Airedale Terrier - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin

The Airedale has the same ancestor as many other terriers – the now already extinct black and tan terrier. We are not sure about the other ancestors, but it is believed, that it might be otter hounds, all kinds of other terriers, probably the Irish and Bull Terriers. And their place of origin? They have it in their name! It is the Aire River Valley in England.

2) Ratters

The reason why they were developed was to be ratters and indeed, the first job they were used for was hunting large rats in the Aire River Valley. And it was a good show for people as well, since they competed in rat hunting competitions. Ferrets were send into the rat dnes, where they would flush out the rodents, and the Airedales would then chase them into the river.

3) King of Terriers

Airedales are often times nicknamed as the King of Terriers. And it is because of their size. It is common for Airedales to have more than 24 inches which is 60 cm and they can weigh up to 65 pounds, which is impressive 30 kg. Thanks to their relatively big size, they earned this nickname.

4) Army dogs

German Shepherds, Dobermans, Belgian Malinois. These are the breeds that comes into mind when we talk about military dogs. But Airedale Terriers served in the World War I as a messenger dogs. They are athletic, fast, eager to please and intelligent, which makes them great for this job. Sometimes they were even used for searching and locating fallen soldiers. Airedales were also one of the first police dogs used in Great Britain and Germany.

5) Intelligence

Airedale Terriers are incredibly intelligent, probably one of the most intelligent of all terriers. But they are definitely not pushovers to train, since they are often time using their intelligence to outsmart their owner. They are also very independent and kinda stubborn dogs. That is why you should be absolutely consistent and patient leader and you should definitely start the training as soon as possible.

6) President dog

Airedale Terriers are great dogs and American presidents were obviously aware of it. The presidents that owned an Airedales were Calvin Coolidge, Warren Harding and Woodrow Wilson.

7) Low shedding

Another great fact about Airedales is, that they are very low shedding dogs. It is true, that they have thick, hard , dense and wiry hair that requires some brushing, but don’t leave a trail of fur wherever they go. They are not hypoallergenic dogs though.

8) Guards

Airedale Terriers are quite protective over their family and you can count on them to sound an alarm for danger and he will have the courage to back up that alarm. They are very courageous and they will probably protect you in case of a danger.

9) Enthusiasm

When airedale terrier is doing something, he is doing it on 100%. That is why they are absolutely loyal to their people, they love to play hard and when they have job to do, they dont want to quit until the job is done. They love to run, play, be a clown and even swim. This is active dog that needs a lot of attention.

10) Health

Airedale Terriers are generally pretty healthy dogs with lifespan between 10-12 years. But as all breeds, they do suffer from some health problems, including the hip and elbow dysplasia, skin allergies, progressive retinal atrophy, Von Willerbrands disease and in older age they are also prone to some types of cancer.