Airedale Terrier

[skycat 6,172]

 

skycat stick a working wheaten over that bitch of yours that will put fire in the bellies of the future offspring

dont think them dogs need anything of a wheaton

 

If it ain't broke, it don't need fixing. Why would I want to put fire in what is a very sensible and hard working animal that never backs down? Think of the Airedale as a slow burner, one you can work day in day out, one that chooses which end to go for and gets the job done properly without getting too smashed up in the process. She'll do me just fine as she is.

 

Here's a few quotes from some of the guys that work their dogs in the states: the following from a guy that has worked Airedales for over 40 years:

The Airedale has the grit...but is a smart fighter. I used to have Patterdales that had what I would call blind grit and would rush into anything. They often killed something but I would be doctoring them and couldn't hunt again for a week or more. I considered that stupid fighting. My Airedales don't rush in like that....but rather will bark and size up the situation at hand. On both coon and fox, and feral cats my dogs have bobbed and weaved until the time is right...usually takes 30 seconds or so, but then move in for the right hold and the kill....every time!! These Airedales have plenty of grit....but it is tempered by intelligence. Of course you will always happen upon a worthless coward occasionally, no matter what the breed.

 

And from another person who uses his Dales on all sorts of things:

My Syrah was trained only on blood and a little bird retrieving (that she does not like) until over a yr old. Then I decided to put her on hogs. The first time she saw hogs they were small and she tried to kill them. The next time it was about 100# and if some one saw her run from that hog(in a pen) that day they would say she had NO grit. But it scared her and she looked at me as if I was crazy for putting her in there. (Yall it really was a funny kind of Scooby doo looking face) But once she learned how to bay and then catch the ass , shoulder, or ear if they break bay there is no question she has grit when she put her teeth in a 250# hog to stop him . But she was not going in there blind and dumb!!! She is too smart. Toby

 

And this from someone who uses his Dales to toll coyotes:

 

To make a long answer short for you, yes I had to break Pearl from charging right at them but she was so smart that I took less than a half a dozen encounters for her to figure the situation out. I agree with all other answers on here, Airedales are smart game. Pearl got one nose chewing from a wounded coyote. Now she bobs and weaves before she goes for the throat.

 

The above quotes pretty much illustrate why so many hunters in the States like these dogs. Sure there is a contingent who think a dog is only game if it gets smashed to pieces every time it goes out, but the genuine Airedale hunters are those who appreciate that there is more than one way of getting a job done, and without the dog getting killed or ending up in the sick bay for weeks on end.

[chrisbullx 2,541]

Nice nice dogs them banter what do you use them for work wise??? How tts are they?? They look big strong uns!!! Atb cbx

[Banter 1,751]

Nice nice dogs them banter what do you use them for work wise??? How tts are they?? They look big strong uns!!! Atb cbx

a friend owns them about 22" uses them for doing cover

[PMul 145]

Weasle: come and see my game one

 

Skycat, why do you think your female is game? how do you define gameness?

[skycat 6,172]

That was written slightly tongue in cheek, as we were discussing how a dog behaves in a certain situation, but by the definition of gameness which most understand to be a complete ignorance of pain, then no she is not, but she is brave, has a high pain tolerance, and even if she is hurting she won't give in. The pain might come from thorns scratching her face, or it might come from the sore tendons she suffers from as a result of a bad fall when she was young, or even getting bitten by something. I think it is that stolid attitude, the ability to plough on, achieve her aim, though not without thought, is what I admire so much in her. And even when she is hurting she doesn't lose her cool, her pluck, her steady temperament: actually that's it: plucky. (Dictionary definition: Having or showing courage and spirit in trying circumstances.) That is the word, a bit old fashioned, that I'd use to describe the Airedale. And I can understand why they were so valuable as messenger dogs in the war, though it breaks my heart to think of those dogs continuing their missions despite terrible injuries, some even dying once they had reached their goal. Surely that should be the definition of true gameness when discussing the Airedale?

 

However, I think when we start to nit-pick about exact definitions, and when people label certain types of dogs game in particular circles which I shan't go into on an open forum, then those comparisons are dangerous to try and draw a conclusion from. I prefer to describe how a dog behaves within the norm of its working environment.

[daniel123 21]

Hello penny did you have a word with martin about a lining i hope that you can get it sorted and keep the redlines going in this country atb d123

[skycat 6,172]

He has my number: waiting for him to call me.

[spindolero 1,109]

 

Nice nice dogs them banter what do you use them for work wise??? How tts are they?? They look big strong uns!!! Atb cbx

a friend owns them about 22" uses them for doing cover

 

do they speak when on a line?

[chrisbullx 2,541]

Yes spindolero they shout FOX,FOX f***ing FOX :D lol atb cbx

[skycat 6,172]

 

 

Nice nice dogs them banter what do you use them for work wise??? How tts are they?? They look big strong uns!!! Atb cbx

a friend owns them about 22" uses them for doing cover

 

do they speak when on a line?

 

Mine only bays when she first puts something up in cover: more of an exited foghorn bellow a few times than proper baying: once its up and running she just keeps her head down and follows the scent quietly.

[chrisbullx 2,541]

Would like to see 1 graft atb cbx

[dymented 2,220]

The one i had never made a noise even when she had a face full she just wagged her tail used to have a full blooded Airedale and had 1st x greyhound one both did more than expected if there were more about id defiantly have another one

[3175darren 1,093]

 

 

 

Nice nice dogs them banter what do you use them for work wise??? How tts are they?? They look big strong uns!!! Atb cbx

a friend owns them about 22" uses them for doing cover

 

do they speak when on a line?

 

Mine only bays when she first puts something up in cover: more of an exited foghorn bellow a few times than proper baying: once its up and running she just keeps her head down and follows the scent quietly.

 

Penny do you think these dogs, can be taught to bay on command, like at a find, when following up a dropped deer in heavy woodland,

[skycat 6,172]

Some of the guys in the States use theirs to bark treed when they either put something up a tree: bear or raccoon for example. Some of them seem to open up quite readily, others are silent at the tree. I don't think they actually train their dogs to do this, though you'd be much better off asking them yourself. Dales run with hounds or curs may well learn certain behaviour from the other dogs. They are a very genuine bunch of people on this forum.

 

I've no doubt that I could have taught my bitch to bark when she found something: she is easily the most adaptable and trainable dog I've ever had. There is not only a desire to work with the owner, but the ability to adopt pretty much whatever tactics you want the dog to use. Some of it is inborn: such as the gentleness on feather or the switch that flips when dealing with foxes. Like most dogs that live in close contact with their owners, dogs you spend time with, they learn to tap into the things you are most interested in and want to learn stuff you do.

 

It's a shame that we in the UK can't tap into all the possibilities in the Airedale, but I wouldn't hesitate to say that you could train one to bark after finding a dropped deer. I'm sure someone, somewhere has used a Dale for this: maybe in Europe?

[daniel123 21]

Hello penny i was wondering if you had got any further with the breeding of your bitch i know that yours and martins couldnt so i just wondered if you could sort anything else good luck dan