Airedale Terriers are one of the most adorable dogs in the world. It is pretty easy to fall in love with this dog breed at first sight. But that does not answer the question, whether these dogs are good for a family.
Airedale Terriers are known for being excellent with children, and this is why they make such a great addition to any household. They’re child-friendly, social dogs that will thrive in your family’s environment!
It can be challenging for novice pet owners to raise and care for an Airedale Terrier. However, even though they are great with children, you need to understand various aspects of this breed and what they require to keep a hold of their child-friendly demeanour and loving nature. Some additional research is still required before making your decision.
The below will help you to fully determine whether this is a suitable dog breed for your family or not.
Getting To Know The Airedale Terrier Dog Breed
Like all the other Terriers, the Airedale Terrier dogs are also very focused and highly driven by nature. This means you need to give them proper jobs to keep them occupied throughout the day. Without proper guidance and stimulation, these large Terriers can quickly get themselves into trouble.
Active
The natural drive of the Airedale Terrier correlates with a more than average need for exercise and activity. Since these dogs were traditionally bred for hunting and farm work, they need plenty of exercise and training to keep busy and happy.
Loving
Airedale Terriers are well known for their loving, loyal, and humorous nature. The Airedale Terrier dogs have an excellent sense of humour. So much so that you can denote these dogs as the clowns of your family.
Love To Chase
Like all Terriers, these dogs also tend to chase smaller animals. No matter how much exercise you give them, this tendency is not going to fade away.
Luckily, you can use this tendency to find suitable jobs for them. You can also use their seizing ability to give them obedience training or complete family play games with them.
Entertaining
Family time with the Airedale Terriers is fun, and you can create role plays such as search and rescue training, tracking, herding, and scent tracking.
Foraging Buddies
Airedale Terriers make excellent foraging buddies. If you and your family love to adventure in the woods, they will make perfect companions. They will even alert you to any dangers that may be lurking around.
Family Guard Dogs
These dogs can also be good guard dogs. When strangers approach, Airedale Terriers often raise the alarm. Even though these dogs do not have typical aggressive tendencies, they can chase an intruder and scare them off.
Their bravery knows no bounds. And because of this reason, the Airedale Terrier can get injured severely. While protecting the family, these dogs do not care whether they will get hurt or not. Their high pain tolerance and determined nature often outweigh their sense of self-preservation.
Recommended Read: History Of The Airedale Terrier Dog Breed
Do Airedale Terriers love kids?
The Airedale Terriers are one of the most affectionate dog breeds that get along with children. If you have little kids at your home, your Airedale Terrier will love to keep them engaged and play with them.
These dogs are sturdy and have a high patience and pain tolerance. That means they can handle some rough playing.
If you have a family of kids that love to run around screaming and playing, then Airedale Terrier won’t get bothered by this. Unlike the Yorkshire Terrier, these dogs are somewhat much more sensitive to kids making loud noises.
If Your kids love a run around in the garden or park, your Airedale Terrier will follow them and run with them throughout the whole process.
Do Airedale Terriers get along with other dogs?
The best thing about Airedale Terriers is they get along with other dogs just fine, and even more so if your puppy has been a part of a litter for the first eight weeks off of its life.
After bringing your puppy home and receiving their vaccinations, I recommend you continue socialising your Airedale Terrier with other dogs if you don’t already have a dog at home. This socialising experience is essential for the Airedale Terriers to form stable relationships with other dogs.
Dogs that haven’t been socialised can suffer behavioural problems towards other dogs, and this is especially noticeable whilst out walking your dog. An unsocialised dog can display aggression, excitable and obsessive tendencies.
Read Here: Dogs pull on the lead due to these three behaviours: aggression, excitement and obsession.
Companionship
The Airedale Terriers are amiable dogs, and they want to stay near their owners all the time. It does not matter whether you are in the garden, taking a swim, playing outside, or hiking. Your Airedale Terrier will always be happy to accompany you.
Like the Dobermann and Chihuahua dog breeds, an Airedale Terrier also picks a particular family member and will pay more attention to that person. But in general, they are loyal to every member of the family. They consider your family as their pack and will always be there to protect it.
Intelligent
The Airedale Terriers are one of the most intelligent dog breeds in the world. Being the most prominent member of the terrier family, these dogs are also known for their protective nature. Traditionally, these dogs were bred for herding and protection. Their intelligence has made it extremely easy for the trainers to train the Airedale Terrier properly.
Playing Rough
We have already mentioned Airedale Terrier dogs do not mind playing a bit rough with the kids. While it may seem a positive characteristic of these dogs, be wary that it can sometimes create a problem. For example, your Airedale Terrier might be too strong and rough for your children to handle. However, if you supervise and educate your children, all will be okay.
Even though these dogs are of medium-sized breed, they have a robust stature and are incredibly strong. While playing, these dogs will always try to give their best and not hold their strength and agility.
As they are not naturally aggressive, the Airedale Terrier will not attack the children on purpose. But due to their strength and size, they can accidentally hurt a child.
It is always better to keep an eye out if your children are playing with an Airedale Terrier.
Playful
Airedale Terrier puppy is quite similar to having another child. They are very playful hence why they get along so well with children.
Hypoallergenic
Yes, the Airedale Terrier dog breed is considered hypoallergenic. They Don’t shed, which makes these dogs perfect for anyone with allergies.
Recommended Read: Best dogs for allergies
Make Time
You have to take your dog out for regular exercises and grooming to keep them physically and aesthetically well. Other than that, these dogs require a significant amount of training and constant attention and love from their owners.
Home Alone
These dogs are best suited for families with one stay-at-home parent who will not get overwhelmed by the rigorous day-to-day routine of these dogs. You can leave these dogs alone at home for a few hours at a time.
Still not sure about adopting? Read here even more about the Airedale Terrier such as coat, temperament, health and facts.
Conclusion
Now that you understand the risks and the benefits of getting an Airedale Terrier for yourself, it will be easier for you to evaluate whether you should get one for your family.
If you do decide to adopt an Airedale Terrier, young or old, there is no doubt that you will not be disappointed about your choice in the future.
