Known as the "king of terriers," the Airedale is the tallest terrier. Like many terriers, it counts the old English, or black and tan, terrier as one of its primary progenitors. These medium-sized dogs were prized by Yorkshire hunters for hunting a variety of game from water rats to fox. Around the mid-1800s, some of these terriers around the River Aire in South Yorkshire were crossed with otterhounds in order to improve their hunting ability around water, as well as their scenting ability. The result was a dog adept at otter hunting, originally called the Bingley or Waterside terrier but recognized as the Airedale terrier in 1878.
AKC Ranking: 50
Family: terrier
Area of Origin: England
Date of Origin: 1800s
Original Function: badger and otter hunting
Today's Function: guardian, police dog
Avg Size of male: Height: 23 Weight: 55
Avg Size of Female: Height: 23 Weight: 55
Other Name: Waterside terrier, Bingley terrier
History
Known as the "king of terriers," the Airedale is the tallest terrier. Like many terriers, it counts the old English, or black and tan, terrier as one of its primary progenitors. These medium-sized dogs were prized by Yorkshire hunters for hunting a variety of game from water rats to fox. Around the mid-1800s, some of these terriers around the River Aire in South Yorkshire were crossed with otterhounds in order to improve their hunting ability around water, as well as their scenting ability. The result was a dog adept at otter hunting, originally called the Bingley or Waterside terrier but recognized as the Airedale terrier in 1878. As it entered the world of the show dog, crosses to the Irish and bull terriers were made in order to breed away from some of the remnants of the otterhound cross that were now considered less than beautiful. By 1900, the patriarch of the breed, Champion Master Briar, was gaining renown, and his offspring carried on his influence in America. The Airedale's size and gameness continued to win it worldwide fame as a hunter, even proving itself as a big game hunter. Its smart looks and manners won it a place as a police dog and family pet, both roles it still enjoys. After World War I, however, its popularity declined, and today its reputation is greater than its numbers.
Temperament
Among the most versatile of terriers, the Airedale is bold, playful and adventurous; it is a lively yet protective companion. It is intelligent, but often stubborn and headstrong. Some can be domineering, but most are biddable, reliable and responsive to their owner's wishes. It makes a good house dog as long as it gets daily mental and physical exercise. It likes to be the head dog and may not do well when another dog challenges that position, although they usually get along well with smaller dogs.
Upkeep
This is an active breed that needs a chance to get vigorous exercise every day. Its needs can be met with a long walk, a strenuous game or a chance to hunt and romp in a safe area. It can live outside in temperate climates, but it is better suited for indoor sleeping. Its wire coat needs combing twice weekly, plus scissoring and shaping (clipping for pets, and hand stripping for show dogs) every one to two months. Ears often need glueing as puppies in order to ensure proper shape as adults.
Health
• Major concerns: CHD
• Minor concerns: gastric torsion
• Occasionally seen: colonic disease
• Suggested tests: hip
• Life span: 10 – 13 years
Form and Function
The Airedale terrier is a neat, upstanding, long-legged terrier, not exaggerated in any way. It has strong round bone and combines strength and agility, enabling it to hunt tough game. Its jaws are strong and punishing. Its gait is free. The coat is hard, dense and wiry; it lies straight and close, with some hair crinkling or waving.
 A Pug is a toy dog breed with a wrinkly face and medium-small body. Pug puppies are often called puglets. The word "pug" may have come from the Old English pugg, which was an affectionate term for a playful little devil or monkey.
The breed is often summarized as multum in parvo ("much in little"), describing the Pug's great personality and small size.
While most Pugs appearing in eighte...
|
 Exactly when and where, or from what the American water spaniel was developed was never recorded. Its appearance strongly suggests a smaller version of the Irish water spaniel, and it is likely that it is derived from that breed or its earlier versions, the Northern, Southern and Tweed water spaniels. The curly-coated retriever and its forebear, the English water spaniel, may also have played a ro...
|
 In the 19th century, the bulldog was fairly popular in England, especially around Nottingham. Some of these bulldogs were quite small, weighing less than 25 pounds. When many of the lace workers of the region went to France for work in the mid-1800s, they took their "toy" bulldogs with them. The French women, especially, were attracted to these little bulldogs, especially those with erect ears (a ...
|
 In the early 1800s, vast land areas in Australia became available for grazing cattle. The cattle raised on these lands became so wild and intractable that the traditional European herding breeds that had proved satisfactory on tamer cattle were no longer suited for the job. A dog was needed that could withstand traveling long distances over rough terrain in hot weather and that could control cattl...
|
 The origins of the Chinese crested are difficult to trace. Hairless dogs seem to arise by mutation all over the world, but they have been principally perpetuated in Central and South America. The Chinese crested is the exception, apparently existing in China as early as the 13th century. Chinese seafarers are said to have kept the dogs on ship as ratters and curios and to have traded them with loc...
|
 The spotted Dalmatian is the most distinctly patterned breed of any dog, but the origin of its coat pattern is unknown. In fact, although art evidence points to an ancient origin, the time and place of the breed's birth is also unknown. It gets it name from Dalmatia, a region in western Yugoslavia, but it probably did not originate there. Their ancestors may have included a small version of th...
|
(4.4)
Add Feedback