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Airedale Information
Table of Contents
Congenital Diseases Concerning Airedales
By Dr. David Post, DVM, MS
Congenital diseases and conditions are problems that occur due either directly to the genetics of the dog or because the genetic make-up predisposes a problem. All dogs can have congenital problems and Airedales are no exception. Airedales are generally quite healthy dogs. Responsible breeders try to avoid dogs with serious congenital problems and they pay close attention to existing problems in the breed. There are a number of conditions that have been reported in Airedales and they are discussed below. Some data from the 2001 Breed Health Survey is included. See the related article on the survey.
Allergies are common to all wire-haired breeds including Airedales. This is a climate specific problem that varies in significance in different parts of the country. With allergies, dogs exhibit itchy skin, flaky and dry skin, and a predisposition for "hot spots" which are raw sores that break out on the skin. It is also frequently associated with ear and eye infections. Most vets are very comfortable treating allergic dogs and the condition is generally quite controllable. Breeders generally de-emphasize dogs with allergic tendencies in their breeding programs. In East Texas and much of the Texas Gulf Coast region, I estimate that 30 to 40% of all dogs (all breeds) exhibit some signs of allergies. For Wire-haired breeds, probably closer to 70% are affected in these regions. Others parts of the country are much less affected. With selective breeding, affected rates for wire-haired breeds can be reduced to around 20% in these areas. The 2001 Breed Health Survey reported allergies affecting 23% of the breed nationwide. The survey also reported 19% with “hot spots” and 11% with problems with ear infections. These conditions are often associated with allergies, but it is not clear from the survey results that these were dogs already considered allergic.
Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia is a condition where an animal will start to destroy their own red blood cells, without explanation. It is sometimes treatable, but death often results. It is believed to have some genetic predisposition, but this is not proven. The evidence is strong enough that affected dogs should not be used in breeding programs. The 2001 Breed Health Survey reports a 2.3% affliction rate.
In the mid 1980s, we lost a very lovely bitch (CH. Briggsdale Baby Jane, a True Grit X Baby Gay daughter) to this disease and consequently remain very aware of the disease. Only since the late 1990s have we finally been able to return to the level of quality of Jane in our breeding stock. This illustrates how congenital disease can set a breeding program back, not to mention the personal loss.
Cancers are more frequently reported in Airedales than most other breeds. However prominent dogs dying prematurely is exceptional. Recently, a nationally-prominent show dog did just that by dying of lymphoma at age 4 or so, shortly after several big wins. This unexpected event has made most Airedalers more aware than usual of this class of disorders. Cancers as a rule are more reported now in veterinary medicine than they were a few decades ago. Many incorrectly believe that this is due to greater toxin exposures or other causes. A simpler, and more likely explanation is that dogs are simply living longer than they used to. Improvements in nutrition and dog care as dogs become more a part of the family rather than “just dogs” has greatly lengthened lifespans. Cancer tends to affect older individuals more than younger animals, so we now have more older pets and consequently see more cancers. With exceptions of dogs like the example above, most dogs afflicted by cancer are older and are often great-grandparents in breeding programs. Selecting against the tendency to get cancers under that circumstance is realistically impossible. By the time a dog is a great grandparent, it is often an ancestor of many dogs in many breeding programs. Selection against many of these cancers (if they have genetic origins) will likely wait until there are identified genetic markers for these diseases. Such genetic markers will likely begin to be available in veterinary medicine within the next 20 years. The 2001 Breed Health Survey found cancers to be the most common causes of death in Airedales, but the vast majority of deaths due to cancer are in senior dogs. No particular form of cancer stood out as particularly prevalent in the survey. Melanoma was reported most frequently, followed by adenocarcinoma, hemangiosarcoma, then lymphoma.
Cataracts was reported by the 2001 Breed Health Survey as affecting 8% of Airedales. The survey reports may be a misinterpretation of what is actually nuclear sclerosis of the lens, a fairly common change associated with aging, rather than actually being cataracts. The vast majority of cases were senior dogs, but roughly 1% were affected as younger dogs when juvenile cataracts would be suspected. The survey reported a very low incidence of other inherited eye conditions in the breed.
Cerebellar hypoplasia is where the dog has difficulty walking and seems unaware of where its feet are, but otherwise, appears normal. This condition is a brain abnormality that is inherited (generally) as a simple autosomal recessive gene. Affected puppies typically exhibit signs at 6 to 12 weeks of age. The problem is not commonly reported in the breed. Affected kennels can test breed their breeding stock to identify and eliminate carriers from their breeding program. The problem is under study at the vet school of the university of Missouri (Dr. Dennis O'Brien) and a genetic marker for the problem in Pointers has been identified. The marker is not useful in Airedales at this point but further research is planned.
Colonic Disease is a catchall phrase of large bowel problems (blood or mucous in stool, diarrhea, constipation) and Airedales may be more predisposed to these various problems than other breeds. Sometimes the term “sensitive stomach” is associated with this syndrome and some dogs may have the tendency to puke more than most. The origin of these problems can be multi-factorial. Allergies, nutrition, environment, and many other issues are often investigated to identify causes. Often, simple solutions, like dietary modification, resolve the problems without actually identifying the real cause. The 2001 Breed Health Survey reports about 10% of Airedales have some form of problems consistent with the description “sensitive stomach”. This is probably a little above average for breeds in general. Note that the Breed Survey found 4% of Airedales had problems due to eating “foreign bodies”. I have done surgeries to remove tennis balls and rocks from Airedale stomachs!
Heart Disease- The 2001 Breed Health Survey reported heart disease as the third most common cause of death of senior Airedales. It reported that 13% of the participants in the survey were affected by heart murmurs. Murmurs, unlike other forms of heart disease, are generally a benign condition, but affected dogs should be monitored closely by veterinarians.
