| Airedale Terriers: the most honest dog breed review you'll ever find. Information about Airedale Terrier personality and behavior. |
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My book, Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer's Guide (published by Henry Holt & Co.), includes a full-page profile of the Airedale, including these excerpts:
"A rowdy handful as a puppy, the Airedale Terrier matures into a dignified, self-assured, courageous adult.
This athletic dog romps and plays hard. Without vigorous exercise and lots of personal interaction, he is easily bored and may become destructive as he seeks to entertain himself.
Young Airedale Terriers are especially rambunctious and can turn your garden into a moonscape of excavated moles and tulip bulbs.
Mental stimulation (hunting, fetching sticks, obedience, agility, playing games) is essential for this thinking breed.
His attitude toward strangers varies from enthusiastically friendly to sensibly polite. He is a vigilant watchdog, and most are protective, though some are much more so than others.
The Airedale Terrier can be bold and aggressive with other dogs, and with his strong hunting instincts must be exposed early to cats. Rabbits and rodents are not a wise addition to the household.
This breed is very smart, but also independent. Unless you establish yourself as the alpha (number one), he can be headstrong. Yet assertive owners who know how to lead will find him eminently trainable."
History
"The King of the Terriers" was developed in the English river valley of Aire. He hunted river rats and badgers and helped his working-class owner poach game from wealthy estates.
Size
22-24 inches and 50-70 lbs |
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Airedale Terriers
What's good about 'em
What's bad about 'em
- Is medium to large, sturdy and athletic
- Is energetic, yet when well-trained and well-exercised, can also be calm and dignified
- Is exceptionally versatile -- can learn and do almost anything
- Makes a keen watchdog and sensible guardian
- Sheds less than many other breeds
An Airedale Terrier may be right for you.
| If you don't want to deal with... |
- Vigorous exercise requirements
- Rowdiness and exuberant jumping, especially when young
- Destructiveness and barking when bored or not exercised enough
- Providing enough socialization so their protectiveness doesn't become aggression
- Aggression toward other animals -- chasing instincts
- Strong-willed mind of his own, requiring a confident owner who can take charge
- Regular brushing and clipping of the wiry coat
An Airedale Terrier may not be right for you.
| If I were considering an Airedale Terrier... |
My major concerns would be:
- Providing enough exercise and mental stimulation. Airedale Terriers MUST have regular opportunities to vent their energy and to use their busy minds to do interesting things. Otherwise they will become rambunctious and bored -- which they usually express by barking and destructive chewing. Bored Airedales can destroy your home or yard in a single day.
| If you simply want a pet for your family, and don't have the time or inclination to take your dog running or hiking or biking or swimming, or to get involved in agility (obstacle course), or tracking, or dogsledding, or schutzhund (protection), or a similar canine activity, I do not recommend this breed.
Airedale Terriers were never intended to be simply household pets. Their working behaviors (following scents, searching for prey animals, chasing things that run, digging, exploring) can be a nuisance in a normal household setting. Trying to suppress these "hardwired" behaviors, without providing alternate outlets for their high energy level, can be difficult. |
- Bounciness. Young Airedales (up to about two years old) romp and jump with great vigor, and things can go flying, including people.
| If you have small children, or if you or anyone who lives with you is elderly or infirm, I do not recommend Airedale puppies. The temptation to play roughly is too strong in many young Airedales. |
- Providing enough socialization. Many Airedale Terriers have protective instincts toward strangers. They need extensive exposure to friendly people so they learn to recognize the normal behaviors of "good guys." Then they can recognize the difference when someone acts abnormally. Without careful socialization, they may be suspicious of everyone, which could lead to biting.
- Animal aggression. Airedale Terriers were developed to hunt other animals. Many Airedales are dominant or aggressive toward other dogs of the same sex. Many have strong instincts to chase and seize cats and other fleeing creatures. If anything goes wrong in the breeding, socializing, training, handling, or management of this breed, it is capable of seriously injuring or killing other animals.
- The strong temperament. Airedale Terriers are not Golden Retrievers. The best Airedales are versatile working dogs, capable of learning a great deal, but they have an independent mind of their own and are not pushovers to raise and train. They can be manipulative, and some are willful, obstinate, and dominant (they want to be the boss) and will make you prove that you can make them do things. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say.
| To teach your Airedale to listen to you, "Respect Training" is mandatory. My Airedale Training Page discusses the program you need. |
- Grooming. To keep their wiry coat free of mats, Airedales require regular brushing, and also clipping and trimming every few months.
| Not all Airedales are alike! |
- There are energetic Airedales, and placid Airedales.
- Hard-headed Airedales, and sweet-natured Airedales.
- Serious Airedales, and good-natured goofballs.
- Introverted Airedales, and Airedales who love everyone.
| If you acquire an Airedale Terrier puppy, you can't know for sure what he or she will grow up to be like. Because a good number of purebred puppies do NOT grow up to conform to the "norm." |
| If you're considering an adult Airedale Terrier... |
There are plenty of adult Airedales who have already proven themselves NOT to have negative characteristics. If you find such an adult, don't let "typical breed negatives" worry you.
When you acquire a puppy, you're acquiring potential -- what he one day will be. So "typical breed characteristics" are very important. But when you acquire an adult, you're acquiring what he already IS.
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Copyright © 2000-2008 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be reproduced without the permission of the author. |
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