about airedale terriers...?

Question

a lady i know has offered to give us an airedale terrier puppy from her next litter. i have met her dog that she plans to breed and it seems like a great animal; it was friendly, easygoing, happy...he was a cool dog. if anyone that has or has had an airedale terrier would let me know what they're really like and some info about training and what to expect, i would really appreciate it!

Answer 1

Airdales make great pets if you have room to move. If you are in an apartment or townhome you are asking for trouble though many find that walking consistantly helps. My guess is that the lady breeding could be identified as "friendly, easygoing, happy," basically a cool human and that indicates that the dog is well adjusted. However, it shows no indication of the the other half of the DNA question. Is this your first dog? If so, I would read what you can before you get the dog and DO NOT get it before 8 weeks of age no matter how much the breeder wants to get ti out of the house. I would also sit by and watch a few of the training classes that are being given at your local petsmart on saturday. This is a great way to know what to expect of YOURSELF before training the dog. If you are determined to get the dog I would go ahead and start investing in a crate, and the essentials so that you can have everything more broken in before its arrival (many crates still reak of formaldehyde when first purchased). Be prepared to be kept awake at night until he gets the lay of the land (usually a few weeks) and be prepared to clean your carpets VERY frequently.

None of this is meant to scare you but please give these items some thought before bringing a precious new doggie into your home. - CoolHand

Answer 2

This breed is absolutely wonderful! They are kind, gentle and all around great dogs. Something to think about though- dogs are lifetime committments and these dogs can get really BIG- not heavy so much as tall. My point here is this- if you are planning on having children in the next 10 years- you should probably pass on this breed. I have seen so many large dogs "rehomed" because the family has children and the dog knocks them over.

If you do decide to take in a pup you are in for an awesome reward. Be sure to invest in a good grooming set- these guys have wirery coarse hair that needs lots of brushing, get a crate- you will find potty training easier with one. Training can be $$$ so be sure you are ready for this- a dog this size absolutely must be trained early on (starting at about 16 weeks of age I think is when most trainers will start working with your pup) so they can be a well mannered family member.

Good luck and enjoy!