Airedale Terriers were originally bred to pursue larger prey than the smaller terriers, but once they reached America, enterprising breeders bred them larger and larger to enable them to stand up against very large prey like bears and cougars. The so-called Oorang strain can reach sizes up to 32" at the shoulder and more, which makes them around the same height as Great Danes. The American Kennel Club breed standard for Airedales is, however, 23" at the shoulder (22" for females).
The reasoning behind docking the Airedale tail is to provide a sturdy "handle" for the hunter to grab when the rest of the dog is down a hole or in a crevice, fighting some animal. Undocked, the Airedale tail curls over the back most attractively. This "look" can be seen on many European dogs, as docking has been outlawed in many European countries.
As puppies, Airedales look very much like Rottweilers, with the black mask and a good amount of black running down the legs. As they get older the black fades back off the head, shoulders, and thighs, and the beard grows in.
Airedales are family dogs, but they're also extremely intelligent, very energetic, and easily bored, which can make them hard to handle for someone who's expecting a placid Golden Retriever mentality.
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Short essay on Airedales
Date: 2003-07-29 10:44 am (UTC)The reasoning behind docking the Airedale tail is to provide a sturdy "handle" for the hunter to grab when the rest of the dog is down a hole or in a crevice, fighting some animal. Undocked, the Airedale tail curls over the back most attractively. This "look" can be seen on many European dogs, as docking has been outlawed in many European countries.
As puppies, Airedales look very much like Rottweilers, with the black mask and a good amount of black running down the legs. As they get older the black fades back off the head, shoulders, and thighs, and the beard grows in.
Airedales are family dogs, but they're also extremely intelligent, very energetic, and easily bored, which can make them hard to handle for someone who's expecting a placid Golden Retriever mentality.