Hip Dysplasia is the degeneration of the hip joint causing discomfort and lameness. All breeds of dogs can be affected. Smaller breeds compensate sufficiently for the problem in that the condition causes only minimally (generally unnoticed) effects. Larger breeds can be crippled by the defect. It is generally recommended that breeders of larger breeds of dogs test their breeding stock by X-rays to assure that there is no problem. Airedales are included in this recommendation. There are two common ways to "certify" breeding stock as tested for hip dysplasia. The main system is OFA certification . Under this system, a vet takes X-rays (generally under sedation) of the dog when it is over two years of age. The X-ray films are submitted to a board of three veterinary radiology specialists that score the hips as excellent, good, fair, borderline, mildly dysplastic, moderately dysplastic, or severely dysplastic. Any of the first three scores are acceptable without significant bias. The second method of certifying hips is the Penn-hip system. This is a patented technique, run by a corporation and is not as commonly used. Few vets offer the service, since special (expensive) training is required and insufficient demand exists for the service. Those involved with the service consider the system superior since it can be done on dogs as pups and they feel that since it tests laxity in the hip joint, it is a better indicator of hip dysplaysia development, when normal X-rays would not detect a problem. Scoring for the system is numerical with scores below 0.3 considered very good. The average score of Airedales tested in the system is currently about 0.5 and scores above this number are considered inferior. The 2001 Breed Health Survey reports that 11% of Airedales in the survey are dysplastic. This is probably below the actual breed affliction rate due to the high percentage of intense Airedalers in the survey and the likely high average quality of their dogs. They survey also reported that approximately 14% of Airedales in the survey were arthritic.
Texter kennels uses OFA certification and still regards this system as the gold standard of excellence in hip certification. See more information in “Breeders Corner”.
Hypothyrodism is a defect in the production of thyroid hormone that typically manifests itself as primarily skin problems in dogs. Breeding stock can be tested with a simple blood test. All breeding stock at Texter kennels is tested. The disease tends to be over-diagnosed in veterinary medicine. Many dogs with normal thyroid levels may appear to have improved coats, be more reproductively efficient, or just seem to “do better” with thyroid supplementation. But it is a misuse of the drug to use it under such circumstances. Selective breeding for more vigorous dogs is a more appropriate approach. The 2001 Breed Health Survey reports that 7.5% of Airedales in the survey were hypothyroid.
Juvenile renal dysplasia syndrome is kidney failure in young dogs. The problem has been reported in Airedales. A genetic marker has been identified for this disease in Shih tzus, Lhasa Apsos, and Soft-coated Wheaton Terriers. A genetic marker allows a laboratory test to identify carriers of the disease. The disease is more common in the breeds mentioned than in Airedales. The requirements to develop a marker for Airedales is samples from 20 families of Airedales where two or more individuals have been diagnosed by wedge biopsy and finding the gene would cost from $150,000 to $200,000. This study is not currently underway.
Renal failure was identified by the 2001 Breed Health Survey as the second most common identified cause of death in senior dogs. However, the survey identified zero dogs dying of juvenile renal disease of any form.
Malocclusion (teeth that don't meet correctly) occurs in the breed and can develop in pups up to one year of age. Generally, this problem has no medical implications. Unfortunately, some carriers of this trait have been widely used in the Airedale and the problem is unfortunately common. It has been stated that it takes at least 5 generations to get rid of this problem, and this statement does not seem to be an underestimate! Some Airedale breeders have reacted to the difficulty in ridding their lines of this fault, by putting (unethical) veterinary dentists on their speed dials, that are profieient at braces and other devices to "fix" bad bites. Of course, nothing is fixed, the genes are the same, the offspring continue with the problem...... for at least 5 generations.
Sacralisation and Lumbalisation (spondylosis) are where bony abnormalities develop along the spinal column and may lead to some discomfort, lameness, or stiffness. If often manifests itself as the dog ages. The 2001 Breed Health Survey identified 3% of the participants being affected by spondylosis.
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What should I know about Airedale temperaments?
In addition to the intelligence, sense of humor, courage, faithfulness, and playfulness described elsewhere, there are several Airedale characteristics that fall under "behavior".
First, be aware that these dogs are very stoic and can be in a great deal of pain or distress and not show it outwardly. This means they can be in more serious condition due to illness or injury than might be apparent.
Second, these dogs can become "dominant" and be deliberately disobedient toward individuals they consider submissive. This is not a breed for the mild-mannered or casual dog owner.
Third, they easily become bored and restless, particularly if left to their own initiative as "backyard dogs". They can become destructive or escapists or just so independent that they seem not to care. Once these events occur, it is VERY difficult to correct. These dogs thrive as family members, particularly after appropriate training.
Fourth, with some people, including some vets, Airedales have had a reputation for aggressiveness. When I first discovered this, I was surprised since it was the opposite of my rather extensive experience with the breed. Historically, the breed has had periods of great popularity, and this often results in inferior dogs being bred. Bad temperaments result and I think this has occurred in Airedales in the past. To get some perspective on current opinions of dog breeds by veterinarians, I conducted a survey of other vets around the world via the Internet. The question was regarding which breeds were most troublesome visitors to their clinic, with each breed given a numerical rating. Most dogs at vet clinics are quite good, especially under the circumstances. The vet clinic is a very stressful environment for a dog. It smells strange, it is noisy and strangers restrain, poke and prod at the dogs. Some breeds handle it with grace, some try to attack the vet and the staff. However, worldwide vets agreed that Rottweilers and Chows typically were terrible. Chihuahuas were almost as bad, temperamentally, but they were so small, no one cared. Labradors were the example of good-natured, non-problems in the survey and this held up worldwide. Labs are popular and should be. Even an idiot has a hard time messing up a lab! Other "bad" breeds at vet clinics were Shar-pei's and Fila brisilias. Cocker spaniels are either wonderful or awful without much middle ground, and they were frequently mentioned as problems at the vet clinic. Pit bulls also got mixed results. Most with experience with the breed regarded them well.....unless the owner was an idiot that encouraged aggressiveness. Dobermans scored well, despite the reputation. Had the same survey been done at the height of the breed's popularity a few years ago, they would have scored poorly. Now, the popularity fad has passed and the breed reputation has been restored. Boxers did surprisingly well, almost the same as labs! The point to the story, of course, is Airedales....they scored well, about in the middle ("typical dog that comes to the clinic") range. For scale, Labs and boxers scored about 1.8, Rottweilers (the current fad breed) scored about 4.5 on a scale up to 5 for bad behavior at the vet clinic. The score for the "average" dog that walks into the clinic is 2.1. Airedales scored about 2.1. Most mentioned problem seen with Airedales is hyperactivity at the clinic. A lot of vets had no experience with the breed or their opinion was shaped by exposure to one or two dogs.
