San Diego Airedale Terriers
Airedale Terriers @ Play
Our 7 year old Oorang Airedale watching our eigh week old Oorang Airedale puppy.
A healthy Airedale Terrier can live as long as 12 years. These dogs are generally healthy, but some can develop hip dysplasia and skin problems. Their short, dense coats need regular grooming to look like a trademark Airedale. Also, since these dogs love to romp and splash outdoors, they may need to be clipped and bathed fairly often.Since the Airedale Terrier is a very active dog and will be active indoors they are not recommended for small spaces and apartment life. They do need a yard and a fenced area for exercise on a frequent and regular basis throughout the day.
male Oorang Airedale Terrier
During World War I, a hardy Airedale Terrier named Jack braved the battlefields to deliver a message to British headquarters. Running through a half-mile of swamp, artillery raining down on him, Jack suffered a shattered leg and broken jaw. Sadly, he passed away soon after he’d completed his mission. Incredibly, the message he was carrying saved his battalion and he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for “Gallantry in the Field.” The bravery and courage exhibited by Jack holds true for today’s Airedales.
Bred to hunt, the Airedale Terrier requires several walks a day and playtime in the yard. Puppies require even more frequent exercise. Swimming and playing catch are among the Airedale Terrier?s favorite activities, but they are very boisterous indoors as well. Airedale Terriers are not suited to apartment life.
Though handsome and huggable, Airedale Terriers are not the types to cuddle on the couch for long periods of time, if at all.
In 1864 they were exhibited for the first time at a championship dog show sponsored by the Airedale Agricultural Society. They were classified under different names, including Rough Coated, Bingley and Waterside Terrier. In 1879 breed fanciers decided to call the breed the Airedale Terrier, a name accepted by the Kennel Club (England) in 1886.
Airedale Terriers that are not being used in the show ring are often professionally clipped or clipped by owners to prevent shedding and upkeep of the coat. A uniformly short clip known as a puppy clip is typically the choice of most owners. The hair on the beard and on the eyebrows is left long and natural to allow the distinctive appearance of the Airedale Terrier to show through, but the coat on the body is short.
Called “the king of terriers” by his fans, the Airedale may really be the smartest of the terriers — a quality that will make or break him as a family pet, depending on whether or not his owner minds being occasionally outsmarted by a dog. Fortunately he’s a handsome devil as well as a clever one, and charming enough to compensate for a certain degree of stubbornness. Owners who aren’t ready to provide consistent training from a young age, as well as firm but loving guidance as he grows up, are going to discover that the Airedale Terrier can be way too much dog to handle.