Airedale Terrier Versatility

Airedale Terrier breeders Harriet and Hartmut Rosenthal show the amazing versatility of an Airedale Terrier.

Because of their intelligence the Airedale Terrier is a quick learner, but when training one must always be on the lookout for overdoing one set of actions or commands that can lead to classic Airedale boredom and stubbornness to continue.

It’s usually best to break up Airedale training sessions and to always vary the lessons.

The Airedale Terrier gets its name from the Aire River valley, or dale, in Yorkshire where it was first bred. It was developed by crossing the Welsh terrier with the Otterhound in the mid-19th century to hunt otters and other rodents. Hounds and terriers were the dogs of choice on hunting trips in those days in England. Hounds would smell and pursue the animals, while terriers would burrow into the holes and make the final kill. Demand arose for a dog that combined the best of both the breeds, and the Airedale was born.

Airedale Terrier Versatility

Its talents at hunting are reflected in its strength, cleverness and boldness. It is also known as Bingley Terrier or Waterside Terrier, the latter because of its strong hunting skills across water bodies. The first import to North America was in the 1880s, and the American Kennel Club officially recognized the breed in 1888. Apart from hunting small animals, it has also been used on hunts for larger game and as police dogs, war dogs and family guardians. It played a particularly important role during World War I, carrying messages to soldiers behind enemy lines and finding injured soldiers. However, its popularity has declined in the following years.

Training: An Airedale is a quick learner and can be trained very easily. But, it also gets bored quickly, and requires regular mental and physical stimulation. A long walk, a chance to romp through a safe area or a physically tiring game should be good enough for this. A bored Airedale is known to fill up a yard with holes in one evening – the poor thing is just living up to its hunter genes!

Airedale Terrier

For additional information on Airedale Terriers, visit  Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Airedale Terrier Versatility