Living with Mountain Airedale Terriers – – – In this video which I did a few years ago, you can see our big boy Oakley (99 Lbs., he lived too short a life, & left us just before he was 11yrs old) and Annie, when she was a puppy. Yes, having be lucky enough to have owned both the standard size Airedale & the larger Oorang or Mountain Airedale, my personal opinion is, except for size, the larger Airedales have exactly the same intelligent, fun-loving, carefree personality as the standard size Airedales.
For expressing my opinion on the larger/ Mountain Airedales, I’ve been banished from one Facebook group and always seem to rile up the hard-core, breed standard Airedale terrier folks.
Mountain Airedale Terriers
California Mountain Airedale Terrier
Just the other day, in another Facebook group, after posting a video of Teddy and Annie, I received the reply about my using the term Oorang Airedale, that in part stated, “NO SUCH THING ANYMORE, quit using the term and just say OVERSIZED Airedales”. My reply in part, to this was “Your statement: “NO SUCH THING ANYMORE, quit using the term and just say OVERSIZED Airedales” seems to me to be blatant PC censorship that’s gone over the top. Historically, the term Oorang Airedales is correct when referring to the larger Airedales. Plus, I would never use the word oversized because I believe it is implying a defect and diminishing the larger Airedales.
Naturally, seems that there are those who just can’t deal with the fact that the situation with the larger Oorang or Mountain Airedales and the standard size Airedales is not new or exclusive just to the Airedales. Before the AKC sets standards for a new breed, it’s obvious that that breed or deviation from the standard breed must already be in existence, and must be somewhat popular. Let’s face it, that is the way the AKC works.
San Diego Airedale Terrier
There have been a few historical examples of this, the most well-known, is for the Schnauzer breed. The AKC at first recognized what is now known as the standard Schnauzer, and then because of increased popularity, recognized both the miniature Schnauzer and the giant Schnauzer.
I would venture to say that before the official setting up standards for both the miniature and giant Schnauzer, there must’ve been the same type of controversies that have been swirling around the larger Airedales versus the regular Airedales. As I said before, I’ve owned both size Airedales and just personally believe that the larger Airedale is the ideal Airedale.
Talking with a number of breeders over the years and my own personal observations I have not seen any major difference between the two sizes. Now, I must say, as is the case with many dog breeds, the larger the dog, usually indicates a shorter lifespan. But a number of zealots for the standard size Airedale, always seem to be espousing the myth that the larger Airedales have some genetic defects.
Naturally, I personally have not found this to be true and have lost two standard size Airedales, very early on in their lives to cancer. Does this mean that I should make statements to the effect that I think the standard size Airedale is more prone to cancer? The answer is obvious, I should certainly not!
Until there is some study, perhaps by veterinarians, that tracks many Airedales over their lifetimes, there can be no accurate or realistic statement that one breed or one size animal is more prone to disease or genetic defect than another.
Larger Airedale Terrier
When our large Airedale Oakley, passed, just before his 11th birthday, all the indications were it was primarily due to old age and a weak heart. Oakley never had any hip problems or any other problems (he was bit by another dog on one of his front paws that required suturing) that required a veterinarian visit. One of our regular size Airedales, developed severe arthritis at about seven years old and was on medication for some time until she passed. Does any of this indicate anything about the larger Airedales versus the standard Airedale, of course not!
As I said before, until a scientific study is done on a large number of Airedales, people who make statements about differences in traits or health between the two size Airedales, are just making false statements to bolster their argument that there should never be consideration for standardizing the larger Airedales.
Airedales weigh approximately 50-80 pounds, being active and agile enough to perform well, while not too small to function as a physical deterrent, retriever or hunter. Some breeders have produced larger Airedale Terriers, such as the ‘Oorang Airedale’, developed in the 1920s.[5]
Ex-Army captain and Airedale breeder Walter Lingo’s monthly magazine “Oorang Comments” (#25, page 81), stated that “When full grown your Airedale dog will weigh from forty to fifty-five pounds and if a female will weigh slightly less. This is the standard weight, but when required, we can furnish oversized Airedales whose weight will be from sixty to one hundred pounds.”
Because Lingo tried to fill orders for everyone, the Oorang strain size was never standardized. Airedales weighing from 40 to 100 pounds were produced, but for the most part they were approximately 50 pounds and 22 to 24 inches at the shoulder. In the United States, the male Airedales measure 40 to 70 pounds, with the Oorang strain typically in the 80 to 120 pound range.
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Lastly, let me conclude this, by saying I’ve even had people asking me where I acquired my current two larger Airedales. I’ve never openly disclosed this, because I would hate to see these breeders harassed by zealots who somehow think that anyone who breeds the larger Airedale is out to destroy the standards for the regular size Airedale.
Plus, a little research on the Internet will turn up a number of breeders of larger Airedales. It’s a matter of fact, that a lot of these larger Airedales are used as hunting dogs in the Midwest.
But, with that said, I would like to definitively state that both my current Airedales come from lines of the larger size Airedales. Annie, (one of the smallest puppies in her litter) comes from a professional breeder, that five years ago, was located in Northern California. Teddy, comes from a breeder in the Midwest.
Annie & Oakley – California Mountain Airedale Terriers
I’m not naïve enough to believe that my statements above will ever have an impact about the controversy surrounding the larger Airedale Terriers. Here, in my own Airedale Terrier blog, I encourage readers to state their own opinions. Agree or disagree, I would love to hear what you have to say.
I believe were all entitled to freely express our opinions if no name-calling or disrespect for others is involved.
President Roosevelt claimed that “An Airedale can do anything any other dog can do and then lick the other dog, if he has to.”
1949 marked the peak of the Airedales’ popularity in the USA, ranked 20th out of 110 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club.
