Distinctive features of the appearance of the dog, the progenitors of the Airedale Terrier, application and recognition, participation in world events, popularization of the variety. The Airedale Terrier or Airedale Terrier is the largest of the British terriers. It is a square, muscular and sturdy dog. The chest is deep with large, powerful, lightweight and well-compressed ribs. The tail is raised high, giving the animal a proud, confident appearance. The skull is long and flat, almost as long as the muzzle. The nose is black. The V-shaped ears are set wide, and fold neatly to the sides or forward. The jaws are powerful with large teeth. The eyes are dark, small, expressing the sharpness of the mind and intellect. The cover is hard with a soft undercoat. Correct coat color with either black saddle or tan on head, ears and legs.
Origin and progenitors of the Airedale
The predecessors of the Airedale Terrier, the Rough Coated English Black and the Tan Terrier, as well as the Otter Hound, were used by Yorkshire hunters to catch foxes, badgers, weasels, otters, water rats and more. big game in the valleys of the Calder, Warf Kok and Eyre rivers. Often, even before the hounds, such dogs were used together to work in packs.
Dogs were instructed to pursue prey by smell and even follow it underground into the den in order to kill there. It was imperative that early game terriers had the right balance of size. They had to be large enough to handle the prey, but not so large that they could not maneuver in the burrow. Courage was another key aspect of a quality hunting terrier, as the dog needed to deftly hold its prey in a dark underground hole and subsequently pull it out without human assistance.
As hunting of necessity gave way to the sport of hunting, various contests were developed to test the ability of these early hunting terriers, the ancestors of the Airedale Terriers, to chase and kill large river rats. The success of these dogs in competition was based on two valuable criteria. First, their ability to smell excellently was assessed in order to effectively search for a ferret along the river bank, and when it climbs into a hole, drive out the prey. Second, the dog was judged on its ability to chase prey through the water in order to kill it.
As the popularity of these early competitions grew, so did the demand for more experienced canines. Over time, the need arose for one breed that would perfectly cope with all the necessary tasks. The Wirehaired English Black and Black & Tan Terriers displayed superior agility, sight, hearing and indefatigable courage in such pursuits, while Otter-Hund possessed a keen sense of smell and excellent swimming ability. In 1853, hunters, realizing that each of these breeds has unique attributes, decided to cross them in a constructive attempt to embody all the positive qualities in a better breed of larger and stronger terriers.
Application of the Airedale Terrier
This new multipurpose large canine species became known as the Airedale Terrier. Although in the very early days, these new animals were called Rough Coated, Working, Bingley Terrier and Waterside Terrier. This large, long-legged terrier was too large to work in a burrow like its smaller brethren. However, it excelled in other aspects of hunting and was particularly suited to work in the water. The ability to use its sense of smell and size, to a large extent, reincarnated the activity of this dog for hunting large game. This new Airedale was able to quickly track down the trail of the beast and, thanks to its parameters, skillfully fight large animals.
Intelligent, alert, and strong, the Airedale Terrier was excellent at delivering wounds and was an excellent watchman on the farm and in the house. Pedigree representatives were often used to hunt large animals in areas around large wealthy estates, which were inaccessible to commoners. The Airedale was a versatile hunter, capable of searching, finding and retrieving wounded animals shot by its owner, or by smell, tracking, pursuing, killing and bringing fresh game.
Recognition history of the Airedale
The Rough Coated, Bingley and Waterside Terrier made his first professional debut in 1864 at the Airedale Agricultural Society Show Championships in Shipley, Eyre Valley. Pet lovers decided to name the species in a new way in 1879. These dogs received the name "Airedale Terrier" in honor of their homeland. This name was officially confirmed in 1886, at the same time when the Kennel Club of Great Britain recognized the breed. The breed's outstanding hunting ability led them on the transatlantic voyage west to the United States of America in 1881, five years before their recognition by the Kennel Club of the United Kingdom.
