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Airedale Terrier, About Breed, Standard

Airedale Terriers were originally bred and developed in 1800's in Yorkshire, England. They were particularly popular in the Aire Valley and used for hunting. They were first called Waterside Terriers and were later crossed with Otterhounds to make them better swimmers. Some of the Airedale's many talents include hunting, tracking, guarding, and competitive obedience drills. In more recent times, these dogs are being used in police and military work as well as being pets and show dogs. They are very spirited and have a strong desire to please their owners and gain their respect.

Airedale is known as the "King of Terriers" because it is said to be able to do any job that any other dog can do, only better. Intelligent, fun-loving, hardworking and loyal, Airedale Terriers have a charming nature, a great spirit and a big heart.

Most of today’s Airedales are companion dogs. They are excellent at competitive obedience and agility.The Airedale Terrier is known for his independence, patience, loyalty and courage.

He likes to be "chairman of the board." After all, he knows he is "The King of Terriers."

Airedales are not aggresive, only when he senses the need to do so will he attack. There are numerous stories about Airedales taking down bears and mountain lions.

Airedale Terrier Breed Outline:
Country of Origin: Great Britain
FCI Classification: Group 3: Terriers. Section 1: Large and medium-sized Terriers. Working trial optional.
Personality: Outgoing and confident, friendly, courageous and intelligent. Alert at all times, not aggressive but fearless.
Size: Medium-Large
Height: 22-24 inches at shoulders
Weight:55 -68 pounds.
Other Names: Airedale, King of Terriers, Dale

Coat: Airedale Terrier has a harsh wiry coat all over his body. The wiry coat has a soft undercoat. This coat does not shed so needs to be ‘stripped’ every 6-8 weeks.

"Airedale virtues are precisely those that contemporary human society lacks – humor, loyalty, intelligence, a certain dignified reserve, and an unobsequious attitude toward authority. They meet the world head-on with an unrivaled mixture of style, brains, and clownish wit, the very ingredients one looks for in a spouse." Chip Brown

Airedale Terrier Breed Standard

CHARACTERISTICS:
Keen of expression, quick of movement, on the tip-toe of expectation at any movement. Character is denoted and shown by the expression of the eyes and by the carriage of the ears and tail.
GENERAL APPEARANCE:
The various parts of the dog should be in proportion to each other giving a symmetrical appearance. In movement, the legs should be carried straight forward, the forelegs being perpendicular and parallel with the sides. The propulsive power is furnished by the hind legs, perfection of action being found in the Terrier possessing long thighs and muscular second thighs well bent at the stifles, which admit of a strong forward tust or snatch of the hocks. When approaching, the forelegs should form a continuation of the straight line of the front, the feet being the same distance apart as the elbows; when stationary it is often difficult to determine whether a dog is slightly out at shoulder, but directly he moves, the defect if it exists, becomes most apparent, the forefeet having a tendency to cross. When, on the contrary, the dog is tied at the shoulder, the tendency of the feet is to move wider apart. When the hocks are turned in (cow- hocks) the stifles and feet are turned outward, resulting in a serious loss of propulsive power. When the hocks are turned outward, the tendency of the hind feet is to cross.

Head
Should be well balanced with little apparent difference between the length of skull and foreface.
Skull
Should be long and flat, not too broad between the ears and narrowing very slightly to the eyes. Scalp should be free from wrinkles, stop hardly visible and cheeks level and free from fullness.
Ears
Should be V-shaped with carriage rather to the side of the head, not pointing to the eyes, small but not out of proportion to the size of the dog. The topline of the folded ear should be above the level of the skull.
Foreface
Should be deep, powerful, strong and muscular. Should be well filled up before the eyes.
Eyes
Should be dark, small, not prominent, full of terrier expression, keenness and intelligence.
Lips
Should be tight.
Nose
Should be black and not too small.
Teeth
Should be strong and white, free from discoloration or defect. Bite either level or vise-like. A slightly overlapping or scissors bite is permissible without preference.
Neck
Should be of moderate length and thickness gradually widening towards the shoulders. Skin tight, not loose.
Shoulders and Chest
Shoulders long and sloping well into the back. Shoulder blades flat. From the front, chest deep but not broad. The depth of the chest should be approximately on a level with the elbows.
Body
Back should be short, strong and level. Ribs well sprung. Loins muscular and of good width. There should be but little space between the last rib and the hip joint.
Hindquarters
Should be strong and muscular with no droop.
Tail
The root of the tail should be set well up on the back. It should be carried gaily but not curled over the back. It should be of good strength and substance and of fair length.
Legs
Forelegs should be perfectly straight, with plenty of muscle and bone. Elbows should be perpendicular to the body, working free of sides. Thighs should be long and powerful with muscular second thigh, stifles well bent, not turned either in or out, hocks well let down parallel with each other when viewed from behind. Feet should be small, round and compact with a good depth of pad, well cushioned; the toes moderately arched, not turned either in or out.
Coat
Should be hard, dense and wiry, lying straight and close, covering the dog well over the body and legs. Some of the hardest are crinkling or just slightly waved. At the base of the hard very stiff hair should be a shorter growth of softer hair termed the undercoat.
Color
The head and ears should be tan, the ears being of a darker shade than the rest. Dark markings on either side of the skull are permissible. The legs up to the thighs and elbows and the under-part of the body and chest are also tan and the tan frequently runs into the shoulder. The sides and upper parts of the body should be black or dark grizzle. A red mixture is often found in the black and is not to be considered objectionable. A small white blaze on the chest is a characteristic of certain strains of the breed.
Size
Dogs should measure approximately 23 inches in height at the shoulder; bitches, slightly less. Both sexes should be sturdy, well muscled and boned.
Movement
Movement or action is the crucial test of conformation. Movement should be free. As seen from the front the forelegs should swing perpendicular from the body free from the sides, the feet the same distance apart as the elbows. As seen from the rear the hind legs should be parallel with each other, neither too close nor too far apart, but so placed as to give a strong well-balanced stance and movement. The toes should not be turned either in or out.
Faults
Yellow eyes, hound ears, white feet, soft coat, being much over or under the size limit, being undershot or overshot, having poor movement, are faults which should be severely penalized.
Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Scale of Points

Head Neck, shoulders and chest Body Hindquarters and tail Legs and feet Coat Color Size Movement General characteristics and expression Total

...10 ...10 ...10 ...10 ...10 ...10 ....5 ...10 ...10 ...15 ..100

Approved July 14, 1959.

Photo: Int.Ch.Shadow of Aire Lionheart-Leo:

Several very good video clips about Airedale Terriers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yWd6_gF5OQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yWd6_gF5OQ&feature=related

http://animal.discovery.com/videos/breed-all-about-it-airedale.html