Airedale Terrier

Breed stats

Breed group Terrier Size Large Life span Over 10 Years Exercise Up to 1 hour per day Grooming Every day Coat length Medium Coat sheds? Yes
The Airedale is known as the King of Terriers and is the largest of the Terrier breeds. They're very loyal and protective without being aggressive.

The Airedale is very rectangular in shape. The long head is rectangular too with small triangular ears that flop forward. Their wiry coat is very hard and dense. In colour, they are generally black, tan and grizzle.

The Airedale comes from Yorkshire in England and was bred from a mixture of other terriers, primarily as a small game hunter. They have an excellent sense of smell and are often used for tracking so have also worked with the army and police.

They are an intelligent dog and can be trained to high levels of obedience but are inclined to bore easily and need firm, reward-based training.

They are very loyal and are generally good with strangers and children although they need firm training to not jump up. They can be trained to get on well with household pets but their natural tendency is to chase small wildlife.

They need a good amount of exercise and often enjoy playing with toys and swimming. The double coat helps with this as it is waterproof. The wiry coat is very hard and dense and will need plucking at least twice a year, more if being shown.

They are generally very healthy although can suffer from eye and hip problems and dry skin.

Watch our videos about some of the dog breeds in the Terrier group.