Post by Alisa on Jan 6, 2006 14:54:10 GMT -5
At the beginning of the Russo-Japanese war in 1904, the Russian embassy in London approached Lt. Col. Richardson, the recognized authority in the field of military dog-breeding at the time, with a request to help provide the Russian army with dogs specially trained to take the wounded away from the battlefields. Richardson promptly responded, and, in due course, his terriers were sent to St Petersburg, the Russian capital at the time. Most of these dogs were Airedales, which were soon accepted by the Russian army as the best dogs for communication and sanitary services. These Airedales had been imported from England.
Both the original Airedale Terriers and their masters/breeders perished in the Bolshevik revolution of October 1917. Airedales were reintroduced in Russia in the early 1920s when the breed was recognized as useful for defense departments.
Special Red Army units of service dogs were created in 1923, and Airedales were also used successfully as demolition dogs, guard dogs, police tracking dogs and casualty dogs. Russia brought dozens of Airedales through official channels from Britain and Germany, and began target-breeding of Airedales. As a result, this breed grew in numbers and popularity.
If you are curious, here a link to the complete article:
www.airedale.ru/history_eng.php3
Both the original Airedale Terriers and their masters/breeders perished in the Bolshevik revolution of October 1917. Airedales were reintroduced in Russia in the early 1920s when the breed was recognized as useful for defense departments.
Special Red Army units of service dogs were created in 1923, and Airedales were also used successfully as demolition dogs, guard dogs, police tracking dogs and casualty dogs. Russia brought dozens of Airedales through official channels from Britain and Germany, and began target-breeding of Airedales. As a result, this breed grew in numbers and popularity.
If you are curious, here a link to the complete article:
www.airedale.ru/history_eng.php3
