meet the...Airedale Terrier
Breed Summary
Breed Group Group 6: Terrier Breeds
Sub-group 6-A: Large Terriers
Origin Country England
Weight Males: 50-65 pounds. Females: 50-65 pounds.
Height Males: 23-24 inches. Females: 22-23 inches.
Other Name(s) AiRedale, Bingley Terrier, King of Terriers, Waterside Terrier
Breed Type Pure
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Origins
The Airedale has been affectionately called the “King of Terriers,” and it's easy to understand why. Weighing between 40 to 65 pounds with a height of around two feet, they easily dwarf other terriers and are the group's largest member. But the Airedale Terrier is not your typical monarch. Bred to be one of the most intelligent and well-equipped working dogs, the last place you'll catch them is slumped over a throne.
Like other terriers, they came from humble beginnings as pest control professionals, hunting down otters, rats, and all other manners of vermin. But, a combination of fearlessness, determination, and razor-sharp intellect eventually saw the Airedale expanding their resume. Their dependability, skills, and mental prowess to tackle jobs ranging from farm work to military missions made them one of the most beloved and respected breeds of the last 200 years.
Terriers were traditionally used by members of the British working class to seek out rats and other pests, a practice that grew especially popular with the emergence of rat-chasing contests held along the river. Some terriers excelled at finding the dens of pests, while others were best at invading dens and facing the animals inside. Larger pests required the strength of larger dogs—like hounds—to take them down, and dogs with excellent swimming abilities were needed to catch semi-aquatic animals, such as otters. For these reasons, some farmers and working-class hunters kept a variety of dogs to deal with undesirable critters.
Eventually, English farmers and working-class citizens began asking themselves, "Why keep so many terriers if one can be bred to do the jobs of all of them?" This question led to the birth of the Airedale Terrier, a dog with the size, agility, and courage to take on just about any job his owner threw at him.
An otterhound was mixed with a terrier (likely a combination of black-and-tan and bull terriers) to create the ultimate all-terrain hunting terrier. The result was a new kind of terrier named Thunder, the founder of the Airedale breed. Thunder didn't resemble today's Airedale very closely, but he had exactly the hunting and working capabilities terrier breeders were looking for. They could hunt smaller animals, such as river rats, and larger animals, like otters. Their keen swimming abilities made them especially effective at going after pests in the water.
The new breed that Thunder ushered in, then called the Bingley Terrier, steadily grew in popularity. But, as the Bingley terrier—named after the western Yorkshire town where the breed originated—gained renown, some of the locals from towns outside of Bingley became jealous and bickered about the name. To make matters worse, owners used different names for the breed in competitions, calling it the Bingley terrier, the Waterside Terrier, and the Rough Coated Terrier. In 1879, the breed was officially recognized as the Airedale Terrier to quell the complaining and encourage conformity. They were named after the river valley that sprawled through a large portion of northwestern Yorkshire.
With his new branding and a burgeoning fan base, the Airedale Terrier quickly became the top dog in Britain. Farmers loved the breed for its tried and true pest-hunting abilities and herding skills, while families were drawn to its child-friendly demeanor and constant vigilance as a watchdog. The exceptional size and intelligence of the Airedale, combined with the courage of its terrier ancestry, meant that it could handle nearly any task. In fact, the British military was so impressed with the Airedale's natural abilities that they relied on the breed extensively in World War I. Airedales delivered vital messages into combat zones, stood watch as guard dogs, and helped rescuers search for injured soldiers across the battlefield.
As the Allied Powers emerged victorious from the Great War, acclaim for the Airedale spread far and wide throughout Europe, spilling over beyond the continent and across the pond into the United States. Interest in the breed rose to its greatest heights during the first half of the twentieth century in the U.S. It was labeled the twentieth most popular breed in the country in 1949.
Although the breed may not enjoy quite as much of the spotlight as it used to, Airedale owners worldwide still say the same: when it comes to terriers, the rest are just pretenders to the throne.Breed Characteristics
Head: Somewhat dolichocephalic skull-type, moderate in size, somewhat long, and proportionate to the rest of the body. The head is clean-cut without excess skin or wrinkles and tapers only slightly from topskull to the end of the muzzle. The skull is elongated when viewed from any direction and is flat. It is somewhat broad but appears narrow in comparison to the overall length.
Eyes: Somewhat small to moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, medium to dark brown in color, and with a bright and fiery appearance. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes.
Ears: Small to medium in size, set high on the skull, and somewhat well-apart. V-shaped and dropped with good lift at the base. The fold of the ear should fall just above the level of the skull. The tips may point somewhat forward toward the eyes or down toward the cheek. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken.
Muzzle: Well-developed, appearing prominent, long, full, and broad. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight. The upper and lower jaws have good bone substance, are equal in length, strong, well-developed, and never appear snipey or weak.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black. The nostrils are well-opened.
Neck: Moderate length allows for a proud head carriage, strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut, without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows.
Body: Compact, solid, and good substance. The body is never racy or refined. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Tail: Set high on the croup, thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. Carried gaily in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level. The tail should never be tucked. The tail may be left natural or docked short. Natural tails are of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. Docked tails are cut so that the tip reaches the level of the head.
