Last Updated: October 20, 2023
The largest among all Terriers, Airedale Terrier is a versatile breed to exhibit all the qualities of an ideal family dog, watchdog, and loyal companion.
This leggy dog breed is helmed as the “King of Terriers” for its size but is one of the most loved family pets for its friendly nature.
Their typical black and tan coat, leggy stature, signature beard and mustache, and a short erect tail perfectly defines their “out of the league” personality.
Airedale Terrier was first bred in the 1800s to hunt vermin, which makes them feisty hunting dogs beside trusted family companion.
Let’s explore the traits of this breed in detail.
How much does an Airedale Terrier cost?
Buying a purebred Airedale Terrier puppy can cost you anywhere between $800 – $2000, which is quite a hefty price.
Because of the popularity of the breed as a family pet and show dog, Airedale Terrier is considered one of the costliest breeds.
To ensure a safe and secure purchase and a happy pet parenting experience, always buy from a reputed breeder authorized by AKC, Airedale Terrier Club (ATC), Airedale Terrier Club of Victoria (Australia), and so on.
How to select Airedale Terrier breeders?
Adding an Airedale Terrier to your family is undoubtedly the best decision.
Here are some unmissable cautions for you before going forward.
- Reach out to only authorized Airedale Terrier breeders recognized by the AKC (American Kennel Club), Airedale Terrier Club of Victoria (Australia), Airedale Terrier Club of Canada (ATCC) and such kennel clubs of repute in your region.
- Visit the breeders to inspect the ambience, condition of the pup’s parents, and litter.
- Don’t hesitate to ask for the pup’s health certificate and vaccination reports.
- Always consider a purebred Airedale Terrier for stress-free parenting.
When does an Airedale Terrier get full size?
With proper pet grooming at home and recommended nutrition, you can expect your Airedale Terrier puppy to get full size between 8-12 months.
However, their emotional maturity comes in their 18th month, when they stop behaving like a puppy.
Besides, diet, home ambience, and exercise, other factors that can impact the growth rate of your puppy are genes, and gender.
Though these hunting dogs are meant to stay sturdy and fit, overfeeding and table supplies can cause them to gain unhealthy weight.
So, make sure to provide your pup with a healthy growing ambiance with a recommended dose of the right dog food.
Remember, they tend to gain weight and need your dotting attention to ensure they eat and work out right.
A full-grown male Airedale Terrier grows up to 20-24 inches and weighs between 50 – 65 pounds, while a female is a few inches shorter and weighs between 45 – 55 pounds.
How to care for your Airedale Terrier puppy?
Caring for Airedale Terriers when they are puppies
Airedale Terrier puppies are highly energetic and full of vitality.
So, devote enough time and attention to your pup in its growing phase.
As a hunting breed, they can be stubborn at times but can develop extreme affection with the nearest caretaker.
Besides sufficient love and care, you must start early socialization and basic command training at home to make your pup feel comfortable and friendly to its surroundings and people.
Airedale Terrier is an outgoing breed and loves to explore the outdoors.
So, unleash your pup in the lawn or open spaces to feed their curiosity, which is also quite helpful in making them friendly.
Coat, paw, ear and teeth grooming are essential to your pup’s daily care.
Before bringing your Airedale Terrier puppy home, ensure that they are 8 to 12 weeks old.
Caring for Airedale Terriers when they grow up
Once your dog enters adulthood, almost after a year, it’s time to revise its daily care routine and dietary intake.
This high-spirited hunting dog thrives on high-quality, protein-rich dog food that you must feed at a recommended frequency to keep up with its sporty and strong stature.
These highly active, outgoing dogs need regular grooming of their dual-layered coat by brushing to strip off dirt and allergens.
Once your dog is back from the outdoors, check their paws, ears, and mouth and do the needful every time to save them from painful infections and germs.
Besides a nutritious diet, your grown-up Airedale Terrier mainly thrives on plenty of outdoor exercises, which is excellent for their mental and physical well-being.
