Just a ? for Airedale owners

[taylor]

I was just wondering what other kind of dogs any of you guys ( or gals ) have owned in the past and why do you own Airedales now or do you have other dogs also and what kind ? Just wondering because out of all the hunting dogs out there the Airedale is one of the less popular ( I guess you could say). I am not saying this in a bad way they are just not that common when compared to other coon dogs , bird dogs, bear dogs or what ever. Taylor Johnson

[Summit Forge]

Taylor,
Since I hunt birds and there are a few good specialists out there that would be better suited in some ways, I have thought a lot about this question.

The bottom line is...I like Airedales. They are fun to be around. I can't imagine a better companion. BUT as we all know they are not for many folks...just too much dog!

Part of the UKC conformation standard for an Airedale is fearless. A good Airedale for me is a fearless and loyal companion above all else.

Ron

[southern]

I grew up in a Dane kennel. My Daddy hunted them in the swamp on wild boar. I prefere an ADT, due to the fact they are extremly intellegent

[Bob McClellan]

I ran hounds for some 35 - 40 years. When I first got into the game there was something we could run our hounds on the year around. There was no closed season on ‘coon, bobcat, or fox. Three counties had an open season on bear the year around, and bounty was still being paid on cougar. Those were the good old days for the houndman. Slowly things began to change. The bear was the first, with a state wide season being established. The smaller animals became listed as fur bearers with established seasons. The cougar was the last to go. Where I live now, I can’t even turn a hound loose for half the year. That isn’t hound hunting as I’ve known it, and I can’t train the caliber of hound that I was used to hunting under these conditions. And let’s face it, I’m not exactly a kid anymore. I can’t follow that kind of hound anymore.

These days I’m more interested in a quick catch dog, and I want a dog that is as much a companion and buddy as a hunting dog. I want a dog that can go with me anytime and anywhere. A hound is a hunting machine; period and end of story. I began looking around for some other breed of dog while I still had a couple of old hounds left. I decided to try an Airedale, and to start him right along with the hounds. When it became apparent that I had found what I was looking for, I added another Airedale. Hey, everyone knows you can’t have just one, right? Those first 2 are old dogs now, and there are 3 others that take the place of the hounds that used to be here.

Over the years there have been a few other types of dogs; a couple of Beagles and some mixed up cross bred terriers. Old Punk, a shepherd/terrier cross was the last to go over a year ago, at the ripe of age of 16 years. Nothing here but Airedales now.

[Wolfer]

Easier queston Taylor is what havent I tried? Predators have always been my game of choice so Hounds were a Natural I Have had some good and more than a couple Bad ones.LOL ran stags for a number of years and when the Kids were young ran a couple braces of beagles so they could enjoy the Music of the race. soem reason or another I mixed Jagds in with eveything I ran ( nothing like a wired terror to keep the blood flowing) got tried of the Longer races so I slowly started switchin from hounds to Western bred Mtn curs. started moving around following the construction game so I got out of dogs.( lasted about 8mos) said the hell with it and went looking for for something that would fit my Needs. Did some research and came up with Airedales. picked up a Jagd and needed a little extra muscle so I Picked up an airedale from Don. I still Have 2 Mtn curs In AK with my Brother and if all Else fails Ill send for them, But from what I have seen so far I think Airedales Might just be the ticket

[Maverick]

When I was first out on my own, I read Palmer's book, and decided the only dog for me was an Airedale. The first one was a nice dog, but a poor hunter. The next was the worst dog I have ever owned. Swore off of them for 20 years, chalking them up as another breed ruined by AKC. Got interested again when a friend told me about Don's dogs. I had decided to make coyotes one of my top animals to pursue, and decided I therefore needed a lurcher. One of Don's (or someone else's similarly bred) would work for everything else, and maybe on called coyotes. But I read a few rare accounts of Airedale lurchers, and decided I really wanted one of those. Getting there is another story though, and an ongoing story.

[Roger]

Because I like the way they look when they retrieve ducks. That's a great picture of Ron Swisher's Forge.