How long do Airedales live?
Typically, Airedales live 11 to 14 years. They frequently remain active even late in life. Two prominent studs serve as examples. CH. Bravo True Grit was (at his time) the top winning Airedale of all time. He lived to be 15 years old and was seen chasing a squirrel the day before he died. His son, CH Finlair Tiger of Stone Ridge beat his dad's show record and lived a healthy 14 years. Both these dogs from the 1980's are common in current Airedale pedigrees, including the Airedales at Texter Kennels. "Jack" discussed in the stories section of our website was a Finlair Tiger son, and also lived well past 14 years. I specifically mention True Grit and Finlair Tiger as examples of longevity for reason. They are so common in current pedigrees, that any dog that has a rare congenital illness is very likely to have these dogs in their pedigree...perhaps numerous times. Both of these dogs have been (probably incorrectly) implicated as carriers of a number of genetic diseases. They probably carried some, ALL DOGS DO CARRY SOME GENETIC BAGGAGE, but we always take such stories with an element of skepticism. We incorporate the information as part of the total evaluation of breeding stock. As the illustration shows, three generations of Airedales living past 14 years is pretty dawg-gone good! Below is a copy of an article on a related topic.
Longevity and Genetics
The question of dogs dying young(er) comes up periodically with lots of diverse opinions. I have a unique background to access these events and opinions. I have a masters degree in geno-toxicology (toxins causing birth defects/cancers) and spent a number of years doing research on the molecular biology of aging. I am currently a practicing veterinarian.
Certain breeds of dogs clearly have a problem with premature deaths due to cancers. Cancers are known to have genetic predispositions, although the mechanism of the predisposition is not known for most cancers. Boxers very commonly die at age 7 to 10 from cancers. Twelve year old boxers are the exception. The same is true in Scottish Terriers. Golden Retrievers are also clearly predisposed as well. There is some evidence to support the idea that Airedales have some predisposition to cancers, but the problem is not nearly as pervasive as in some other breeds. Many breeders are producing dogs that live to 13 to 15 years old in our breed. However, I suspect this is luck, not design. Usually, by the time a breeding dog gets cancer (a disease of the aged!), it is frequently a great-grandparent! Are there ANY breeders that will cull 4 generations of breeding stock because one older dog died of cancer? Not likely, and probably not appropriate! We will have to await genetic tests for certain predisposing genes to screen young breeding stock for disease potential. Those screens will probably be available for many diseases within the next 20 years. Some are already available for some breeds and diseases.
As for the observation of "more cancer", it is true. However, it is probably not for the frequently voiced concern of "toxic exposure". Cancer is a disease of aging. Youth is infrequently effected. Since pets are living longer generally now (see below), we see more cancers as vets. Living longer? Yep! It is a factor of the success of progress in veterinary medicine and pet husbandry. In the 1960s, most vets saw more "hit by cars" in a week than a typical vet sees now in a year! Why? More and better fences, and pets considered as family members rather than "just dogs". They are kept safer. Nutritional problems in the 1960s? Common. Commercially available, quality diets have all but eradicated these issues. Distemper in the 1960s? Daily event at vet clinics. Now? A handful of cases a year unless the practice is in an impoverished area, where vaccines are not given. Vaccines for distemper and parvo are extraordinarily effective when appropriately used. Why do vets notice these things? Income! Over the last 30 years, vets have had to replace the hit by car, poor nutrition, and infectious disease income! What do we replace it with? Geriatric medicine. Pets are living long, vets have to develop new skills. The vet industry pays a lot of attention to these trends. Yea, not what you often see on Internet lists, but things are dramatically better for dogs now than ever before and they are living longer and living better! And vets are glad!
Oorang and "Working/Hunting" Airedales
During the 1920's, Airedales were among the most popular breeds of dog. Anytime a breed goes through a popularity fad, people trying to make a buck are attracted to the breed and the general quality of the breed suffers. During that popularity swing the largest Airedale kennel in the country was the Oorang Kennel. They advertised nationally with the slogan "A dog of any size for any purpose". This slogan, combined with the general Airedale brag of "my dog can do anything your dog can do, then lick your dog!", stimulated the breed to popularity. The Oorang Kennel even used the famous American-Indian athlete, Jim Thorpe, to advertise. Their operation was so large that they farmed out brood bitches, bringing pups back for sale. At their peak, the kennel produced thousands of dogs every year. In today's terminology, they were similar to a large scale, one breed puppy mill. The dogs varied greatly in quality and size. They did produce some (traditionally) respectable dogs that won AKC championships and some extraordinary hunting stories exist about their dogs' exploits. The kennel faded from existence as the breed popularity fell in the 1930's. However, since they were so heavily advertised, demand for Oorang and "Oorang-type" Airedales exists to this day, and some kennels still produce this type of Airedale. They are not a separate breed, just a variation in type within the breed. Typically they are over the standard size for Airedales (often 25 to 28 inches and 70 to 100 pounds), and are advertised as "working/hunting" Airedales or "mountain" Airedales. Some of these large-type Airedales are descendants from the Oorang dogs and some are not. (The Airedale standard calls for a 23 inch dog, which usually weighs from 50 to 65 pounds.) The large type dogs do have typical Airedale personalities and are very suitable pets for some. They do not conform to several aspects of the AKC standard and their breeders are excluded from the Airedale Terrier Club of America (the national breed club). Members of the national breed club most frequently come in contact with these Airedales through breed rescue activities and general quality of the oversized Airedales in rescue is poor.