How to groom an Airedale Terrier?
Airedale Terrier grooming is easy and you can do it at home.
These dogs are quite easy to maintain as they have low to no shedding and drooling issues.
Growing up, your Airedale Terrier can be extremely friendly with its human pack but reserved with strangers.
To shed this shyness, start socializing your dog early to unleash their curious side and get comfortable with the surroundings.
Regular coat grooming is essential to shrug off dirt and allergens and evenly distribute the natural oils.
Use a soft bristle brush for gentle brushing.
You can also use your fingers to detangle their coarse and wiry strands.
Bathing your dog once every 2 months is enough for their coat and skin health. You can also trim your dog’s coat and paw nails at home or get it done by a professional groomer for a tidy look without any dramatic trouble.
How much exercise does an Airedale Terrier need?
The athletic Airedale Terrier needs plenty of outdoor activities daily to gain strength and burn calories.
If you want to bring home an Airedale pup, get enough chewing toys and kibbles to vent their destructive chewing energy and protect your valuables.
Walk your puppy in the nearby parks and slowly add variations to its daily workout routine as it grows up.
Involve your Airedale Terrier in intense physical activities daily for at least an hour to support their muscle growth and promote skeletal health.
Remember, they have an independent persona, and routine tasks can bore them easily.
So, try variations with brain training games to keep them entertained. These dogs love to dig, so have a dedicated space for your dog in the garden to let it dig, which is an excellent exercise for their leggy limbs and to vent their destructive energy.
Does Airedale Terrier shed a lot?
Airedale Terriers have wiry double coats that surprisingly shed minimally.
The pups hardly shed till they turn adults when they are more active and start shedding.
However, like other dogs, Airedale Terrier also shed comparatively more during the fall.
Though they shed less, you must brush your Airedale’s coat regularly, and clip it to keep it short and clean.
Besides a soft bristle brush, you can also use your hands to detangle your dog’s wiry fur to gently remove the trapped dirt.
Bathing your dog once every 2 months is recommended to maintain your dog’s coat health.
If you engage your dog in field activities where they get dirty often, it’s best to bathe them after you return to avoid skin irritation due to fleas and ticks.
Are Airedale Terrier hypoallergenic?
Airedale Terriers shed less and are hypoallergenic.
They shed seasonally so you might experience strands of hair rolling on the floor during this time.
Except for this pattern, this breed is otherwise considered safe for allergy-prone people.
If you are looking for a breed that sheds less and is easy to manage, then Airedale Terrier is definitely your pick.
Even if you have pet allergy, with regular pet grooming at home, you can manage and reduce their shedding to a great extent.
Airedale Terrier Temperament
The mightiest of all Terrier, Airedale Terrier is a confident, intelligent, courageous, alert dog with a strong-willed temperament.
Welcoming an Airedale Terrier home will keep you on the hook in managing their highly energetic temperament.
But their intelligent side is bliss for your parenting journey as they are friendly and easy to train with basic commands.
To manage the strong-willed Airedale Terrier temperament, you must be confident enough to lead the game.
However, considering their stubborn side, training your Airedale early to socialize with the neighbors and surroundings is recommended to make them comfortable and friendly.
As an independent dog, your Airedale can be protective of you and its human pack.
So train your dog properly to prevent it from behaving aggressively with strangers.
Though they are friendly and warm with their human family, your Airedale might not be friendly with smaller pets like cats and rabbits if not socialized early.
They are not big-time barkers, but extended isolation can trigger their aggressive side and barking.
So, invest enough time with your furry friend to ensure they grow into a happy dog.
How intelligent are Airedale Terriers?
Bred to hunt since the 1800s, Airedale Terriers are hailed for the inherent intelligence that makes them the most loved breed as an entertaining family companion and shows dogs.
The gigantic Terrier is considered among the most versatile breeds in the world, which is proof of their extreme intelligence.
They are intelligent and outgoing, so more outdoor exposure is the key to offering your Airedale a happy and healthy growing environment.
