At the earlier dog shows, and, indeed, until the publication of the article by the late Mr. Hugh Dalziel on this breed that first appeared in the Country, and subsequently in the First Edition of this work, this dog was seldom seen, except at Yorkshire and a few Lancashire shows. For all that the dog was kept by the sporting working classes long ere it became a show-bench variety. In the catalogues of early exhibitions he appeared under the name or title of "The Broken-haired or Working Terrier," and sometimes as "The Waterside Terrier," by which latter name he was best known in his native dales. Mr. Dalziel suggested that the name Bingley Terrier would be more distinctive and applicable, inasmuch as Bingley seemed to be the district around which this Terrier was to be met with in the greatest numbers. Several correspondents who were breeders and exhibitors suggested to him that Airedale better represented the home of this Terrier, and this was adopted, and the name Airedale Terrier has attached to the breed ever since. Next to the Fox-terrier and the Irish Terrier, it is the most popular of all the important Terrier group in this country, while in America and on the Continent it has also taken a strong hold. So far as America is concerned, so great is the favour in which the Airedale Terrier is held that some of our best dogs have been sold for exportation thither at big prices. Mr. Foxhall Keene, so well known in sporting circles, has been a liberal patron; while another enthusiastic fancier on the other side is Mr. Oldham, a gentleman who gave over £600 for a trio that included the famous Clonmel Marvel.

In the early shows at which the Airedale Terrier was found he was not the smart-looking animal that he is to-day, nor was there the same uniformity of type; indeed, the variability shown was very marked until the breeding of the dog was seriously taken in hand. Of late years this Terrier has advanced to the front rank of popular dogs with rapid strides ; while besides the great all-round improvement noted above in respect of the breed as a whole, other changes have been brought about in eyes, ears, and coat still more recently.

Light eyes, once a bugbear of the Airedale Terrier breeder, have almost disappeared, as has also the need for the extensive trimming on neck and jaws.

"Waterside Terrier" was, no doubt, an applicable name to this at that time rough-and-tumble dog, who is equally happy wet or dry, and is especially useful, by reason of his strength and his hardihood, to work in and about the rapid streams of hilly Yorkshire. It had the disadvantage, however, of being too general in its application, as being descriptive of work also done by other quite distinct varieties of Terriers.

The Airedale Terrier (Fig. 94) gives one the impression of being a sort of giant relation of the Dandie Dinmont and the Bedlington, with more than a dash of Otterhound in his composition. That he has a lot of hound blood in him, whether the infusion be recent or remote, there can be no doubt, and this was particularly noticeable in the dogs that one met with even ten years or so ago : the breeder, however, has changed all that, and it is the exception rather than the rule to meet with a big-eared specimen in the present day. This Terrier is considerably larger than his near relatives, ranging from 401b. to 451b., very strongly built, the ribs rounder, and the haunches wider and more muscular than the Bedlington, and he is much longer in the leg, and, consequently, proportionately shorter in the body, than the Dandie; he is, like the latter, very strong in the jaw, and the whole head is large; the ears fall close to the cheeks, rather wider and shorter for the size of the dog than in either of the other two breeds ; the neck is rather strong than neat; the whole body stout and compact, and good muscular shoulders, over useful, straight, strong legs and good feet. The hindquarters are firm and square, finished off by a thick, rather coarse tail, docked to about half or a little more. The coat is a right useful one, short, and broken, much harder to the feel than it looks, being a good mixture of hard and soft hair, and, in fact, just the coat to get dry after an immersion with a few good shakes and a roll in the grass; the prevailing colour is grizzle of various shades, with tan, variously distributed, but showing a saddle back with tan legs, tan about face, etc.

Fig. 94. - Mr. W. H. Johnson's Airedale Terrier Briarwood.

Here it may be stated that the Old English Terrier, that at one time was provided with a classification by the Kennel Club but now deprived of varietal rank, was correctly either an Airedale Terrier or a Welsh Terrier. The Kennel Club is, therefore, to be congratulated in no longer bolstering up a breed that had no distinguishing characteristic to entitle it to the dignification of a variety.