The first Airedale Terrier, Bruce, went on to win titles. He won a prize at the New York Dog Show. As tales of the hunting prowess and versatility of these dogs quickly spread among American hunters, the popularity of where Airedale Terriers increased. They were famous as gun dogs and were quite versatile - "three in one". The pets were great for hunting waterfowl on the water, wild birds on land, and four-legged mammals wherever they went. In 1888, breed representatives began to appear in the Canadian book registers.
In 1892, the English Kennel Club was created, dedicated to breeding Airedale Terriers, with the main focus not only on improving the appearance of the breed, but also on character. Small changes have been made to the Airedale Terrier, which has led to its rapid growth in popularity among the wealthier sections of the English population and a regular appearance in the show rings.
It is generally believed that the progenitor of the modern Airedale is the 1897–1906 champion named "Master Briar". This dog has received great recognition thanks to his victories in show contests. And his puppies, Champion Clonmel Monarch and Crompton Marvel, have passed on their genetics to numerous lines of excellent offspring. The Champion Clonmel Monarch has been exported and excelled at dog shows in the USA.
Airedale participation in world events
Around the same time, the parameters, tenacity, loyalty and intelligence of the representatives of the breed became the peak of the interest of the military personnel. Lieutenant Colonel Edwin Houtenville Richardson, military dog instructor for the British Army, is credited with improving the military canines, which were couriers and watchmen.
In 1902, he wrote how he became interested in the use of dogs for military purposes: “It was in 1895, while shooting on a friend's boat in Scotland, I noticed that a 'foreigner' was buying a shepherd dog and learned that this man was German by an agent sent by the German government to buy large quantities of Collies for the German army. I was told that these dogs were excellent for the job and there were no dogs in Germany that could match them. It was at this moment that I told myself that someday we will be able to find our own service dogs and soldiers for our country. Subsequently, the Airedale Terriers became them. From that day on, Richardson and his wife, who was also interested in canine training, began work on raising military dogs, not only for fun, but also as an experiment. Together they founded a military dog school in Schoberines and Essex, England. When the Russo-Japanese War broke out in 1905, the Russian Embassy in London sent a message to the Lieutenant Colonel. Richardson Edwin Houtenville was asked if he could provide an ambulance with dogs for the Russian troops to help rescue the wounded from the battlefield. In response to an inquiry, Richardson dispatched several Airedale Terriers for communications and ambulance services.
Although all these animals died, they distinguished themselves in service so much that Empress Dowager Maria Feodorovna sent Houtenville the royal Red Cross medal and, a gold watch with diamonds on a chain. Based on diligence, Airedale Terriers were introduced into the Russian armed services in the early 1920s, and special service units were created by 1923. From now on, the Airedale Terrier was used as police, tracker, guard, search and rescue dogs in extreme situations.
In 1906, Richardson tried unsuccessfully to sell the British police the idea of using dogs to escort and protect officers on patrol at night. However, this initial deviation was short-lived. Mr Geddes, the chief executive of the Yorkshire Marine Corps, heard Richardson's idea and traveled to Belgium to observe and appreciate the usefulness of police dogs. He was so impressed by the performance of the Airedale Terriers that, upon his return, he convinced the police chief to create and implement a plan to use dogs to accompany officers on patrols. After some assessment of intelligence, performance, aggressiveness, tracking ability, and lack of sophisticated maintenance of their Airedales Terrier coat, they were selected to fill this role.
In 1916, in the midst of World War II, the British army, which, like the police, had initially rejected the help of dogs, realized the need for "unique fangs." The army needed dog couriers who could quickly deliver correspondence from the trenches of the front. Richardson initially provided two Airedale terriers named "The Wolf" and "The Prince" for use as message carriers, both of which quickly proved their worth. Subsequent animals were given additional responsibilities such as guarding and tracking down the wounded.
Richardson, wrote in a report that assessed the effectiveness of the dogs sent during the war: “During a very heavy bombing of the enemy, the casualties among the couriers, especially when they have to cross a large open area controlled by snipers, under machine gun fire or with serious obstacles, are heavy, and sometimes they fail to get through. It often took the courier two or three hours to make the journey from the trenches, which the dog would have traveled in half an hour or less.
