History and Origins of the Airedale Terrier

History and Origins of the Airedale Terrier

The History and Origins of the Airedale Terrier is really interesting. The history of the Airedale Terrier began in Yorkshire, England, in the town of Aire. The Airedale Terrier was introduced in the mid 1800s when the breeders of Airedale decided that they wanted to breed a larger type of Terrier that would be adaptable to water, as it was initially bred to hunt alongside the River Aire. As an independent hunter, the Airedale Terrier hunted small animals such as otters and game. They produced this largest Terrier, which is also often referred to as the King of Terriers, by crossing the Otterhound with the Old English and Tan Terrier. The combination of these two breeds meant that the Airedale terrier had a waterproof coat, it was much larger in size than its prey and it also had an excellent sense of smell. The Airedale Terrier became officially recognised by the Kennel Club in 1886.

History and Origins - How the Airedale Terrier got its name
This particular breed of dog has a good level of intelligence and this allowed it to be used as a working dog. The wide range of skills and abilities of the Airedale Terrier were put to very good use, particularly during the first world war. It's a courageous dog and is often thought to be fearless. The shear will and independent nature of this dog, gave it very credible positions during the war. The Airedale Terrier was used to transport mail and carry messages and supplies through the trenches to soldiers behind enemy lines. Interestingly and very importantly this breed of dog was used by the Red Cross to help search and locate wounded soldiers on the battlefield. This brave and strong minded animal has carried out tasks throughout the years that have been invaluable to man, and would have otherwise been very difficult for man to do alone without the Airedale's assistance. During this period, this breed of dog was introduced into the police force to help assist with police duties.

History and Origins of the Airedale Terrier