Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Airedale Terrier Breed Overview
- History of the Airedale Terrier Breed. Where Airedale Terriers came from
- What the Airedale Terrier Looks Like
- How Much is the Airedale Terrier Puppy?
- Best Airedale Terrier Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Airedale Terrier
- What Colors do Airedale Terriers Have?
- The Temperament of the Airedale Terrier
- How Long Airedale Terriers Live
- Airedale Terrier Litter Size
- How Fast Airedale Terriers Can Run
- Good Names for Airedale Terriers
- How Intelligent are Airedale Terriers?
- How Popular are Airedale Terriers with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Airedale Terriers and How to Prevent Them
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Airedale Terriers
- Other Things to Know About Airedale Terriers
Airedale Terrier Breed Overview
The Airedale Terrier is a medium-sized dog.
The adult Airedale Terrier stands 21 to 23 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Airedale Terrier belongs to the Terrier Dogs group.
Dogs in the Terrier Dogs group, like the Airedale Terrier, were originally bred to go underground to hunt rodents and other small wild animals (vermin).
Terriers come in a wide range of sizes and shapes, but all terriers are energetic, highly intelligent, and territorial. Terries also have the tendency to escape. They require a securely fenced yard.
The fact that the Airedale Terrier belongs to the Terrier Dogs group is one of the reasons why Airedale Terriers have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Airedale Terrier is generally described as:
- Alert
- Confident
- Courageous
- Friendly
- Intelligent
- Outgoing
History of the Airedale Terrier Breed. Where Airedale Terriers came from
The Airedale Terrier first started in the late 1800s under different names such as the Bingley Terrier or Waterside Terrier.
A lot of these dogs were bred to work during the time they first became most popular.
After the Airedale Terrier had its name properly established, the first Airedale Terrier Club was created in 1900.
The Airedale Terrier is a notoriously independent breed.
They are protective over their families and very loving, but they like to do their own thing and choose how their day is going to go.
This makes it harder to train an Airedale Terrier so it is advised to begin training as early as possible.
The Airedale Terrier is considered to be one of the largest breeds of Terrier available.
They were used in the early World Wars as messengers, guard dogs, sled dogs, and ambulance dogs.
The Airedale Terrier is tough, strong, and very independent.
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What the Airedale Terrier Looks Like
The Airedale Terrier is a medium to large size dog and has a thick wiry coat.
The undercoat is short and soft.
Airedale Terriers are most notable black and tan with specific color separation evident with the neck, back, and mid-torso black with the rest of the body tan.
Variations of this coloring can happen with spots of red, grizzled black and gray streaks, or white spots on the chest.
Overall the Airedale Terrier is a solid, sturdy dog and needs just a light brushing a couple of times a week at most.
Airedale Terriers do shed occasionally and aren’t considered to be hypoallergenic.
The coat doesn’t seem to change from generation to generation, making it a characteristic of this breed.
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How Much is the Airedale Terrier Puppy?
The average price of a Airedale Terrier puppy is $1400. The price of a Airedale Terrier puppy ranges from $1000 to $1800.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Airedale Terrier. These factors include what health records the Airedale Terrier puppy has, the lineage of the Airedale Terrier puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Airedale Terrier based on the many factors that determine the price of the Airedale Terrier puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Airedale Terrier puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Airedale Terrier breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Airedale Terrier Breeders
We have researched reputable Airedale Terrier breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Airedale Terrier breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
McRae`s Highlander Airedales
Puppy Price: $2500.00
AMERICA`S AIREDALE ACRES ( DE AAA)
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Jeffrey Mott
Puppy Price: $850.00
Lorna Burns
Puppy Price: $900
Flack Hollow Terriers
Puppy Price: $900
Adopting or Rescuing the Airedale Terrier
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Airedale Terriers included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Airedale Terrier named Myrtle that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Airedale Terriers like Myrtle on pefinder.com.
Newton is the name of another Airedale Terrier (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more Airedale Terriers that are available for adoption on petfinder.
What Colors do Airedale Terriers Have?
