01/06/2026
The Hunting Airedale...
One could argue that the subtitle of this post could be: âHow is the Airedale Terrier like the Poodle?â
As in the case of the Poodle, there is some distance between the Airedale Terrier we know today, and its hunting origins, but make no mistake, both were hunting dogs. The Airedale Terrier was developed in England in the mid-19th century not by sportsmen, but by pragmatic men who need a game dog to hunt river rats, as well as feather and fur for the nightâs stew pot. Farmers needed vermin control, and if the owner was inclined towards a little larceny, an Airedale could sneak in a little retrieving work (read: poach) on the estates of the landed gentry.
Indeed, Airedales imported to the U.S. in the early 1900s were popular all-purpose hunting dogs. In the May 1909 issue of Country Life in America, the author of one article described Airedales as âhaving a very strong hunting instinct, with few dogs better equipped for shooting over in the cover or in the open. Airedales even pursued bear and wildcat. In 1916, Warren Miller wrote in The American Hunting Dog, âOn the borderline between the bird dog and the fur dog stands the Airedale, the dog that can hunt both.â
The very idea, however, flaunted the traditional perception of what a hunting dog was, namely a spaniel, pointer or retriever. Over the years as hunters became âspecialistsâ at hunting only upland birds, small game, or waterfowl, they wanted their dogs to be specialists, too, and that left little room in the hunting world for an all-around hunting dog like the Airedale.
That that didnât deter the people who knew the versatility of their breed. In the mid-1980âs, breed fanciers whoâd met through the Airedale Terrier Club of America saw significant interest among other owners in preserving and developing the hunting abilities of their breed, and in 1985, a Hunting/Working Committee was formed by the clubâs board.
Around the same time, the AKC began conducting hunt tests for breeds belonging to the âSporting Group,â but the Hunting/Working Committee didnât feel that the Airedale fit into any of the three categories. They believed that the best way to truly test a hunting Airedale was to test the breedâs skill in a three-in-one gun dog test: Hunting fur, upland birds and waterfowl.
The AKC didnât agree. The registry instead encouraged the club to create its own club hunt tests, and in 1986, it did in the form of its first national Hunting Working Weekend. in Ohio. The United Kennel Club, meanwhile, had been quicker to recognize the breedâs native abilities. In the UKC Hunting Retriever Club, Airedales had always have been eligible to run in HRC hunt tests.
Meanwhile, the Airedale Terrier Club of America tweaked and improved its hunt tests over the next few years, and with each test, the Airedaleâs ability to flush, retrieve, track and trail was evident. In 2009, Airedales became eligible to earn AKC Hunting Test titles through its upland hunt tests for Spaniels program.
In 2010, the Canadian Kennel Club also allowed Airedales to earn Working Certificates by making the breed eligible to compete in the Canadian Kennel Clubâs WCIX program.
It begs the question as to why the Airedale Terrier is in the Terrier Group (or the Poodle in the Non-Sporting group, for that matter) and not the Sporting Group. Our reading suggests that it wasnât always the case. The 1905 edition of the AKCâs Stud Book listed the Airedale as a sporting breed. For reasons weâve not yet found, the Airedale was moved from the sporting group to the terrier group, and if anyone reading this can supply the answer as to why, weâd love to hear it.
Sometimes, the reasoning behind an action becomes lost over time. Our sense is that despite the ability of the Airedale to hunt, there has always been controversy about it. Even today, there is debate over there being field-bred hunting lines of Airedales (such as Oorang, Ouachita, Cabin Hill and Mooreland) and Airedales bred for conformation. Certainly, this type of conversation can be found in any sporting breed (just ask the Labrador Retriever or English Setter folks), we just didnât expect to find it in the Airedale Terrier community. Our own view is that the versatility of any breed should be explored, experienced, and celebrated, but admittedly, this doesnât answer the question as to why the Airedale is in the Terrier Group.
Anyone interested in learning more will want to read this article by M.J. Nelson (https://airedale.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Airedale-Terriers-In-The-Field-Dog-News.pdf). Also, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8QRQboeELA&t=4s
Image: Photo of âPal,â aka HR Seneca Have Gun-Will Travel by Jerry Imprevento/Field Dog Imagery appears here with his kind consent. The fabulous Pal is owned by Dave Morgan.
