The potential new recruit - Airedale Terrier

[An Taín Hunting Outfitter]

Thankyou Buckaroo, that is what I am thinking too! You are totally correct, every breed has "issues" which are resolved through patient training and I would rather have a dog that requires a little more discipline than a dog afraid to enter cover, cold water or become winded over hard terrain.

To the non-believers, does this dog look unsteady in the field? As the old people use to say "give the dog a chance".




Not the best video but there is so much material available on this breed.

 

[6pointer]

Ronan it looks like you have made your choice and i wish you well with the dog. Terriers i have worked all my life and had some that excelled at deer work. They have a nose that is certainly underestimated reason every one thinks they are killing machines. This is not true and the working terriers and that includes Airedales and Kerry Blues had to have good noses and be will to go were no others go.
Head Strong Sturdy Good nose Needs a lot of training but we could be talking about some continental breeds in this last sentence. What is fact is there are many many good terriers out there working to extremely high standards on deer both in this country and on the continent .Best of luck

 

[Wolverine]

Yip best of luck,time will tell how you get on with her.
Problem with multipurpose dogs is they can be jack of all trades master of none.

 

[Gazza]

In many ways Ronan I take my hat of to you. If you wanted a gundog/deer dog it would be easy to get a lab/gwp but to my reading you are looking for a challenge. Years back when I used to trial GSDs I recall reading a book written by a guy who, like you, looked at the origins of the GSD and decided to try and train a shepherd to herd sheep, after all this is what the GSD started out doing. Guarding and herding sheep. He looked for a young bitch that showed a slight interest in sheep and as I remember did managed to develop this to a certain extent but in no way did this dog turn into a "border collie". The trait within the GSD to herd sheep is very weak.
I wish you every success with your pup and look forward to her progress.

 

[Wolverine]

In many ways Ronan I take my hat of to you. If you wanted a gundog/deer dog it would be easy to get a lab/gwp but to my reading you are looking for a challenge. Years back when I used to trial GSDs I recall reading a book written by a guy who, like you, looked at the origins of the GSD and decided to try and train a shepherd to herd sheep, after all this is what the GSD started out doing. Guarding and herding sheep. He looked for a young bitch that showed a slight interest in sheep and as I remember did managed to develop this to a certain extent but in no way did this dog turn into a "border collie". The trait within the GSD to herd sheep is very weak.
I wish you every success with your pup and look forward to her progress.

+1,admire the fact you're sticking with a dog that you like and as said Thats half the battle,working with a dog that YOU want.

 

[ulverstonbabe]

Pointers are very strong willed but once they've clicked they're brilliant to work with, it's most difficult locating the on/off hunting switch .... we have 8 week old pointer pups and they are proving very bold individuals !!

 

[An Taín Hunting Outfitter]

Can you elaborate a little more about the on/off hunting switch. I think this is my biggest task.....when does a rough shoot become a stalk, when does flushing woodcock differ from tracking. I actually am hoping over time that with key commands, body language and the dog trained consistently the whole way through puppy-hood and adolescence that the penny will drop.

 

[yorksjt]

There are some good clips on youtube of airedales working in different disciplines. There is also a working airedale forum that is based in the US.

 

[countrryboy]

I wish u all the best with it, be intresting to hear how it goes.

I'd guess the tracking shouldn't be too much of a problem as it the most natural thing in the world for a dog to track but u might have bother as others have said about it swapping tracks for a chase instead, but i dare say that can be trained out with careful handling (possibly)

I'd say ur bbiggest problem will be with it mouth, hard mouth is generally regaurded as genetic, u say the sire and dam work but wot are there mouths like, i once seen a terrier eye wipe probably 20ish labs and spaniels on a driven grouse day, best eye wipe i've ever seen actually(inc 2 ftch's and probably a couple off ftw dogs) all the dogs hunted area but came up empty, that yapping terrier brook free from lead striaght to it, almost text book until it tossed the grouse in the air and ripped it to shreds. Althou an old boss had a cracking border that even came out on small driven days, but still hard mouthed, i just dunno how u can overcome it. U may be lucky with ur's but wot will u line it with? I know an hpr trainer with a ftch bitch he doesnae breed as he hasnae seen a sire yet with a soft mouth, and this is a well established hpr breed (and not a hairy crocodile ) so u will have a few obsticles to overcome

As for american dogs/lines they have some strange lines and strange ideas about gundogs (different culture i suppose) over there and a lot off dogs which dinae point here have been selectively bred to hold a point (off sorts) but at the same time some off there everday training methods are very different to here and i personally would not keep gundogs if i had to resort to the methods they use

Finally a few others have mentioned it but a top trainer could train almost any dog to do almost anything, but there are certain things u just cannae train no matter how good u are, natural hunting insticts, nose, drive, style etc (Gazza mentioned this)
U may train ur dog to quarter like a spaniel but it never really will, it's really just going throu the motions, and when it finds a scent line will be off with ears switched off

I really wish u all the best but i think u will have ur work cut out.

PS Is this the first litter of airedales u looked at, or have u choosen this specific line over other lines, it took me 5 years on/off and viewed 4 litters afore i got a gwp pup i was entirely happy with the lines and got the right answers to my questions from the breeder and as a massive bonus purely by chance, a mate breed it of a cracking bitch but i also know 3 off the grand parents.
May still be a lottery but atleast i've done all i can to ensure dog is decent just down to me now