There are a few other “variant” forms of “Airedales”. There is a “redline” strain of short haired Airedales, “black Airedales”, and even red Airedales. Most of these variations have only one or two significant advocates and are of minor significance in the breed. Occasionally, a different pup will appear in a litter even of well bred dogs. It will grow bigger than average or have less coat or have more black or less black than average. (It would be genetically extraordinary for a whole litter to have some unique trait that had not been previously selected for.) If you select those different pups to continue breeding, you will see more of those traits in subsequent litters. However, if you continue to pick atypical traits, at some point you have very large, short coated, black dogs and they are not Airedales. They are a new breed. In the case of “black Airedales”, they are not eligible for AKC registration. The national breed club has a standard that describes what an Airedale is and quality breeders tend to try to select for traits consistent with that description and de-emphasize dogs that fail to adhere to the standard.
Like most Airedale breeders, Texter Kennel breeds to the national standard for the breed. The national club has a very active and successful working/hunting group that trains and competes with these activities with standard Airedales. A number of current AKC (conformation) champions Airedales also have working/hunting titles.
Shoulder Structure in Long Legged Terriers
David Post, DVM,MS and Laura Post, Phd
(Text of Article as Published in July, 2005 AKC Gazette)
Shoulder structure and its relationship to movement is one of the most confusing areas for breeders and exhibitors alike. The long legged terriers are known to have some variation from standard shoulder structure, but little information is available on what correct shoulders are in these dogs. In order to clarify this confusing issue, a study was initiated where about 50 dogs were radiographed (x-rayed) in standing show poses. Most of these dogs were AKC champions and approximately thirty were Airedales of a variety of bloodlines. Keep in mind, it is not possible to determine a “correct” dog with a measuring tape and a protractor and some x-rays. However, understanding what is really going on structurally is critical to evaluating the overall dog. This study was designed to help develop basic understanding of front structure.
As you review this information, remember that the front legs are attached to the body with only muscle, ligaments, and tendons. It is a flexible arrangement and there is no exact numerical angulation that a particular dog can be assigned. The angle can vary by positioning and the maturity of the dog. Consistency in the radiographs used in this study was carefully controlled.
Figure 2 shows terminology of the bones in the shoulder of a dog and the two angles of the shoulder conformation. The angle of the scapula is from the uppermost point of the scapula to the point of the shoulder compared to a vertical line. The angle of the humerus is from the point of the shoulder to the elbow compared to a vertical line.
Many exhibitors at dog shows talk about a 45 degree angle of the scapula. This is the traditional description of correct front angulation, but the description is incorrect. Rachel Page Elliot showed in her book, Dogsteps, that the correct actual angulation was approximately 30 degrees from vertical. Forty-five degree angulation does not exist, when measured from the point of the shoulder to the highest point on the scapula. The present study confirms Ms. Elliot’s conclusion.
This study attempted to correlate the angle of the shoulder with the correctness of movement. In the 30 Airedales in the study, the range of angulation of the scapula was between 19 and 36 degrees from vertical. Dogs with steep shoulders (smaller angles) typically move in a choppy fashion, without much extension. Most of the better moving dogs had angulation of the scapula around 30 degrees from vertical. There were some dogs in the study had shoulder (scapula) angulation around the correct 30 degrees that did not move well. This indicates the angle of the shoulder is important, but it is not the final determining factor for good movement. We looked for other factors to correlate with correct movement.
The next area of interest in evaluating front ends, is the degree the humerus (upper arm) goes back under the dog to support the weight of the chest. In most breeds outside the long-legged terriers, the forearm extends back under the chest to support the weight of the dog. Long legged terriers have a different conformation and are said to have “straight fronts”, sometimes called “fish-hook” fronts. This straight appearance (when viewed from the side of the dog) is shown by running a straight line upright from the feet to the forechest, continuing through the underside of the neck, to the base of the jaw. To achieve this appearance in long legged terriers, like Airedales, the humerus is more upright than standard dog conformation and does not go back under the chest like it does in other breeds like sporting breeds or hounds. This, in part, gives the long-legged terriers the straight appearance to their front conformations, since their front legs are positioned more forward in their normal stance than the stance of other breeds of dogs. This result is because of the smaller angle of the humerus compared to a vertical line. This upright characteristic of the humerus (upper arm) can be too extreme with too upright a humerus. When this occurs front movement is adversely affected, resulting in choppy movement with little extension. When a long legged terrier has a sloping humerus that goes under the chest, the dog does not have the desired straight appearance of the front end. Correct long legged terriers have a fine balance between too upright a humerus destroying movement and too much slope to the humerus, affecting type. A correct long legged terrier moves with extension and strength and without wasted movement, yet still has the visual appearance of a relatively straight front.
A short upper arm is said to cause dogs to throw their front legs high, sometimes in a “hackney” manner. As the study progressed, measurements were taken of the length of the scapula relative to the length of the humerus to study this claim. In our very small sample of dogs that move in this manner, we were not able to confirm this theory, but we have no data to refute the idea either. All of the dogs in the study that we were able to measure this ratio, had similar ratios of length of scapula to humerus (variation was one centimeter) regardless of their movement.
Another factor considered, was the slope and height of the withers, sometimes called “lay on” or incorrectly “layback”. Airedales and other long legged terriers with prominent withers tend to have beautiful silhouettes. This feature tends to give the impression of a lot of angulation to the shoulder and very short backs. However, we did not correlate good angulation with the amount or slope of the withers. We did correlate that dogs with a lot of slope and height to the withers frequently move poorly. We examined the radiographs of the prominent withered dogs carefully. There did not seem to be a difference in the placement of the scapula relative to the thoracic vertebra or any other anatomical feature when compared to less extreme dogs. The primary difference was the length of the (upward extending) spinous processes of the thoracic vertebras giving the height to the withers. In terms of basic anatomy, specific muscles attach to specific points on bones. Each prominence on a bone has a specific attachment for a particular muscle. The spinous processes are specific attachments for muscles that support the front limbs. Having particularly long spinous processes to these vertebra (high withers) results in a longer length for the associated muscle attachments to have to contract. This may play a role in the tendency for these dogs to lift their legs high as they move.