Because of their excellent intelligence quotient, this leggy breed is a showstopper in every dog show and performs excellently in obedience and agility events.
Needless to say, it is because of their intelligence that they are easy to train and surprisingly become sociable despite their stubborn nature.
Over the years, Airedale Terrier has become the most popular breed as a loving family dog for getting along well with the children and other family members.
Dog experts say Airedale has high intelligence.
They learn new commands quickly and obey them, which is undoubtedly impressive.
Try brainstorming games to hone your Airedale’s inherent intelligence.
How easy is it to train an Airedale Terrier?
Training an Airedale Terrier can be the most entertaining moment of the day if you know how to do it correctly.
This highly intelligent Terrier is very easy to train and shows excellent grasping skills for basic commands since it’s puppyhood.
But, the only condition here is you have to be a confident parent to start training this extremely strong-willed dog.
Since they are stubborn, you must start early socialization to shed their reserved side.
Regular outdoor training is the key to the thriving physical and mental health of your Airedale.
Since they learn quickly, you can alter their daily exercise routine with interesting brain training games to keep them interested.
As mentioned earlier, Airedale Terrier loves digging, so keep a dedicated digging area for them in the lawn to vent their suppressed energy.
This is an excellent way to keep your Airedale engaged if you lack time.
Remember, isolating your Airedale for longer hours can cause separation anxiety and unleash its aggression.
What type of hunting is best for Airedale Terrier?
The determined, brave, and intelligent Airedale Terrier is a versatile breed with excellent hunting skills on land and sometimes in the marshes.
Since, they are mostly recommended for a spacious home, preferably in the countryside, Airedale Terriers exhibit their hunting skills when exposed outdoors.
You can unleash yours to chase vermin and water rats out of the yard and farm.
These mighty and brave Terriers were once used to flush bears out of their den.
Besides, Airedale Terriers are skilled in chasing non-water birds like quail and pheasants and retrieving them from hard-reaching areas with extreme precision.
If you are frequently on adventure trips, take your Airedale along as the most trusted companion on camping to keep bears and cougars away from the site.
With proper training, Airedale Terriers can be the ultimate adventure companion you could ever imagine.
Airedale Terrier Lifespan
The mightiest and the toughest of all terriers, the Airedale Terrier has an average life expectancy of 10-13 years.
These intelligent and versatile terriers thrive on a daily vigorous routine otherwise can turn bore and gloomy.
If you have a cordial home ambiance with enough time at your disposal, then considering an Airdale Terrier is a perfect choice but you must be confident enough to own this strong-willed dog.
They have a high preying drive so take them out on regular walks and hunting small games in the yard or wild to keep them happy and active throughout their entire life.
Common Health Issues In Airedale Terrier
These low-shedding dogs are prone to some low-risk health conditions and a few genetic disorders which can be avoided with routine care and timely diagnosis.
Airedale Terriers can suffer from elbow and hip dysplasia due to their vigorous daily routine.
Besides this, they may also develop vision and hearing problems like cataracts and glaucoma.
Keep a close watch on what and how often you are feeding your Terrier as excess eating can cause bloating and weight gain to worsen joint disorders.
If you notice any unusual symptoms, don’t delay consulting a vet for an early diagnosis and treatment.
Conclusion
Airedale Terrier can be your ideal dream dog to take on adventure trips and dog shows while cuddling them at home.
With unique dog training tips and tricks, you can hone your dog’s excellent inborn qualities to turn it into a cheerful, outgoing dog who is friendly with children and fellow pets.
Remember, they tend to develop an extreme fondness for you and your family members, and extended isolation can lead to separation anxiety.
So try not to leave them alone for long hours and invest considerable time raising your dog in a warm and healthy ambience.
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About Me
I am Chhavi Kumari, passionate dog lover and devoted blogger sharing tips, insights, and love for all things canine. Honoring the memory of cherished Dobermans while inspiring a happy, healthy life with your furry companion.
