groomed.

Airedales were used during WW1 as patrol dogs, messengers and sentry duty, and in countries such as Germany and Japan are used as police dogs.

Airedales were a docked breed in the UK, but as you will see, Cassidy has her full, lovely curled tail.

I'll leave you with a few more photos of my lovlies!

The first two are of our first Airedale Oscar, who tragically died in July 2007. He had done very well at obedience and agility and in the show ring although he was only 14 months old.





Here's old timer Harry who will be 11 in March. He is a rescue boy. He has always been clippered which is why he has a pale coat and looks soft and fluffy.





And here is baby girl Cassidy. She is 4 1/2 month old.





Kate x

Thank you, I shall have a look on Amazon. xx

Thanks for taking the time Kate, they are all gorgeous. So they are not so full on as some terriers then? Do they have a high prey drive when out walking, or are they fairly laid back about small furries? Sorry, more questions, it is just they are abreed i know very little about, and it is always good I think to ask an owner about them.

Harry looks great, love his fluffiness. Cassidy is lovely, very cute.

Sorry you lost Oscar so young, he was stunning.

Aw! Cassidy is beautiful and your handsome late Oscar reminds me so much of my Nan's wonderful Bob My Nan had 3, Bruce, Buster and Bob... Buster was a great ratter and adored my dad, they grew up together and heaven help anyone who got near him;-) Then Bob, daft as a brush!! He used to adore our Dachsie and he had a lovely dribbling habit! Will always have a soft spot for the breed!

i,ve always loved airedales and maybe one day would like to own one

really lovely pics Airedalekate

Great photos AiredaleKate

Ahhh lovely pics!

Great piccies and great info! Thank you!!

I love this breed, there was 1 at training classes with me & Molly. He was as naughty and single minded as Molly was. Both are totally gorgeous though!

This is a dog I am definitely keen to know more about!

Me too! This was my original breed of choice but Jamie said too big for our small garden and found a picture of a Kerry Blue in a book which we got instead.

I know someone who has 2 Airedales (I found them their 2nd dog actually ) and they are lovely dogs.

Are your Kerrys much smaller than airedales? I always assumed they were about the same size! (Sorry)

Much smaller! Though when we first picked up Cherry and Parker I was shocked by how big they seemed as we had small dogs before (Cairns). I had only seen Kerries in books and thought they were the same size as Mini Schnauzers.

Parker weighs 15kg and Izzy 13 but she is quite a bit shorter than Parker. I think that he is about 18 inches to the shoulder tall and Airedales are quite a bit bigger/heavier than this.



To give you an idea of the size difference here is my lovely Cherry with her 2 Airedale friends Millie and Basil.
Cherry was breed-standard size for a Kerry Blue.

Oh wow I see now - thanks!

I am sorry that I did not read this post and asked how Oscar was doing. Could you describe what is meant by stripping the dog and how it is done? How frequently must they be stripped if you want to keep them from becoming too wooly? Will a dog grooming place do the job if you know, and I wonder how much they would charge?
My family and I are very excited at the prospect of having an airedale, and we are seeking breeders hopefully fairly close to our home in the Hudson Valley of New York.
How do you locate and find out about reputable breeder? I am sorry to plague you with so many questions. Rick

Perhaps reading Post #3 dated 18 January 2008 might have answered your question about how is/was Oscar is/was doing.

Sorry Rick, although everyone is welcome, this is a UK based forum so we don't know American breeders. The advice I usually give is to contact the AKC or your National Airedale breed club for reputable contacts. www.Airedale.org is a good place to start, as it is the site of the Airedale Terrier Club of America. The AKC site is www.akc.org/dog-breeds/airedale-terrier.
Don't let anyone use clippers on a wire body coat or it will turn fluffy. Hand stripping does take time, and can be expensive, but it should only need to be done when the coat is 'on the blow' - regular thorough raking and a little tidying up should be all that is needed in between strips. If you follow the links I have given, you should find yourself directed to a good breeder, who will probably ask you lots of questions, but will also give you lots of information and advice about the breed. Good Luck in your search.