Movement: The movement is free, energetic, efficient, and effortless. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the center line of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and a good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: The Airedale Terrier has a large personality to match their large terrier size. They are intelligent, bold, confident, watchful, and what many describe as willful and somewhat arrogant. While doting on their family and people, they can become reserved or indifferent toward strangers and other dogs. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Breed Standard
BREED GROUP 6: Terrier Breeds
Proportions: Square in body proportions, with the length of the body, measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the rump, being equal to the height at the withers. Females may be slightly longer. The body is balanced, well-put-together, with sturdy substance and good medium bone. Males should appear masculine, being more substantial in size and mass, while females should appear more feminine and slightly less substantial. Neither should lack overall type. The weight of males and females is always in proportion to height.
Head
General Appearance: Somewhat dolichocephalic skull-type, moderate in size, somewhat long, and proportionate to the rest of the body. The head is clean-cut without excess skin or wrinkles and tapers only slightly from topskull to the end of the muzzle. The skull is elongated when viewed from any direction and is flat. It is somewhat broad but appears narrow in comparison to the overall length.
Expression: Keen, alert, watchful, inquisitive, stately, and terrier-like.
Stop: The stop is slight.
Skull: The ideal muzzle-to-skull ratio is 1:1, with the topskull being equal to the muzzle. The ideal muzzle-to-skull axis is parallel.
Muzzle: Well-developed, appearing prominent, long, full, and broad. The plane, or bridge of the muzzle, is straight. The upper and lower jaws have good bone substance, are equal in length, strong, well-developed, and never appear snipey or weak.
Lips or Flews: The lips are clean and fit tightly over the teeth and jaws.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black. The nostrils are well-opened.
Cheeks: Moderately full below the eyes but never coarse. Cheeks are smooth, never appearing chiseled or coarse.
Dentition and Bite: Forty-two strong, clean, and white teeth. The bite may be level or scissor. Contact must be made between the top and bottom incisors. Missing or broken teeth due to routine work are not to be penalized.
Eyes: Somewhat small to moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, medium to dark brown in color, and with a bright and fiery appearance. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes.
Ears: Small to medium in size, set high on the skull, and somewhat well-apart. V-shaped and dropped with good lift at the base. The fold of the ear should fall just above the level of the skull. The tips may point somewhat forward toward the eyes or down toward the cheek. The ears are never long, overly large, or broken.
Body and Tail
General Description: Compact, solid, and good substance. The body is never racy or refined. The width at the forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Neck: Moderate length allows for a proud head carriage, strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut, without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep and broad but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows.
Topline: Level from slightly prominent withers to croup. The back is broad, strongly muscled, and straight, yet supple. The loin is short, taut, and supportive. The topline is never swayed or roached.
Croup: Flat, strong, and level with the back.
Underline: A somewhat moderate tuck-up is present but should not be extreme. The underline is taut and firm, without any indication of sagging or excess weight.
Ribs: Long, well-sprung, well-laid-back, oval-shaped, never barrel-chested or slab-sided.
Tail: Set high on the croup, thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. Carried gaily in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level. The tail should never be tucked. The tail may be left natural or docked short. Natural tails are of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. Docked tails are cut so that the tip reaches the level of the head.
Forequarters and Hindquarters
Forequarters: The forequarters are always in balance with the hindquarters and well-angulated with well-laid-back shoulder blades. Shoulder blades are approximately equal in length to the upper arm and forearm.
Elbows: The elbows are close to the body. The point of the elbows is approximately half the dog’s height at the withers.
Forelegs: Frontal View: Straight, of good muscle and bone, and parallel to one another.
Side View: The forelimbs appear straight with strong pasterns.
Pasterns: Never weak or broken.
Hindquarters: The upper and lower thighs are equal in length, strong, sturdy, of good bone, and well-muscled.
Rear View: When viewed from the rear, the rear pasterns are parallel to one another.
Side View: Good angulation will allow the rear toes to align with the point of the rump or within one to two paw-lengths behind the point of the rump, with the rear pasterns remaining perpendicular to the ground and parallel to one another.
Stifle Joint: Well-angulated with a good bend to well-let-down rear pasterns.
Angulations: The angulation of the hindquarters is always in balance with the angulation of the forequarters.
Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Coat
Skin: Well-fitted, yet supple. The skin should never obstruct the outline of the dog.
Coat Type: The wiry, dense, hard outer coat may be straight or with a crinkled or wavy texture. It lies straight and close. The undercoat is downy-soft.
Coat Color or Pattern: Tan with a black or grizzle saddle; creeping tan with black or grizzle.
Movement
The movement is free, energetic, efficient, and effortless. The characteristics of a healthy structure are evident. When moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the center line of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in line with the nose. When extended, the width between the forefeet should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and a good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament
The Airedale Terrier has a large personality to match their large terrier size. They are intelligent, bold, confident, watchful, and what many describe as willful and somewhat arrogant. While doting on their family and people, they can become reserved or indifferent toward strangers and other dogs. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.
Faults
All dogs should be in proper healthy condition, free from disease or defect. Any departure from this description is considered a fault. Unless altered, all male dogs should have two fully descended testicles.
