For the love of Airedale Terriers

His size, strength, and unflagging spirit have earned the Airedale Terrier the nickname 'The King of Terriers.' The Airedale stands among the world's most versatile dog breeds and has distinguished himself as a hunter, an athlete, and a companion.

Airedale Terriers are the largest of all terrier breeds. Males stand about 23 inches at the shoulder, females a little less.The dense, wiry coat is tan with black markings, their long, muscular legs give Airedales a regal lift to their bearing, and the long head, with its sporty beard and moustache, dark eyes, and neatly folded ears, conveys a keen intelligence.

I have always loved dogs, we finally had one as a family pet when I was ten years old it was very exciting. She was a four year old Gordon Setter, called Sophie, she was a very gentle dog but not up to show standard in body, or temperament. So she had been rejected by the breeder, luckily for us as, at last, we had a dog. Here I am with her and my youngest brother Joe.

When she passed away, we got a male two year old Gordon called, Rosco, who was chasing sheep in Wales. The farmer had threatened to shoot him so my lovely mum drove all the way to Wales to pick him up. He was totally wild and she travelled alone with a large fully grown dog on her lap for most of the five hour drive. It must have been pretty stressful and only now do I realise how amazing she was to do that for us. When I was at University in my early 20's, my parents finally got a puppy, Holly our third and final setter. She was totally adored by my parents and was buried at an old age in a beautiful coffin hand built, by my dad, in their garden.

Rolo, my Airedale, has a young Gordon Setter friend called, Mabel, which is really nostalgic for me, as they are not a common breed, in the UK and Mabel is only the third one I have seen since we had them when I was young.

I knew if and when I had my own dog, he or she would take up a lot of time. When I moved back to Kent in 2008, I remember thinking I would, at last, be able to get a dog for my family. We had a big enough garden, but I soon realised I just could not see it fitting into my life with work and two young children. So I put it aside hoping one day it would be the right time. I remember seeing a dog at football when my son was young; it was a beautiful Airedale Terrier. I thought it was the finest dog I had ever seen and I think I knew then, that that was the breed I would choose to have one day. The children had been asking for a dog for a while and in 2019 I finally decided it was now, or never, as Eve was now 17 and Jake 13 and soon they would be grown up and gone. I felt I had the time to dedicate to a puppy, so I set about researching Airedale breeders.

Jokyl Airedales

It's vital to find a reputable breeder and to research the breed before you consider getting a dog, because they each come with characteristics and draw backs. I finally settled on a breeder in Hampshire, Mary Swash. She was one of the first and highly respected breeders of champions. The Jokyl Airedales were established back in 1959. We went to see Mary before the puppies were born, as she had to vet us to see if we would be suitable owners for one of her dogs. Luckily we passed the test and agreed we would take one of her next litter.

Mary recently passed away in her 90's, this July, peacefully in her own home having dedicated her life to breeding and showing Airedales.

Our first family dog Rolo

A few weeks after the litter was born on November 17th 2019, we drove to see them so we could pick which puppy we would like to have; we all had decided on a boy. We let Eve choose him, he was the fattest puppy in the pen, now we know why, Rolo loves his food!

We had a cuddle and Mary put a blue collar on him so she knew which one was ours  then we had to be patient waiting several more weeks, till January 2020 to collect him. We took a while to agree on a name for him, the ones I wanted were rejected so we finally settled on Rolo. I was so excited when the day came, I could not stop grinning; it felt like Christmas morning when I was a child. Here he is on my lap the day he came home with us.

Airedale Coat

He was perfect all the way home; he cuddled up to Eve on the back seat of the car and he did not make a sound. The Airedale Terrier has a hard, dense, and wiry double coat consisting of a stiff outer layer and a softer, short undercoat. The coat lies straight and close to the body, can have a slightly crinkly or waved appearance. The really interesting thing about this breed is they look totally different when they are puppies they are mostly black in colour and over the months the black fur sheds and they become mostly tan in colour.

Airedale History

In the 1800's the Airedale Terrier was a working - class dog, the Airedale was teamed up with ferrets to hunt rats, the ferret would flush them out of their burrows and the Airedale would try and catch them. The news about the adaptability and capability of this breed spread across Europe from Yorkshire near the river Aire Valley where they originated. They retrieved, guarded, chased vermin and even drove cattle home. The Germans recognised their tenacity of spirit and used them as police and military dogs in World War One.

photo credit Nic Bisseker 

These heroic dogs were employed in World War One to carry ammunition , deliver vital  messages, track wounded soldiers in the battlefield and alert them of explosives. They even wore gas masks while carrying out duties on the front line. They transported food and carried medicine.

The breed was championed by Lt Col Edwin Richardson, who sent two of his trained Airedales Wolf and Prince to the front lines in 1916 for use as message carriers. After the dogs proved themselves in battle, Richardson was invited by the war office to set up a British War Dog School the following year. In 1918, an Airedale named Jack attached to the men of Sherwood Foresters, became a war hero when he successfully carried a request for urgent reinforcements under heavy, but ultimately fatal gunfire.

photo credit Getty images 

The Airedale's efforts are an indelible part of British history which made them soar in popularity in the 40's and 50's. However these days you will not see so many around for some reason. I am guessing it is because they are the biggest Terriers and may be considered a handful; they certainly have big personalities. As puppies they really are pretty hard work, but puppies generally are.

They are the perfect dog shape for a child to draw and they just like the vintage dog push along toy we had as children. They have a very stiff walking and running style.

Airedale Puppies

The first few weeks are always hard work with a puppy and being a terrier there was a lot of ripping t-shirts and stealing of socks and shoes. The most scary, naughty, thing he ever did was to grab a huge knife from the kitchen surface and rush into the garden with it between his teeth. I had to chase him around for a very long time, fearful he would cut his mouth open, but all was well, when I finally persuaded him to drop it.

He was such a good sleeper and from day one, slept all night in his crate, with no fuss at all. We used a crate for sleeping till he was about a year old and then we got rid of it, as we were sure by then he would just sleep and not come to any harm. He is such a gentle dog now he is mature and never bites, or chews the furniture. He sleeps the whole night till late, without making a peep.

Here is Rolo in our garden in the first month; this is my favourite photo of him. I turned an old snood into a little coat for him he soon ripped it up and ate some of it.

Rolo Shop Dog

Rolo came with me to my shop from the very beginning, so was he was socialised from a teeny puppy. He has become the perfect working companion and is the best company ever. It is one of the best things that I have ever done, getting a dog.

His favourite spot is in my shop window and he is totally at home there. He loves getting a view of the people and dogs walking on the Pantiles.

Airedale Models

Rolo has always loved having his photograph taken; in fact he is a bit of a poser. He started modelling for me from a very young age. This is the first time that Daisy photographed him; you can still his baby fur on his nose.

His black fur is starting to come out and the tan is coming through here, he is at home trying on my Baroque Armour collar necklace. We practised sitting still ready to become a top jewellery model.

Rolo really enjoys having his photo taken and he also really enjoys eating and he knows that he will get a few little 'fish' if he keeps still and maintains his position. Here he is while he was still very young modelling in my shop. Maybe you can spot he is transfixed by what I have in my hand.

As he has matured, it is easier to keep him still as he has been doing it for five years now and he really likes the attention and he looks forward to his treats. I find him so beautiful, I just never tire from looking at him. He does not even mind wearing his coloured bandanas, for my birthstone inspired instagram.

Dries Van Noten's Airedale

The Belgian fashion designer, Dries Van Noten is also a huge Airedale lover and has had two, Harry and now Scott. I read in a book I was given recently, that Scott his beloved Airedale, is also always ready to step in to model. Van Noten said, "If Scott sees a white background and a photographer, he sits patiently waiting, as if to say, "When will it be my turn for a photo!" He said Scott is also helpful during difficult fittings and that when its too stressful they will have a cuddle, or go out for a walk.

Here is an image of Rolo and Eve modelling my jewellery. They make a very fine duet.

Getting into nature

Having a dog is so good to keep you fit, healthy and connected to nature; as every day you need to set aside time to go out to the forest, wood, or park.

I mostly do the same walk daily, as we are lucky enough to have Hargate Forest on our doorstep. It was also where we walked our Gordons, when I was a child. I have so many memories, especially when it was covered in snow. 

One of the best holidays we have had as a family, is the one in 2021 when we took Rolo with us. We drove to Scotland and stayed on the Isle of Skye. It was really happy and I will treasure those memories.

Grooming

Airedales are not totally hypoallergenic and do shed, but very minimally. I do like Rolo when his fur is left longer and curly as he looks so cuddly but he does look extremely smart when he has his breed standard cut.

They are supposed to be hand stripped to keep the coat looking its best and maintaining the brighter tan colour. However I only did this once as it is a bit painful, takes a long time and if you are not showing the dog, seemed somewhat pointless. I get him groomed by an Airedale specialist and its good to get them cut fairly regularly, as they can suffer from itchy skin.

Here he is in the forest just after a hair cut.

Airedales and Food

Airedales can become overweight quite easily, so watch their food intake, and ensure they are getting plenty of exercise. I have heard of fussy eater Airedales but Rolo does not suffer from this! He is extremely greedy and will do anything for food, he will eat everything.

Stealing from counters and tabletops is another favourite activity of unsupervised Airedales. Rolo was terrible as a puppy, he used to steal anything he could reach. I was collecting my daughter after a long shift, she was hungry and I got her a pizza from the local van as a treat. When I arrived home Rolo had managed to get it down and he had eaten the whole pizza and half of the box, by the time I got back.

I managed to get this issue sorted completely, with one session with a very experienced trainer. He was brilliant and from that day on, Rolo did not go up on the surface or put his head in the sink which he had done every day as a growing dog. Here is Rolo deciding my empty sandwich box from Eggs Eleven is worth a try. He makes me laugh every single day.

Airedale relaxation

My Airedale is very lazy and likes to sleep quite a lot. He has always been allowed to sleep on the sofas, or chairs. I have one sofa, an old Chesterfield of my dads, which I have recently had re-covered in a beautiful fabric and he is not allowed on that. He is very good and never tries to go on it, as he knows it is not for him and he is certainly not short of places to lie.

However, he is not allowed upstairs and never sleeps on the beds; we have cats and he does not get on with any cat, unfortunately. There appears to be conflicting opinions on this as I read before we got him, that as a breed they are not good with cats, but I also read that as a breed they tend to be good with cats, as long as they are well socialised with them from a young age. So the jury is out; our cats were too old when we got him and too afraid to stand their ground, so, sadly,  I never managed to make them happy with each other.

This is what happened to Rolo when he escaped upstairs to find the cats; he received a blow to his nose and a claw embedded itself in his nose; he looked quite surprised.

Famous Airedale Owners

Celebrity Airedale owners are an impressive list. Start with Mrs. John Jacob Astor (wife of millionaire industrialist whose Airedale "Kitty" died on the Titanic - a second Airedale also went down with the ship, a dog belonging to William E. Carter, owner of the Renault automobile company seen being hoisted on board the ship in the movie "Titanic".

Walt Disney was an avid lover of Airedales and they can be seen in several of the Disney movies The star of one feature film “The Ballad of Hector” Ch Jokyl Bengal Figaro An Airedale saved all the puppies in 101 Dalmatians.

John Wayne's nickname, Duke, actually came from his pet Airedale Terrier. When Wayne was a boy he owned an Airedale named Duke, that he would frequently take to visit the local fire station. The firemen would say “Here come Big Duke and Little Duke.” — John Wayne was Little Duke.

John Steinbeck the author had at least one Airedale Terrier named Omar and also wrote about an Airedale in the book "Travels with Charley: In Search of America".

Guide to Airedales

I have to start by saying each one is very much unique.

CONFIDENT

Airedales are confident and rarely take a submissive stance. They are not typically aggressive but sadly I have come across an aggressive dog but in my opinion it is all about socialisation, exercise and stimulation . They must be trained and socialised with people and dogs.

COMPANY 

They like being with their owner and not left alone having said that Rolo can be left alone and he will just sleep it off. I rarely leave him alone as I like to let him join in, whatever I am doing and I do not think any dog should be alone for long periods of time.

STUBBORN 

They will not be the first to back down. They are very stubborn.

DEVOTED 

They loyalty is legendary. They have well developed instincts will alert you to trouble and if your Airedale does not like someone, you probably shouldn't either!

FUNNY AND JOYFUL

They are very funny dogs and their sense of humour is well documented. They are quirky dogs and once you have had one you will be hooked.

PREY DRIVEN 

They are prey driven generally, but having said that, some much less so. Rolo is far too much of a mummy's boy, so although like most dogs, if he sees a deer, he will run. He comes straight back as he realises he does not stand a chance and cannot be bothered to try. He also prefers to be with me than to go off by himself.

GOOD WITH CHILDREN

Airedales are docile and patient with kids, but won't back down when protecting hearth and home.

STEALING AND THROWING BRUSHES

Beware of brushes and brooms, they represent small creatures to an Airedale so they will want to throw it around and shake it to death. The ornaments in your home and your head are in danger once they get hold of one in their extremely strong jaws.

Here is Rolo mid-killing a toy and throwing it around the room.

I would say that if you have the time and can cope with the first difficult two years, while they are pretty challenging, they make the most faithful fun and beautiful pet, you could wish for.

I have recently been commissioned to make a silver pendant with two Airedales. The lady had two much loved dogs, a bitch Brodie and a dog, Archie that have both sadly passed away now and she wants a daily reminder of them. So more on Airedales to come, in my 'Gift for an Airedale lover.'