AIREDALE HISTORY
Airedale, a valley (dale) in the West Riding of Yorkshire, named for the River Aire that runs through it, was the birthplace of the breed. In the mid-19th Century, working class people created the Airedale Terrier by crossing the old English rough-coated Black and Tan Terrier (now known as the Welsh Terrier) with the Otterhound. In 1886, the Kennel Club of England formally recognized the Airedale Terrier breed.
During the middle of the nineteenth century, regular sporting events took place along the River Aire in which terriers pursued the large river rats that inhabited the area. A terrier was judged on its ability to locate a "live" hole in the riverbank and then, after the rat was driven from its hole by a ferret brought along for that purpose, the terrier would pursue the rat through water until it could make a kill. A terrier was developed through crossings of the Black-and-Tan Terrier and Bull and Terrier dogs with the Otter Hound. The result was a long-legged dog that would develop into the dog we recognize today as the Airedale Terrier. This terrier was too big to go to ground like the smaller terriers but had many other attributes like scent from its hound heritage, trainability to retrieve and broken for a gun.
America didn't see its first Airedale until approximately 1880-81. Popularity continued to grow and the Airdale developed a rich history of tales of valor as service dogs during WWI and around the world serving as police and guard dogs. Probably one of the most well known in history is President Harding's dog Laddie Boy, an Airedale, that was he first celebrated white house pet. Theodore Roosevelt and Calvin Coolidge also owned Airedales. President Roosevelt claimed that "An Airedale can do anything any other dog can do and then lick the other dog, if he has to."
The larger type Airedale that has come to be referred to as "Oorang" began with Capt. Walter Lingo, of LaRue, Ohio. Lingo developed the Oorang Airedale during the 1930s. The name Oorang comes from King Oorang 11 that was said to be an outstanding utility dog. Lingo continued to create the "greatest utility dog in the history of the world" as dubbed by Field and Stream Magazine. Lingo's kennel continued right up until his death in 1969.
The Airedale Terrier was recognized by United Kennel Club in 1914.
The Airedale Terrier was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1888.