Novices called upon to make a selection of a young puppy and knowing only the adult dog would doubtless be surprised to find an animal more resembling the smooth-coated Black-and-tan Terrier than the hard, wiry coat of the mature Airedale Terrier. Alike, therefore, as regards coat-colour and texture the young Airedale Terrier has to undergo a gradual but complete change after about the fourth month. As a rule, the darker the puppies the greater the promise for a good adult coat; while in addition the novice should look for a puppy with a small ear, straight, well-boned fore legs, and dark eyes.

Airedale Terriers are generally good-tempered dogs, bold and resolute in work, very hardy - the day never being too wet, too cold, or too long if there is sport; and whether for rat or otter, duck or waterhen, they are equally good, eager at questing, and as game as obedient. For size there is only one other Terrier to compare with this variety - the Bull-terrier; but whereas the latter is an excellent guard to person and property, by reason of his scanty coat he cannot perform with indifference the outdoor offices in all weathers that the Airedale Terrier can.

On the other hand, "Stonehenge" was informed by gentlemen who had purchased Airedales in considerable numbers on the strength of newspaper reports as to their excellence, that the breed was worthless, wanting in gameness, and, in fact, such arrant cowards that the Airedale Terrier was pronounced a failure. The truth will be found to lie between the two extremes of unmeasured praise and wholesale condemnation. Naturally there are bright and dull specimens in all breeds.

The name Terrier, applied to the Airedale, is admittedly a stretching of the term far beyond its original meaning, for this dog is generally too big for the work associated with the group; but when it was mooted that the word Terrier should be omitted, there was so much objection shown by the "Fancy" that the Kennel Club did not deem it politic to make the alteration suggested. As a water-dog there is only one other variety of Terrier that can be mentioned with him - the Bedlington Terrier.

Of present-day breeders, some of the strongest kennels are those of Mr. G. H. Elder (whose prefix of Tone is so familiar) ; Mr. Clarkson, Mr. Sachse, Messrs. Bromhead and Sharpe, Messrs. Mills and Buckley. A few years back Mr. C. J. Whittaker, Mr. E. N. Deakin, Mr. H. M. Bryans, Mr. W. Tatham, Mr. Maud Barrett, Mr. Bairstow, and Mr. J. B. Holland, with a few others, were to the fore.

The following is the description of the Airedale Terrier as agreed upon by the Airedale Terrier Club : -

Head

Long, with flat skull, not too broad between the ears and narrowing slightly to the eyes, free from wrinkle. Stop hardly visible, and cheeks free from fulness. Jaws deep and powerful, well filled up before the eyes ; lips tight. Ears V-shaped, with a side carriage, small, but not out of proportion to the size of the dog. The nose is black. The eyes are small, and dark in colour, not prominent, but full of Terrier expression. The teeth are strong and level.

Neck

Should be of moderate length and thickness, gradually widening towards the shoulders, and free from throatiness.

Shoulders And Chest

Shoulders long, and sloping well into the back ; shoulder-blades flat. Chest deep, but not broad.

Body

Back short, strong, and straight. Ribs well sprung.

Hindquarters

Strong and muscular, with no droop. Hocks well let down. The tail is set on high, and carried gaily, but not curled over the back.

Legs And Feet

Legs perfectly straight, with plenty of bone. Feet small and round, with a good depth of pad.

Coat

Hard and wiry, and not so long as to appear ragged ; it should also be straight and close, covering the dog well all over the body and legs.

Colour

The head and ears, with the exception of dark markings on each side of the skull, should be tan, the ears being of a darker shade than the rest. The legs up to the thighs and elbows are also tan. The body is black or dark grizzle.

Size

Dogs, 401b. to 45lb. ; bitches slightly less.

It is the unanimous opinion of the Club that the size of the Airedale Terrier as given in the above standard is one of, if not the most, important characteristics of the breed. All judges who shall henceforth adjudicate on the merits of the Airedale Terrier shall consider under-sized specimens of the breed severely handicapped when competing with dogs of the standard weight. And that any of the Club's judges who, in the opinion of the Committee, shall give prizes or otherwise push to the front dogs of a small type, shall be at once struck off from the list of specialist judges.

No scale of points has been issued by the Airedale Terrier Club.