Of the thirty-three terrier breeds, the Airedale Terrier, considered the «King of Terriers,» is the aloof and royal one of the group. But this most intimidating of breeds didn»t start out this way.
In Yorkshire, England , in 1853, the first Airedale Terrier was borne. In and on the Aire and Wharf Rivers in the 40»s, otters and rats had pestered factory workers, requiring they put Otterhounds, Broken-coated Working Terriers, and Black and White English Terriers (and possibly Bull Terriers) to the task of pest control and to aiding in their otter hunting escapades. But keeping so many different dogs had become burdensome (costly), so two men came up with the idea to cross breed the hound and the terriers. After a decade or so, the Waterside Terrier, soon renamed the Airedale Terrier (from the Aire Valley ), was hunting otters, repelling rats, and herding and guarding livestock.
With fortitude and fierceness, the Airedale Terrier was pitted against other dogs in ratting, fighting, and hunting in matches made by men who competed for bragging rights to owning the top dog. And this breed won every time, being first to bring back the coon, the water rat, the bigger game, and the baddest criminal. Yes, it was so amenable to training and so good at its job that policemen put it to work, too.
Today, the Airedale Terrier continues to perform well, as it has an even, noble temperament and is obedient and therefore quite trainable. It needs a good amount of activity, if it isn»t hunting or chasing, and so should be walked (and/or run) often.
And as well as requiring attention to its propensity toward some work and activity, this 23» tall, muscular, weight-proportionate Airedale Terrier occasionally needs oil and kelp supplements for itchy/dry skin and should have its dense tan and black (and sometimes grizzle, or grey) wiry outer coat clipped, to reveal the soft undercoat of a soft at heart dog. Also, this breed needs daily pin brushing to be freed of dead hair that it never sheds and to retain its «I»m the king of the hill» birthright and bearing.
And yet, while the Airedale Terrier appears superior and nonchalant, it ideally needs a familiar living environment: this breed needs, that is, to be around people, to have people around, to show some degree of affection, to investigate a bit, needs to be «rewarded» with high quality nourishment, and needs to be able to stay by its owner»s side, leaving only to investigate a pest or protect its humans from intruders. As well, this breed needs a spacious area to run about and play and dig. In other words, to do what it darn well pleases.