There was also the opportunity to radiograph one dog repeatedly as it matured. As this dog developed, the angulation changed dramatically. He appeared (no radiographs) to be very angulated as an eight week old pup. When he was radiographed as seven months of age, his shoulder angulation was only 22 degrees, meaning he was quite upright in his shoulder. When he was again radiographed as a fifteen month old dog, his angulation was 36 degrees. This is a lesson in selection. Dogs can change dramatically in appearance and angulation as they go through stages of maturity. A breeder needs to be familiar with the developmental stages of the bloodlines that they use in order to avoid culling a dog in an “ugly” phase of development.
So what makes dogs move differently in front? As the study progressed, and the issues were discussed with experienced breeders and judges, it became apparent that the most important indicator of front movement was the overall balance of the dog. If the dog has extreme characteristics, like an ultrashort back, a very long neck, very high withers, extremely strong rear ends or weak rear ends, the dogs front movement suffered. Further, if the dog lacks balance, even correct angulation will not result in correct movement. This is consistent with the wording of many standards, including the Airedale standard which states “Movement or action is the crucial test of conformation”.
Many breeders select for a particular silhouette in the long legged terriers. This visual picture often includes a long neck, clean, “fish-hook” front, high withers, short backs, and powerful, well angulated rears. It makes for a beautiful picture standing still. However, when the beautiful silhouette moves, if the conformation is actually flawed, movement will clearly demonstrate the flawed conformation. Some defend the attractive, beautiful silhouetted dog with poor movement with an argument about type verses soundness. This argument is incorrect. A dog with correct type in athletic breeds like a long legged terriers, will move soundly. When breeders and judges select for the dogs with too extreme characteristics because they are beautiful in sillhouette, they lose soundness, a fundamental characteristic of type! Characteristics like short backs, high withers, long necks, and clean fronts are ideal until they become so extreme that movement is lost.
The constant challenge for fanciers of purebred dogs is to select for desired type without loss of soundness. Most breeds started with fundamentally sound dogs. Fanciers then selected for characteristics they considered desirable as the breeds develop and evolve. As a particular characteristic is deemed desirable the tendency is to go for more of it. “If a big head is good, a bigger head is better”. Fanciers can go too far. Soon, too big a head results in loss of reproductive soundness, and c-sections are required to deliver pups. There are now a number of breeds that require c-sections for most deliveries. This is the rule of unintended consequences, where by selecting for one trait, you adversely affect another important characteristic. All breeders and judges should be constantly alert for fads and fashions that harm the fundamental soundness of their breeds. Movement is the test of conformational soundness. When selected characteristics have become too extreme or out of balance, movement is lost.
Many thanks to members of the Tyler Kennel Club and the Lone Star Airedale Club for providing dogs for the study, for help in interpreting the information, and for their enthusiastic support of the project.
Figure 1. Does this Airedale have good front angulation? Without feeling the dog and seeing the dog move, you can’t tell!
Figure 2. Terminology of the bones of the shoulder.
Figure 3. The radiograph on the left illustrates a standard front end of a typical dog. The point of the shoulder and the highest point of the scapula are the two points used for assessing the angle of the scapula. Both these points can be identified with your hands. The humerus creates the second angle of the front end. With this dog, the humerus slopes back under the chest to support the weight of the body in this dog. The middle radiograph is a long-legged terrier with a correct front assembly. The angle of the scapula for the dog in the middle and the dog on the left are similar, about 30 degrees. However, the long-legged terriers like Airedales and Fox Terriers have a more vertical humerus like the middle dog. The radiograph on the right illustrates a dog with an incorrect, straight shoulder. The angle of the scapula was 19 degrees with the dog on the right.
The Hair Of Wire-Haired Breeds
David Post,DVM,MS and Laura Post,Phd
(Text as published June, 2006 in Just Terriers)
All mammals have hair, even whales. Among the different species, even among breeds and individuals of the same species, the pattern of hair growth can vary considerably. Wire-haired breeds are unique in several respects. When grooming wirehaired breeds, the hair is stripped or plucked for show dogs and pets have clippered coats. The difference between stripped and clippered wire coats is noticeable, with stripped coats coarser in texture and richer in color. An understanding of canine hair physiology sheds light on this difference.
Basic Biology of Hair
Hair is produced by specialized epithelial cells called keratinocytes which reside at the base of a hair follicle and produce the hair. The pigmentation comes from melanocytes. The hair itself is comprised of an outermost layer, the cuticle, and a cortex which is packed with dead keratinized cells. Additionally, some hair may contain an inner region, the medulla, which has fewer keratinized cells.
There are three types of hair on a dog. The undercoat, composed of secondary hairs, has a soft texture (the shaft of hair is not as densely packed with dead keratinized cells) and is shorter than the other types of hair. Coarser and often longer, primary (guard) hairs are the outermost layer of protection (these hairs are densely packed with the keratinized cells). The last hair category is whiskers, highly sensitive tactile sensors found clustered on the face. With that sensitivity in mind, use care if you decide to remove these hairs while grooming your dog.
Dogs and other animals with fur coats have many hairs per follicle (unlike humans where there is one hair per follicle). The diameter of individual hairs has been shown to increase as the number of hairs per follicle decreases. Thus, stripping, a process which would reduce the number of hairs per follicle, allows the remaining hair to become coarser and more pigmented. In contrast, human hair gets thinner and thinner and can cease growing altogether when plucked repeatedly.
In dogs, hair grows in cycles. It grows to a genetically predetermined length and then it stops growing and dies. Shedding is the result of the weakening of the hair shaft attachment to the follicle. All dogs shed, but the pattern and rate of shedding, like hair growth rates, varies from breed to breed. Some wire haired breeds shed hair in a relatively short time frame resulting in loss of tufts of hair or what is also called “blowing a coat”. Other factors like temperature, hormones (especially estrogen and thyroid), light cycles (longer days encourage shedding), nutrition, parasites, disease and certain drugs can influence shedding. Brushing the coat can also speed up the breakdown of the hair’s attachment to the follicle. Brushing also stimulates circulation and regrowth and helps train the coat to lie flat.
