I’ve heard that Airedales were raised for hunting, but I wasn’t sure specifically what they were bred for. I did some research to find out.
So, what were Airedales bred for? Airedales were bred for hunting both large and small game. They originated from the Yorkshire Valley, where they were used primarily by farmers.
Born out of a cross between an Otterhound and an English Black-and-Tan terrier, Airedales were brought up as utility dogs for the common folk in 19th century England. Whether it was chasing large prey out of their dens or retrieving birds once they had been shot down, Airedales were relied on for a variety of different roles. Over time, the breed was then used by by soldiers and police forces in various roles. Nowadays, Airedales are mostly kept as house dogs, although some people do still use them for hunting.
Airedales as Hunters
Known as the ‘King of Terriers’, Airedales were bred to be the perfect dog for hunting down medium and large-sized game. They had some hound in them, which gave them the nose and instinct to track down prey. They’re also part of the terrier family, which makes them small and quick enough to ‘go to ground’— chasing prey into their dens and flush them out. If you own an Airedale, you can see some of the traits that made the Airedales good for this job:
- Their intelligence helped them operate underground where they couldn’t receive instructions from a handler
- Their stubbornness was needed to chase down prey through a series of burrows
- Their bravery was required to chase dangerous animals into narrow, dark spaces.
Because they were so good at their jobs, many well-off hunters would bring a few Airedales with them when they went large-game hunting. Here, the dogs worked in packs to take on bears, where their ferocity and determination helped to encourage the bears to ‘tree’ themselves — climbing a nearby trunk to get away from the dogs below. Once treed, it was easier for the hunter to do their job.
Airedales were less commonly used as tracking dogs, because they don’t have the same sense of smell as more specialized hound breeds. Instead, they were part of the pack for their ability to go to ground, as well as their sheer ferocity and toughness. Determined, brave, and smart, hunters enjoyed having a few Airedales along with them for the benefits it would provide to their pack.
Even nowadays, there remain a few loyal hunters out there who swear by the Airedale for hunting big game. It’s true that these dogs aren’t the most specialized, and they can sometimes be stubborn or high-strung, but a well-trained Airedale is a good addition to any hunting pack.
Airedales as Farm Dogs
While big-game hunters kept large packs of dogs and would chase down dangerous animals, the smallfolk of the Yorkshire valley faced a very different problem in the 1800’s: they needed to keep their crops safe, while also being able to put food on the table for their family.
To do so, they relied on the use of dogs. However, as farmers, these people often couldn’t afford well-trained, speciality dogs that were used by nobility or merchants. Instead, they had to find a lesser-known breed that was intelligent enough to be trained by the farmers. Enter, the Airedale.
As a new breed, the Airedales became a common sight on the riverbanks of the Yorkshire valley. They were bright enough to learn multiple roles on the farms, where they were asked to do several different jobs:
Pest Control
One of the main issues that farmers during this time period faced was how to keep vermin (specifically large river rats) away from the crops. Because this was such a prevalent issue, there would actually be events held where spectators would gather to watch different dogs compete in their ability to locate, flush out, and then hunt down river rats.
Very shortly after being introduced as a breed, the long-legged Airedale began to gain admiration for their efficiency at this task. Because of this, Airedales quickly became one of the favoured breeds for keeping vermin off of the farms of their owners.
Game Retrieval
In addition to keeping the farms clean, Airedales also assisted as hunters on the farms to bring in food for their families. In this case, the Airedale relied less on their size and more on their speed an intelligence. They hunted two main classes of animals: small mammals and birds.
Small Mammals
Airedales would hunt squirrels and other small mammals, chasing them down and bringing them back to their owners (where they could be used as food). Unlike some other medium or large breed, the Airedales were small enough to be quick and agile, which allowed them to chase down their more nimble prey.
In cases where someone was lucky enough to own more than one Airedale, they would often work together in packs to flush the prey out and then track them down. This instinct still remains with Airedales today; I know stories about packs of Airedales who have never been trained working in teams to hunt in a similar fashion.
Birds
Despite all of their strengths, Airedales are unable to fly (thank god, or they would be even more destructive). Even with a lack of wings, however, they were still able to do a decent job hunting down birds.
For this job, Airedales performed one of two roles:
- Flushing: Farmers relied on Airedales to go into brush and chase birds out, encouraging them to take flight so that farmers could shoot them down. To do this, Airedales needed to not only be quick, but also to be smart enough to read the terrain and learn where the birds would be hiding.
- Retrieval: Once the bird was shot down, the Airedale would be responsible for locating it and bringing it back to the owner. Amusingly, Airedales would often do this on noble land, which technically meant that the dog was guilty of poaching. With the owner standing out of the boundaries of the nobility’s property, they were safe to shoot the birds without trespassing; the Airedales would then retrieve them from the noble’s property.
Further Uses
Although Airedales were originally born for hunting, they served a couple of other purposes throughout the years as well:
Police Dogs
In 1906, a British police officer by the name of Edwin Hautenville Richardson was responsible for training dogs to be used for the aid and protection of police officers. After surveying a variety of breeds, he settled on the Airedale because of their intelligence, grit, and good scenting ability. The dogs would serve for several years before they were eventually replaced by German Shepherds.
World War 1
After proving themselves on the police forces, Airedales were used to fulfill a variety of tasks during the first World War. Originally, they were meant to be messenger dogs, carrying important documents behind enemy lines. The dogs were selected for this task because of their bravery and intelligence. There are numerous tales of Airedales overcoming grievous injuries to deliver vital messages, despite the toll it took on their own bodies.
Afterward proving themselves under pressure, Airedales were retrained to help medics locate wounded soldiers on the battlefield. They performed so well at this task that the Russian Red Army purchased their own selection of Airedales, who were then used for a variety of different jobs: tracking, demolition, search and rescue, and protection.
Airedales Nowadays
With their roots as a utility breed, Airedales still fulfill a variety of roles to this day. Although most people just enjoy them as loyal, loveable pets, some use them for more specific roles:
- Hunting: As mentioned, there’s a small but loyal contingent of people who use Airedales for hunting. Just recently, the dogs gained permission from the Airedale Kennel Club to compete in fowl and fur events, which could increase their popularity as hunters.
- Show: Some people show their Airedales, having them judged for their posture, grooming, and behaviour. The Airedale who presents themselves best in all of these categories will be awarded the victor of the ‘Airedale Bowl’, a tradition that has been around for more than a hundred years.
- Protection: Airedales are not a common guard dog (most people would select a German Shepherd or Doberman for this task), but they take this on a secondary dog for many families. Because of their ferocity, hunting instinct, and strong pack mindset, Airedales quickly adapt to be able to look after their family.