Airedale Terrier

Patronage: Great Britain
FCI Group: Terriers
FCI Section: Long Legged Terriers
With optional working test

Alternative names: Waterside Terrier, Bingley Terrier
Height at the withers:

• Males 58-61 cm
• bitches 56-59 cm

The Airedale Terrier's name is thought to refer to the "dale" of the River Aire in the English county of Yorkshire, UK. The origin of this breed probably lies in this area. Farmers and workers in the river valley most likely bred "Aire" a versatile dog from the Otterhound and medium-sized English Terrier breeds in the mid-19th century. In addition, Gordon Setters and Scottish Shepherds are said to have been crossed. In the first mentions he is still referred to as "Waterside" or "Working Terrier". The first dogs of this type were exhibited under the name "Waterside" or "Bringley Terrier" in 1875

It was not until around 1880 that the current designation "Airedale Terrier" was used at breed shows. The first entries in the stud book were made in 1882. In 1886 the English Kennel Club officially recognized the breed. It should be noted that the years in the literature and on the Internet differ greatly from each other in relation to the individual stages of the breed's history.

The "Airedale Terrier" is a robust and very muscular dog with a hard, dense, wiry coat and a lot of undercoat. With today's breeding standards, however, the fur of this breed must no longer appear shaggy. The colors of the head, ears and legs are tan (the so-called "tan") and the back and flanks are black or dark grey. Rarely brown. Males are significantly larger and heavier at 58-61 cm compared to 56-59 cm for bitches.

This makes the "Airedale Terrier" the largest (English) terrier breed, weighing around 22 to 30 kg. With regular trimming, this dog does not shed and can therefore be kept well in an apartment if properly trained. This breed can live up to 13 years and older.

After the fox terrier, the Airedale Terrier is the best-known terrier in the German-speaking world, since this breed was used as a service dog by the police and especially by the military before the German shepherd dog.

This diversity in ability of the Airedale Terrier is due to the various uses in its area of ​​origin. The farmers, hunters, miners and also factory workers used the dogs for hunting, especially for the popular otter hunt, herding work, guard duty and even for dog fights. Although rough and also shaggy in appearance in the early years of breeding, by the late 19th century it was the preferred companion dog for ladies in London. Due to the particularly good suitability for army service, there was a recommendation from the German military in 1894. Experiments with different dog breeds followed, with the "Airedale Terrier" being particularly robust and versatile. At the beginning of the First World War, the breed represented all army dogs in Germany. During dog screening in the Second World War, the "Airedale Terriers" were still ahead of the Doberman and Boxer breeds with 33% of the fit dogs.

This intrepid dog with a strong character is ideal for bear hunting in Canada or for tracking down and locating tigers in the former British colonial areas in India. These character traits come mainly from the crossed terrier breeds.

The Airedale Terrier breed is considered to be very intelligent and eager to learn. In addition, the animals are often characterized by liveliness and are kept as family dogs due to their friendly nature.