To understand the differences we will divide the types of coats. Normal coats are coats like German Shepherds and Corgis. These coats are composed of guard hairs with a high proportion of undercoat hairs. Short-coated dogs come in two versions, coarse and fine. Coarse short-coats, like Rottweilers and some terriers, have strong growth of guard hairs and much less undercoat hair. The longer wire-coated breeds are a variation of this. Fine coated short-haired breeds, like Boxers and Dachsunds, have the largest number of hairs per unit area, have large numbers of well developed undercoat hairs, and guard hairs are reduced in size. Long-coated dogs also come in two versions, fine and woolly. Fine long-coated breeds like Cockers and Chows are similar to normal coats except the guard hair is not as developed and the weight of hair per unit area is greater. Woolly long-coated breeds like Poodles, Bedlington Terriers, and Kerry Blue Terriers have undercoat hair that makes up eighty percent of the total number of hairs and these undercoat hairs are relatively more developed and coarse compared to undercoat hairs in other breeds. These breeds give the impression of an overall softer appearance to their coats and tend to shed less than other breeds.
The role of the sebaceous gland should be mentioned. This gland associated with hair follicles produces an oily secretion that helps to keep the skin soft and pliable, helps retain moisture, and protects from bacterial infection. The oil film also coats the hair to give the coat the shiny appearance associated with good health. During illness and malnutrition, the hair coat often develops a dull, dry appearance associated with reduced sebaceous gland function.
Pet Grooming
When dogs are shaved, all the hair is cut which makes the undercoat as visible as the outer guard hair. Typically the softer, duller undercoat significantly changes the appearance of the dog, particularly if the undercoat is a lighter color than the guard hair. This appearance can be partially modified in some dogs by raking the undercoat out with a stripping comb. This can’t be done immediately after clipping because the hair is too short and it can’t be done if the hair is of an excessive length before it is clipped. However, if the owner rakes out undercoat regularly, between shave downs a better cosmetic result from the clippers will occur. If the coat is clipped it is important the clippers be clean and sharp and that the skin is cleaned as part of the grooming process.
Care While Grooming with Stripping
There are as many strategies for care of dogs during the stripping process as there are groomers! Unfortunately, little information exists on what is correct and what is incorrect, so a lot of bad strategies exist.
One of the most important aspects of stripping is to understand how irritating the process is to the skin. When skin is irritated in this manner, cleanliness is very important to minimize soreness and prevent infection. The use of a medicated shampoo often before and always after stripping, to reduce inflammation and soreness, makes the dog more comfortable and drastically reduces the opportunity for infection. Figure two illustrates what happens when skin is not cared for during and after stripping. As the pictures illustrate, the skin is both inflamed and infected and the dog required veterinary care after being returned from the groomer. This should never be the outcome after stripping, even with dogs with sensitive skin. If the skin is not clean prior to stripping, bathing is appropriate. Groomers often report that hair is easier to grip and pull if it is not recently bathed. Although there is some truth to this idea, the skin must be clean. Further, after stripping, baths are helpful to reduce the opportunity for infection and make the dog more comfortable. Groomers also will state that the jacket should never be bathed or it won’t lie flat. Towelling and blow drying in the direction of hair growth will train the hair to lay flat, as well as add luster to the coat appearance. This should routinely be done the jacket as it grows as well. There is a happy medium between “never bathe” and bathing too much. The answer to how frequent to bathe depends on circumstances, but it is essential that the skin stay clean! If the skin smells, if you see dirt on close inspection, if the skin is flaky or oily, or if you have just worked on the coat and irritated the skin, bathe your dog!
Some groomers routinely end up with irritated skin after grooming while others always seem to quickly remove the hair without significant irritation. There are a number of reasons for this difference. Some dogs have skin that is more sensitive than others. Some dogs have types of coats that are more difficult to pull which can add to the irritation. Some tricks to reduce irritation include the following. It is important to pull the hair in the direction of growth, rather than “against the grain”. Steady and methodical pulling is more effective and comfortable than erratic, jerky motions. It is also less likely to result in accidental pinching and scuffing of the skin with stripping tools. Most importantly, keep the skin clean.
Once the initial pull down has occurred, the process of “rolling the coat” begins. After a period of time, the new jacket of guard hairs begins to emerge along with an abundant undercoat. The undercoat is typically “raked” with a stripping comb to remove this undesirable hair. It is important to keep the edge of the stripping comb parallel to the skin so that the hair is pulled without the skin being raked and irritated. Again, gentle and steady is more effective that hurried and rough. As the jacket emerges further, the longest guard hairs are selected and removed with the goal of getting a number of layers of guard hairs of differing lengths, so that the high quality jacket can be maintained for an extended period of time.
Typically, furnishings (hair on the legs, chest, and face) are maintained in a similar, but less aggressive manner. Usually the undercoat of furnishings is not raked, due to concern of breaking the longer, desirable guard hairs of the furnishings. The longest guard hairs in the furnishings are often dead hair that will need to be pulled to keep the furnishings rotating, just like the jacket. Furnishings are often bathed more frequently than the jacket and treated with a number of products to keep the hair softer to avoid breakage. These are often oil based products like Vitapointe, that protect the long hair of the furnishings, but often attract dirt and sand. The dirt and sand can result in breakage, hence the need for more frequent bathing.
As you work through the process of grooming with your show dog, and you wonder about whether to bathe, ask yourself a simple question. “If MY scalp was dirty or irritated, and I went to my dermatologists, what would be his first and most important suggestion?” The answer is, “Shampoo your scalp with an appropriate shampoo frequently!” The same is true for your dog. Keep the skin clean!
Fun Stories From The Post Clan
Ash the Cat and the Airedales (or What Our Airedales REALLY think of Ash)
It is fair to say that the Airedales "tolerate" Ash’s presence. Given the chance, they would love to play a big game of tag with Ash being "it". They would also really love it if Ash were to run across the backyard, whereupon the Airedales would be forced to chase after him. Who would win??? I wonder….
