Airedale Terriers - my new pups

[Bleenie]

Since I rehomed the Rottweiler that we had taken in, I have been having problems with predators & the birds. So, just yesterday I adopted 2 female Airedale pups. I ended up with 2 because I couldn't choose when we stopped to pick them out. I also thought they may do better in a pair? They are SO cute together

So, my new girls are 12wks old. are all set with shots and wormings so far and are so sweet. They are even good with the birds, almost couldn't care less about them being there

. They love the cat and other dogs too and are picking up on potty training quickly. I already figured they would be good for keeping the critters away but the owner did tell me a littler more about their "guarding abilities", He also says they should help keep the coyotes away.

What I really want is to hear from other owners about their dogs, like temperment, methods of training and all that good stuff. The owner did say that they don't respond well to being punished harshly, like yelling and stuff.

Here's my new girls: Hazlenut(smooth face) & Mulberry(this one may change though)

 

[Bleenie]

anyone else here have an Airedale??

 

[punk-a-doodle]

My parents have our family dog, who is an airedale. Don't get to see him much anymore, but love it when I do. Love that puppy stage when they still have black on their ears. <3

 

[Hoss1975]

I used to have an airedale,her name was annie.They are high strung dogs,difficult to train.Start training now or you will have a couple hellion's on your hands.

 

[discoveregg]

Your puppies are darling

I would suggest you find a local breeder to answer your questions, they are a good source of info and usually more than willing to help.

 

[dutchhollow]

depending on what lines they are from, they can have a very high prey drive. Even though they were fine with your birds today, do not count on that being the case, keep an eye on them, and teach them very early they are not to touch them. Terriers can be hard to train if you haven't worked with them before, they (in most cases) seem to consider themselves equals, more like training a teenager, even as young pups, then training a young child. Find a trainer, or class you are comfortable with now and get to work on them. Two dogs of the same age can be great or a nightmare, you will have to crate one and spend time with the other, so they bond with you as much (and hopefully moreso)then they do each other. If they are looking to each other for leadership, they will get into more trouble, pack mentality.
Have fun, they are very cute, and airedales can be great dogs, just need a lot of work (well all do, but their size and prey drive can get out of hand in a hurry!)

 

[Annie84]

they are so cute! With them being a terrier breed, I would definitely keep an eye on their prey drive, as there will be some that won't go after animals, but by far, most terriers will have a high prey drive and will want to go after the chickens.

 

[carolinagirl58]

I hate to say this....but terriers are not usually too good with small animals. Put two together and they get into things that a single dog might not do. I think it's usually a poor idea to get two new pups at the same time. they tend to bond with each other and not as much to their owner. Training must be done separatly, especially house training. Airedales (and really most terriers) can be very stubborn and hard to train. Put a second one in the mix and the problems double. Get enrolled in some obediance classed ASAP, with a separate handler for each dog. Good luck! Terriers are a ton of fun!

 

[Bleenie]

I read a little online and now after reading your guys' comments, I think I am going to rehome the bigger girl. She is doing better on house training & sits already but she is a little more hard headed than her sister.. and maybe it is just because they're still together, but I really want the dog to bond with ME, not eachother. Thanks for the feedback everyone

So they do lighten up with age? I was thinking they would since all the pics I saw of adult dogs were very light colored.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Oh, I'm sorry, I somehow missed most of your post. I just saw the photos and the question if anyone owned them. Yes, others are right. They are very, very high prey drive dogs...ours was from non-working lines, but he still would try to hunt down anything. I would not trust him, even if he had been raised around a family cat, not to kill it someday. When he visits, he is allowed supervised time with our smallest cat who is good around dogs, but never is left alone with her. That said, our cattle dog (a breed that has been known to have strong prey drive) is completely trusted with all our pets. This wasn't just trained into her, she does not exhibit prey drive, but rather goes out of her way to nurture smaller animals. So, its can be a case by case thing, but prey drive is something I've seen the best trained dogs not be able to resist..usually when people least expect it. So..just be very aware of that with the breed. My parents did use an electric collar on him when living in England, as dogs will be shot who go after sheep, and he went after sheep. One zap, and he lost interest. I don't recommend them in most dogs, but terriers are a harder breed, and when a dog like that is determined to do something that will get them killed unless they have a hundred percent compliance...seems like the much better option to me.
I've never heard of them being used as a guardian...anything. They are bred to hunt, and they do it well. Ours will sooner lick a robber than growl. They have otter hound in them, and they will wander much, much more than other terriers. They care about smelling and hunting, not about sheep or property. Sure they'll go after coyotes, but also rabbits, cats, birds, sheep, etc.
I think rehoming one of the two is very wise indeed. As others have said, raising two dogs of the same age can cause many problems, from them being more dog oriented to one completely dominating the other. Much better to raise one, then add another dog down the road in many peoples' experience. Some breeders will not even sell two pups to one home. Of course, there are exceptions. Also yes, get thee to obedience right away. These dogs usually need heavy (dog especially) socialization and training. They are headstrong. They are stubborn. But, they also have a sense of humor. And yes, they loose much of the black (except for the back saddle) pretty rapidly as they age. So, take lots of photos.