New to forum, first Airedale,

[longbow]

New guy first post here. I'll be getting my first airedale inna month. My experience has been Labs and ducks. I have been interested in AD's since I watched them work as strikers on "yotes in eastern Co. 15yrs ago.

I'm a family guy with kids(10yo boy 7yo girl 2yo boy) and a wife. I want to avoid any developemental mistakes and start on the right track with this pup. I have had good success with my labs. Labs have been inside outside(inside at night when cold) dogs, and constant field companions whether the activity in trout fishing,ice fishing or 3-d archery shoots,rabbit hunting, or big game scouting.

I view a dog as a companion who can and should do what I won't or can't do. I don't think dogs are furry fourlegged people. My dogs don't sleep in people beds, and they don't ride in the passenger compartment of vechicles unless the weather is potentailly life threatening.

I am atracted to the general usefulness of this breed it's hardiness and reputation for courage.

I'm looking for general breed specific tips to get this pup started (first 6mo of life) and reasonable expections I should have with is breed in it's early stages of life. Thanx for your replies

[ed]

There can be volumes written here but JMO for the sake of brevity...ADT more like a Chessie than a Lab...add in shorter attention span with very high drive out of hunting working lines. They can do a lot of neatstuff.

[longbow]

I like your description, more like a chessie. I guess the shorter attention span will have to be addressed by shorter but more frequent training sessions, or should I read that as it will take longer for the Airedale.

[oksaradt]

I'm not sure I agree with Ed on a shorter attention span than a lab. My first ADT would literally sit for hours staring at her ball in hopes that I'd get it down again. Having had and worked both ADTs and Labs, I'd say a lab tends to be more manipulative of the handler while an ADT just tries to attain what it wants on its own.
Labs circle, ADTs pursue.
You can get almost any personality in either breed if you select wisely, but ADTs do have specific quirks that Labs don't.
Don't consider a growl from an ADT to be a threat if the situation is a matter of wills versus threat. Terriers are more vocal on average, but again I've had a quiet ADT and a very loud lab.
If you can, determine what you want in a puppy/dog and either test for that or work with the breeder to get such a dog. As you have young kids, then you are going to want an ADT puppy that is more forgiving while you train your children how to respect the dog. Find out if the breeder has socialized his/her puppies with children already before you get it.
I'd recommend you buy the book, "The Dog's Mind" by Bruce Fogle, DVM. It's an easy read and good for any breed.
With a two year old child in the house, I'd try to choose a puppy that has lesser prey drive such that it doesn't take off after the kid when it goes racing past without thinking first.

The ADT is a very versatile breede as Ed pointed out with his photos. That diversity implies you should choose the puppy well for your applications rather than just blindly accept a puppy that a breeder picks out for you or that you choose by the first puppy that comes up to you and sticks to your leg.

Regards,

Jim Delbridge

[longbow]

I'll be inspecting the litter at about 5 wks old, I'll be sellecting a male from the middle of the pecking order.

[wayne]

Longbow,
I have my first airedale and have found that I'm in a whole new ball game from the type of dogs that I have had in the past.(Welsh Spaniel, German Wire Hair, Golden GSD.) Of course every dog is different but here is what I've experienced so far.

If you've had labs in the past, this could be a quite different experience. I would expect your airedale to be , much more independent. more than likely more active, smarter in a thinking way and perhaps quite a bit more stubborn (my girl seems to reason her way thru things as in she literally puts on the brakes until she is satisfied that whateve is troubling her is OK).
I am having a blast with her.

My view:
Get ready to be frustrated. I am the proud owner/handler of an 8 month old airedale. My girl is excellent with our family and is fantastic with the grandkids even though she has not had any contact with small kids.

A couple of hints that I've found works for me:
Get him used to playing with his feet,, clipping nails, etc.
Also depending on your situation
I suggest that you make it a point every time that he comes in of cleaning, wiping off his feet, underbelly, legs etc as these dogs pick up and retain an unbelieveable amount of stuff - grit, leaves, snow, ice balls, etc.
If your pup is like mine, as a youngster he will for all intents and purposes be a smooth coated airedale, give him a few months and his hair and furnishings etc will grow out. Take a good look at mom and/or dad for the amount of hair that they have. Your pup will probably have the same.
You will be pleasantly surprised at the lack of shedding. I brush my girl with a slicker and hardly get any hair off her at all. With my GSD two strokes with the same brush is all it takes to be more fur than a couple of minutes brushing the airedale.
As per your labs, my girl is very mouthy and loves to chew and eats anything.

Here's something to watch for: when his head goes up, ears go up and tail goes up -- he will be gone. Make sure you leash him and hang on until you are absolutely positive (and have tested him thoroughly) that he will respond to your command. A fenced in back yard is good.
Keep in mind that these dogs can be (or are they all?) are diggers.
Wayne