The beautiful Airedale was believed to be first bred in the middle of the 19th century, a descendant of the extinct black and tan terrier. It was later crossed with the Otterhound to give it more swimming attributes. He was known as the "Working Terrier", the "Waterside Terrier" and the "Bingley Terrier".
The Airedale gets its name from the Valley of Aire in England, which was overrun with small game. The name Airedale was officially given to the breed in 1879 and officially recognized in 1886 by the Kennel Club of England. It is an avid hunter and was used to hunt larger game in India, Africa and Canada and other areas on the colonies.
The King of Terriers, as the Airedale is sometimes known, is the largest of the entire terrier group, standing between 22-24 inches tall a weighing 50-65 pounds. Females are slightly smaller and weigh 10 to 20 pounds less. Their eyes are small, dark and very expressive.
The head of the Airedale is long and flat with a black nose and v-shaped ears sitting slightly to the side and forward on the skull. The Airedale has a top coat that is dense and very wiry with a shorter, softer undercoat. Life expectancy is 10 to 12 years and the average litter size is 9.
The Airedale possesses a sweet, lovable disposition, but is very capable of not giving in to others. The breed adapts extremely well to children, especially if they are exposed to them at an early stage.
While this is a fun loving dog, it may not be the one for a family who has a very small child, as playing can get rough at times and may bound over the little ones. They will behave like puppies until around the age of two, and takes longer for this terrier to become somewhat mellow.
The Airedale is a quick learner, but can easily get bored. Proper exercise, both physical and mental, is an absolute must or he will become rowdy and a little mischievous. Training will take patience and understanding. Having a firm, confident and calm hand to show him who is boss will get you through.
The Airedale can also be extremely stubborn and doesn't forgive or forget very easily. The breed is very loyal and protective to his family. He usually gets along with other dogs, but can try and show dominance at times by not backing down from a fight.
He is usually fairly friendly to strangers, but his loyalty, also, makes him a very good watchdog.
Always looking for love and affection, his antics can keep you amused and entertained, but once he notices that you're amused by him, he may want to show off instead of learning and paying attention. With proper training and proper grooming, which can be costly, the Airedale may just be your pride and joy.