I often find one of the Airedales "visiting" Ash as he sleeps on some piece of furniture, usually one of the kids’ beds. The dog can be seen with her front paws up on the bed, body leaning in towards the cat, with her tail wagging vigorously. The cat is motionless with slanted eyes as if to say, "Try it, just try it, I dare you."
I walk in on them and the dog immediately looks at me as if to say, "Now, I was just being neighborly." "Honest, I was." "I mean, it would be entirely rude of me now if I were to say, completely ignore the cat, wouldn’t it???"
What I really think the dog said to the cat when I was not in the room was, "Here’s the deal…. let's play cops and robbers. I’m the cop; you’re the robber. When I say "GO!", you run and then, I catch you. Got it???"
And the cat is saying, "What kind of STUPID do you take me for???"
I do have to be careful when more than one dog is in the house with the cat. One on one, they tolerate each other. Two dogs, and there is a conspiracy in the house. I especially find it amusing when Smash finds the cat and seems to tell the Airedales "Over here, girls!" They all then try to gang up on the cat. Luckily I have always been supervising the situation and the dogs do a little time-out. (To which the cat says, "Now whose the robber, jailbirds?!"
Lady At the Clinic
David and I take a couple of dogs into the clinic everyday. They like the change of scenery and entertain clients. Lady, especially, likes to go to work. One of her favorite activities is to try to scare the boarding cats. The boarding cats stay in cages that are about 3 feet off the ground. Lady, if given the chance, will go from crate to crate and do a "Boo" at the cats, she suddenly raises her head in full view of the cage and bumps the cage. I usually yell at her to stop and she prances over to me, laughing all the way. She loves to do this prank.
A Note About Ash
Ash is a very unusual cat. He adopted a family that has numerous Airedales, a Scottie and four active children. How weird is that?
He adopted us during a rain storm. We were leaving to go to a party and this gray, 8 month old kitten greeted us at our front door, drenched.
I swooped him up and stuck him in a crate in our living room. I usually don't take in stray animals.
My husband, who hadn't yet seen the cat, went up to the crate and said, "Well, look at what we've got in here!" We had talked for years about getting a gray male cat and here he was.
At any rate, we tested/vaccinated Ash and he received a pretty blue collar with a red heart rabies tag. He is now two years old and has the wackiest sense of humor I have seen in a cat. The kids named him Ash Catch'em after the Pokemon character and it is a befitting name. Ash likes to catch all sorts of prey, bluejays being the most common.
One day, during a visit from my mom, Ash appeared in the kitchen in the morning and as is his usual routine, he ate breakfast and then disappeared. My mom asked where Ash was and I said, "Oh, he is napping." My mom said, "Oh?" I then told her about his routine. He eats, naps until 4:00pm when Will gets off the bus. He then eats again and goes outside for a while. He greets David at the car when he comes home from work and will then come in for another snack. Then its another nap and he goes outside overnight if the weather is good. If the weather is bad, he sleeps indoors. I have a gray fur-lined cat bed for him under my desk and he is well camouflaged in his bed. My mom laughed at that description and said, "Is that right?" (a bit disbelieving).
Well, later in the afternoon, Ash quietly appeared in the kitchen and caught my mom offguard. She looked at the clock and it was indeed 4:00pm. Like I make this stuff up!!!!
A Note About Smash the Scottie
I had always wanted a Scottie. I finally got one after a year of stripping Airedales. Decided I deserved it!
Smash had been a funny kind of guy right from the start. He got his name from his breeder and it is a take on his show name, Instant Hit or "Smash".
His breeder is a funny, older woman who often warned me that I should be very careful with Smash because he..."had the jaws of a German Shepherd!" She was always very serious when she said this and always advised me to be careful in how I played with him. This "German Shepherd" phrase got to be a running joke with David and myself.
Part of David's routine is to come home from work in the evening and change clothes. Smash always does a celebration dance at the door when David arrives and then they both go into the bedroom and wrestle a bit after David changes.
One day, when David was wrestling with Smash, our son, Tyler rushes into the bedroom and says, "Daddy! Daddy!! Be careful!! Smash has the jaws of a Sherman Pepper!!" (A four year old's version of German Shepherd).
For a while we thougth about changing Smash's name to Col. Sherman Pepper. That's a name for future dog...
Smash the Scottie and Ash the Cat
Ash has the biggest sense of humor that I have ever seen in a cat. He loves to hide behind furniture and plants and then ambush whoever happens by. Our Scottie, Smash, and Ash are constantly playing a game that I call "The Lion and The Warthog":
Smash, in the role of 'The Unsuspecting Warthog', calmly sniffs the grass by the flower garden while Ash, as 'The Lion', lies wait in the monkey grass.
Out charges the lion!
The shocked and outraged warthog runs for cover as the lion gamely weaves after him.
The lion misses his chance and retreats just as the warthog turns back in seek of revenge. (As in - "They call me MR. PIG!!!")
The lion leaps across the yard as "the jaws of a Sherman Pepper" snap at his tail.
The lion narrowly misses ultimate and certain peril as he retreats behind the shrubs.
Scene repeats endlessly until one or both animals is summoned inside.
Airedales and Obedience Training
You can look in many books about Airedales and read about miraculous stories where Airedales: 'bring down bears forty times the size of the dog', 'rescue schools of drowning children', 'leap over tall buildings' and 'conquer evil'. I think there could actually be a series on TV " ‘Believe It or Not’ - Airedales!" I am being facetious right now but there are a lot of stories of the incredible antics of the Airedale. Some of my stories involve the sense of humor that comes into play while working with the Airedale and why some obedience books rate the Airedale as being stubborn to train. In fact, David has a book title "The Reform School Handbook of Delinquent Dogs" and, yup, the Airedale is proudly displayed in the contents. This is an entertaining book and I recommend it. The author, Tony Wilkinson, gives the Airedale a Delinquency Rating of ‘High – a born brawler’. Other books also talk about training difficulties pertaining to the Airedale.