The most famous Airedale Terrier was the dog named "Jack", who personified loyalty, courage and dedication, giving his life to get the message from the trenches to the front, which saved the entire British battalion of the Nottingham and Derbyshire regiments from destruction by the enemy. In the British War Museum there is a small monument: "In memory of the Airedale" Jack ", hero of the Great War." It was not only a dog, but also a hero who, in 1918, saved an entire British battalion from destruction by the enemy. Airedale "Jack" was sent to France as an envoy and guard.
The dog was taken to the forefront by the Sherwood guerrillas. The battle was raging and things were not going well. The enemy sent a massive barrage of fire, cutting off every line of communication with headquarters, four miles from the line. It was impossible for anyone to get through the "wall of death" that surrounded them. The destruction of the entire battalion was inevitable if reinforcements had not arrived from the headquarters. There was only one chance of escape - the Jack Airedale. Lieutenant Hunter slipped the vital message into a leather pouch attached to the dog's collar. The battalion watched as the Jack slipped quietly, keeping close to the ground and using whatever it was trained to do.
The shelling continued and shells fell around him. A piece of shrapnel smashed the dog's lower jaw, but it continued to move. Another rocket ripped through his tough, black-brown "coat" from shoulder to hip - but the dog crawled, slipping from the crater into the trench. After his front leg was smashed, Jack had to drag the injured body along the ground for three kilometers. The glaze of death appeared in his eyes, but he did the hero's job and saved the battalion. Jack was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest military honor awarded for valor in the face of the enemy to members of the British Armed Forces.
Popularization of the Airedale
As World War I ended, soldiers spoke of the courage and daring of the Airedale on the battlefield, boosting their popularity, which peaked during the 1930s and 1940s. Even the heads of state weren't immune to interest in the Airedale Terrier. Among them were President Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Warren Harding, and Theodore Roosevelt. The popularity of the breed increased even further in 1949, and it was ranked 20th on the list of 110 species. Currently, these dogs are ranked 50th out of 146 positions. President Roosevelt said: "The Airedale can do everything that any other dog can." While Calvin Coolidge stated, "Any man who doesn't like these dogs doesn't deserve to be in the White House."
It was during this time that Captain Walter Lingo, an American breeder from the village of La Rue, Ohio, created his own type of Airedale called the "Oorang Airdale". The name was taken from an unusual champion Airedale Terrier named "King Oorang 11" - a service dog that was second to none. This dog could be a shepherd of cattle and sheep, catch water birds and highland game, raccoons and even high-mountain lions, wolves and bears. He even took part in a dog fight against one of the best fighting bull terriers of the time and killed his opponent. The versatility of King Oorang 11 was also applied to the Red Cross, and he served in the war as a member of the American Expeditionary Force stationed at the front in France.
In his quest to create the perfect versatile dog called the "King Oorang," Captain Lingo imported the finest Airedale Terriers he had to offer to the World. Field and Stream magazine named the Oorang strain of Airedales "the greatest useful dog in the history of the world." In order to promote King Oorang, Lingo organized a national football league team called the Oorang Indians, which played two full seasons in 1922 and 1923. Breeding and development of this super-Airedale continued at the Oorang Kennel until Lingo's death in 1969.
Nowadays, the popularity of the Airedale is reviving. In 1996, Disney released 101 Dalmatians, which starred The Keeper, a heroic Airedale who rescues puppies. Whether at home, in the movies or on the hunt, the Airedales Terrier are intelligent and versatile dogs that have demonstrated their prowess in many events, including the show ring. Albert Payson, in an article for Nature magazine, described the Airedale Terrier as follows: “He is fast, formidable, graceful, big-brained, the perfect companion and guardian. He can be taught almost everything if his trainer has the slightest gift for teaching. Compact, sinewy - everything in it. An ideal machine with a plus-brain."
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