I’ve always heard that Airedales were originally bred for hunting, but I wasn’t sure if they could still serve that purpose today. I did some research to find out.
So, are Airedale terriers hunting dogs? Yes, Airedales perform well as both bird and fur hunting dogs. Their determination and intelligence allow them to be capable, versatile hunting companions.
Since the 1800’s, Airedales have served as hunting dogs in a variety of different roles. Originally they were bred for chasing bear’s out of their dens. Later, many farmers used them as retrievers for all kinds of small animals, including vermin, rodents, and birds. Nowadays, while the American Kennel Association strictly qualifies them as a sporting dog that is not fit for hunting, hundreds of Airedale owners insist that their breed are some of the most versatile hunting dogs out there.
The Hunting Airedale
Because of their history as a breed, Airedales have strong hunting instincts. Their determination, energy, and bravery also make them excellent companions, whether you want them to flush or retrieve prey.
These dogs weren’t raised for sport hunting; instead, they were used by Yorkshire farmers for the much more practical purpose of keeping down the vermin populations on farms and helping to put meat on the table of their owners. Airedales got their hunting stripes by chasing water rats out of barns and poaching birds from the lands of English nobles.
Later, the skills learned during those tasks would gain the Airedale a spot as a recreational hunting dog. In a 1909, Country Life in America article, it was described that Airedales “have a very strong hunting instinct, with few dogs better equipped for shooting over in the cover or in the open. The Airedale’s speed, endurance, and imperviousness to climactic conditions fit him for bird hunting. He loves the water and can stay in it by the hour on the coldest winter day, making an ideal dog for flushing or to retrieve ducks and geese.”
The Airedale has a solid temperament for a hunting dog. They are highly energetic and intelligent creatures, and they need both physical and intellectual challenges to stop from getting bored. More than that, however, they’re a very proud breed, and once they set their mind to something, they’ll follow through with it until the task has been completed. Taking your Airedale hunting is a great way to release their energy and keep them engaged in a sport that they love.
People who hunt with Airedales tell you that they can perform hunt upland game, waterfowl, or fur animals.
Upland Game
Upland game hunting, for those who don’t know, involves pursuing non-water birds such as quail or pheasants. These birds tend to be found on the ground in areas of heavy cover; because of this, hunters use dogs to both flush (encourage the birds to take flight) and retrieve (bring the birds back to the hunter once they’ve been shot).
Check out this video of Bob the Airedale demonstrating his flushing techniques:
Airedales, trained in the past to flush bears out of their dens, excel in this task. Some of them will perform a ‘hard flush’ — charging right in and forcing the birds to take flight — others tend to take a more patient approach. Whichever method your Airedale uses, you can count on the fact that they will cover the area well and be able to identify the likely spots that birds would be hiding. This speaks to the energy and intelligence of these dogs.
Airedales are also excellent at retrieving, and they show little hesitation from penetrate thick cover to the get the bird. They’re smart enough to understand the important of handling their prey with care, and they should return it to the owner on a command or a hand signal.
Waterfowl
Waterfowl hunting is similar to that of upland game, although it requires the dog to swim out and retrieve the bird. Airedales, while not being commonly recognized as a ‘water dog’, are usually more than okay with getting wet. Some of them, however, are not as comfortable in water (my second one was not).
The Airedales coat, which is thick and wiry, does a good job of insulating them against the cold waters that can sometimes be found during hunting season. It does so without getting waterlogged, which can weigh down the dogs and make it harder for them to swim. These two factors mean that your Airedale should be able to swim out to retrieve your bird, no matter how large or cold the body of water is.
When confronted with a water retrieval, Airedales tend to approach the problem critically. They don’t plunge headfirst in; instead, they try to find the most effective way to access the bird.
Fur
When it comes to fur hunting, Airedales are right at home. They’re not as quick or agile as some specialty-bred dogs will be, but that doesn’t mean that they’re a slouch. Whether you want them to tree the game or handle it themselves, Airedales will take to the task with gusto.
In the following video, you see Mike the Airedale track down a racoon (warning: video content may be considered graphic).
Big game
Although they’re now overlooked in favour of hounds, some big game hunters looking for cougars or bears will still bring a couple of Airedales with their pack when they go hunting. The Airedales help to bring grit, intelligence, and determination; their fearlessness will often be a major factor in encouraging game to tree themselves instead of staying on the ground and fighting.
Because of the specialization of certain breed, Airedales have been mostly replaced in hunting circles in favour of hounds and pointers. However, there remain some loyal Airedale hunters who swear by their breed. Furthermore, a lot of old-school big game hunters will still bring along Airedales when they go.
Training Your Airedale to Hunt
One common worry that people have when getting an Airedale for hunting is that it will be hard to train. Much is made out of these dogs’ stubbornness or lack of intelligence, which has sometimes earned them the nickname ‘airheads’.
The truth is, Airedales are both highly intelligent and trainable dogs, as long as you use the proper methods on them. A proud breed, Airedales don’t respond well to criticism or punishment, and if they feel they’ve been wronged, their stubbornness will kick in they’ll be impossible to work with.
Because of this, you should focus on positive reinforcement with your Airedale and reward them for the tasks they do well. These dogs are incredibly loyal, and they love to please their owners, but they also expect recognition in return for their hard work. As long as you’re treating them right, your Airedale will grow to love hunting, and will be able to understand and perform just about any task you want of them.
Another important element of training an Airedale is to give them variation in their regime. They’re a very playful breed, but they also tend to get bored easily. Airedales won’t respond well to repetitive, simple drills; they’re too inquisitive for that.
Instead, try to challenge your Airedale with new and innovative ways to train them for hunting. This will keep the dogs engaged and excited so that they can learn to love what they’re doing.
Finally, it’s especially important that you train your Airedale from a young age, or else you run the risk of them learning bad habits early on. Remember, these dogs are incredibly stubborn, and once they get it in their head that they want to act a certain way, it can be incredibly hard to break them out of that habit.
The AKC and the Airedale Controversy
Although they were originally brought up to be hunting dogs, it took a long time for Airedales to finally be recognized as such by the American Kennel Club (AKC). Because the Airedales were used mostly by countryfolk and for practical reasons, they gained a ‘jack of all trades, master of none’ reputation within hunting circles when they were first introduced to America in the early 1900’s. Later, as people migrated to cities and hunting became more of a sport, Airedales were replaced with specialty breeds.
Despite this, hundreds of people still used Airedales for hunting, and they went through a lot of trouble to try and get the breed recognized as a viable hunting dog. The Airedale Terrier Club of America spent years requesting that the competitions they ran with their Airedales be recognized as legitimate. The AKC refused, stating that they did not believe that Airedales would perform up to the standards of other dogs.
Finally, in 2009, the AKC allowed Airedales to compete in spaniel contests; this essentially means that Airedales can attain hunting titles, and should lead to wider recognition in their use as a legitimate gun dog.