Airedale Terriers come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- Black
- Brown / Chocolate
- Brindle
- Apricot / Beige
- White / Cream
- Yellow / Tan / Blond / Fawn
- Red / Chestnut / Orange
Airedale Terriers come in the following lovely secondary colors in addition to their primary colors:
- White / Cream
- Brown / Chocolate
- Red / Chestnut / Orange
- Gray / Blue / Silver
- Golden
The Temperament of the Airedale Terrier
The temperament of the Airedale Terrier based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Airedale Terrier for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Airedale Terrier here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Dog Directed Fear | 9.7 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 9.1 percent |
| Energy Level | 79.7 percent |
| Prey Drive | 74.2 percent |
| Excitability | 47.3 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 45.7 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 33.7 percent |
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 28.8 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 28.3 percent |
| Stubbornness | 26.5 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 23.0 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 17.2 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 16.2 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 11.5 percent |
How Long Airedale Terriers Live
The lifespan of the Airedale Terrier is typically from 10 to 13 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the Airedale Terrier. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 81 pet Airedale Terriers lived.
From the study, it was found that Airedale Terriers have an average lifespan of 10.7 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for Airedale Terriers to live as long as 16.1 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your Airedale Terrier to live long.
Airedale Terriers live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your Airedale Terrier to improve your Airedale Terrier`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your Airedale Terrier live long.
Airedale Terrier Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 15 different Airedale Terrier birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Airedale Terriers can have is 7 puppies. Also, the Airedale Terrier can have as few as 3 puppies per litter and as many as 15 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Airedale Terrier will have depends on factors such as the age of the Airedale Terrier, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Airedale Terrier will have and how the litter size of the Airedale Terrier compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Airedale Terriers Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 61 different Airedale Terriers, the average speed of the Airedale Terrier is 23.1 mph (37.1 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Airedale Terrier ran in a race is 28.49 mph (45.9 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Airedale Terrier is 12.64 mph (20.3 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Airedale Terrier compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Airedale Terriers
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Airedale Terrier ranked by popularity:
- Newton
- Aldo
- Pacer
- Rusty
- King
- Griffon
- Phileo
- Louie
- Rex
- Howard
How Intelligent are Airedale Terriers?
| Airedale Terrier | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 29 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 15 To 25 Repetitions |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the Airedale Terrier has an obedience intelligence rank of 29 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Airedale Terriers in the `Above Average Working Dogs` category.
This means that Airedale Terriers tend to learn new commands after 15 to 25 repetitions.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Standard Poodle | 2 |
| German Shorthaired Pointer | 17 |
| English Cocker Spaniel | 18 |
| Cocker Spaniel | 20 |
| Giant Schnauzer | 28 |
| Cairn Terrier | 35 |
| Kuvasz | 42 |
| Finnish Spitz | 43 |
| American Water Spaniel | 44 |
| Dachshund | 49 |
| Alaskan Malamute | 50 |
| Rhodesian Ridgeback | 52 |
| Ibizan Hound | 53 |
| Akita | 54 |
| Italian Greyhound | 60 |
| Dandie Dinmont Terrier | 62 |
| Old English Sheepdog | 63 |
| Saint Bernard | 65 |
| Basset Hound | 71 |
| American Bulldog | 77 |
How Popular are Airedale Terriers with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Airedale Terrier.
The popularity of the Airedale Terrier averaged over the years is Number 57 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Airedale Terriers and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Airedale Terrier is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Airedale Terrier puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Airedale Terrier breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Airedale Terriers for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Airedale Terriers here.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Airedale Terriers
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Airedale Terrier.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Airedale Terrier:
- Australian Shepherd (80 percent match with Airedale Terrier). Learn more about the Australian Shepherd here.
- Curly-Coated Retriever (82 percent match with Airedale Terrier). Learn more about the Curly-Coated Retriever here.
- English Springer Spaniel (80 percent match with Airedale Terrier). Learn more about the English Springer Spaniel here.
Other Things to Know About Airedale Terriers
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Airedale Terrier that you need to know about the Airedale Terrier breed: