Page 31 - ShowSight Presents - The Airedale Terrier
P. 31
Declaration
In December of 1879, “I agree to the above standard, and will base my decisions on it” was signed by the following judges and breeders: W. Lort, Fron Goch Hall; J. Percival, Birmingham; John Inman; S. W. Wildman, Bingley; John Fisher; Edward Sandell; J. Speed; John Crosland, Junr, Wakefield; Charles W. Brinsley; T. Kirby; and Reginald Knight, Chappel Allerton.
“The standard having received the support and approval of the above and other judges and breeders, it is to be hoped that others will endeavor to reconcile their views to it, and that the Airedale Terrier will not suffer, as so many other Terriers have done, from a plethora of types, each judge at the same time advocating his own particular prejudices to the injury of the breed.”
Part 3
Proven Versatility
By Scott Boeving
There is no question that a well- groomed Airedale in the show ring is truly a thing of beauty. On his toes, his alert stature will take your breath away. On the other hand, in World War I, the Airedale Terriers were used as Red Cross dogs, messenger and patrol dogs saving thousands of lives. Over 2,000 Airedales were used in World War II, as well. Our present-day Airedale has all of the ability and intelligence that was prevalent in the beginning, but with more refinement in appearance. And he is still, today, more worthy than ever of his title, “The King of Terriers.”
Mr. Knight’s Standard of the Airedale Terrier
Part 4
The Airedale Terrier – A Hunting Dog?
By Karen Copley
In the mid-1800s, practical Northern English farmers needed a game dog that would go after vermin as well as bring in food for the table. Thus, they developed the Airedale Terrier. Developed to be an independent thinker, an auto-pilot of sorts, he was even able to poach dinner from the local land owners’ stock if requested. They were used to guard, herd and watch the children all in the same day, making them one of the most multi-talented dogs ever bred.
The Airedale’s introduction into North America in the early 1900s encouraged an expansion of their farm skills and hunt- ing skills to include them in the pursuit of “big game” such as bear and wildcats. Still today, the breed is known for having a very strong hunting instinct, with few dogs better equipped for shooting in the cover or in the open. The Airedale’s speed, endurance and imperviousness to climac- tic conditions fit him for almost all hunt- ing conditions.
In the March 1921 issue of Outing, the breed was honored for “being an excellent retriever, particularly from the water.”
Today the Airedale is an active hunt- ing companion for both large and small game, and all varieties of fowl. The Aire- dale has the distinguished title of the original “three-in-one” gun dog equally able to handle upland birds, waterfowl and fur-bearing game. Airedales are currently competing for AKC titles in the Spaniel tests and competitors have obtained many successful titles in the three years that they have been approved to compete.
The breed also competes in tracking events; AKC Tracking and Non-AKC Sanctioned Fur tracking. The fur track- ing events are especially fun for the dogs. Scent is laid, and they must track to find the quarry, usually a caged raccoon. The dog finding the raccoon and announcing his find by an excited series of barks her- alds successful completion of the fur track.
Part 5
Where Have All The Airedales Gone?
(portions reprinted with permis- sion of The American Airedale)
By Lisa Berglin
During the last few years we have all seen the decline in our Airedale entries. Many in the fancy chalk this up to various reasons including a downturned economy, busy families, a labor intense breed, hybrid mixes, aging dog enthusiasts and a lack of newcomers into the dog world.
While at Montgomery County last year, the ATCA Historian was able to talk to other Airedalers from different countries and they, too, reported the same problems. Sensing some concern, but not know- ing the depth of the problem, our histo- rian decided to compare three different indicators of breed numbers. The period compared included from the year 2000 to the year 2010. The first was Montgomery County Entries. While the numbers tend to “put us to sleep” they are paramount in importance for future considerations. Our breed entries dropped a whopping 52% in comparing the entries separated by just 10 years. Digging deeper, I counted the ATCA membership from our last 2 year books – each book covering ten years end- ing in Year 2000 and Year 2010. The drop there was 24%.