Well…..I wouldn’t say that they are difficult exactly. They actually are easy to train. You just have to understand what the Airedale’s opinion is of training exercises. It may just be a matter of understanding the body language of this breed and then modifying the training to fit the personality. At any rate here are some of my funnier experiences with obedience training our Airedales.
Jack and the Obedience Class
When David and I were first married, David had a male Airedale named Jack (for Airedale enthusiasts, Jack was a Finlair Tiger son). Jack lived his life as an intact male and when I met him, I thought he was a total male chauvinist. Did I forget to add ‘pig’ to that statement? I meant male chauvinist pig.
Jack, in turn, thought that women should be barefoot and pregnant. I suppose for an unneutered male dog, this rightfully should be Jack’s perspective. However, being newly married and accomplished in my own right (somewhat of a feminist), I strongly objected to Jack’s view and subsequent treatment of me. If Jack could have talked, on weekend’s, he would have rooted himself in a Lazyboy and bellowed for beer service during commercials. In my eyes, David's dog was just plain rude and unmannerly.
In Jack’s eyes, I was a "Biker Chick" who had totally disrupted his bachelor buddy days with David.
I need to add that Jack was far from stupid. Even I could see that he was an intelligent dog. David had entered Jack in a number of obedience classes years before our marriage and Jack would perform numerous and complicated tricks for David.
Years, later, we acquired our first female Airedale, Lady (named Lady in hopes that she would have better manners that the belching/farting studman Jack). I enrolled Lady in an obedience class when she was of sufficient age. We went to a series of classes, which were held once a week. Things were going well until the fourth week when Lady came into heat. I decided not to take her to class, as she was a big airhead.
"Take Jack", David prompted. "He’ll love it and you won’t miss the next set of exercises."
So I did. At home, Jack would always clown around with me. I was not taken seriously at all. I thought that night’s class was going to be a bust but off we went.
When we got to the class site which was held in the parking lot of a veterinary clinic, I became confused as to who the dog was at the end of my leash. Certainly not "Jack the Cool Biker Dude". It must have been his not-so-evil twin, "Champion Jack with A CD Excellent". David never laughed so hard when I got home and told him of Jack’s behavior. Jack not only did the basic exercises of "sit", "down", "stay" (we were learning the beginning obedience steps at that time), Jack heeled OFF lead, figure-eight'd around cones OFF lead, and did my personal favorite, "Roll-Over-And-Play-Dead". He was a performing fool. Dedicated to the cause at all times! Never turned his eyes from my face. Waited anxiously for my every command. The trainer was SO impressed with Jack’s amazing performance. I clearly knew much more that I had let on. Here was a perfectly trained Airedale. I was the proud momma, glowing in the spotlight.
Class was over all too soon and we trotted to my car. As Jack and I stop and I unlocked the car door, Jack backed up behind me and goosed me really hard with his nose up my behind. I turn around and look at him with a "STOP IT!" and I SWEAR he was laughing at me. His mouth wide open and teeth showing just a bit, eyes full of twinkle. This expression, I have learned over the years, is a true-to-Airedale trait. They laugh. Sometimes they laugh with you and sometimes they laugh at you. A laughing Airedale face is worth experiencing if you have never seen it.
The story ended with "Jack the Cool Biker Dude" and I driving home never to see "Jack with the CD Excellent" again. I think he even farted a couple of times in the car.
The True Purpose of Ty Beanie Babies
Late one night, I discovered the true purpose of Ty Beanie Babies. Prior to that night, I was completely unaware that these toys HAD a purpose other than to rob poor haggled parents of money better spent on college tuition. At an hour when perhaps I should have been getting some much-needed rest that I became enlightened. While I was yet again picking up the numerous Beanie Babies which were littered all over the living room floor (thank you, grandma, for that necessity of which my children cannot live without!) when I decided to start throwing the things across the room. Lady the Airedale quickly rose to her feet and started catching the bags as they flew past her. And she could catch them from just about any angle of flight. We now have a new game at our house. It's called "Shooting Beanie Babies". This is a variation on the game of "Shooting Skeet". I yell "PULL" and pitch the Beanie Baby and Lady flings herself off the ground and grabs the Baby mid-air. She drops the toy (well, sometimes she shakes the ba'geesus out of it and then drops it) and I throw another one.
Who knew these Beanie Babies could be so much fun!
Airedales and Children
Lady and Kate:
When I had my daughter Kate, our Airedale Lady did several things that surprised me. When I was about seven months pregnant, Lady had a false pregnancy. A dog’s gestation period is about two months, so when I had Kate, Lady thought she had puppies as well. She started collecting the kids’ stuffed animals and would take them into her "room" and get them in nursing position and nest with them. When I brought Kate home from the hospital, Lady was convinced that I had one of her puppies (i.e. Kate). Lady showed great interest in Kate, always wanting to smell her and clean her. She would often whimper like a mother dog when she would smell, hear, or see Kate. When I would get up at night to feed Kate, we would sit on the living room couch and Lady, who could see us from her room, would sit at the gate and whine and whimper. It often brought to mind a picture of Lady dragging baby Kate into her room where she would arrange Kate and then curl herself around Kate’s body. Lady never got the chance to claim Kate to her imaginary whelping bed. And Lady never acted annoyed with me for kidnapping her baby. Kate often had unusual hair styles because when I would hold Kate in our rocking chair, Lady would come up and clean Kate’s head, giving long licks that would put twirls in Kate’s baby-fine hair. Her hair would then dry in these strange positions. I wonder if this is a variation on the term "cowlick"?
The story ends with Kate and I taking a week’s visit to the hospital where Kate was treated for pneumonia. Upon our return home, Lady’s hormonal tide had turned and she was ready for her brood to be weaned and on their own. Lady couldn’t have cared less about the kids’ stuffed animals or the caretaking of baby Kate.
Another story involving Kate occurred when Kate was learning to crawl. Actually, she was crawling and was exploring every place that she could crawl to. The back door had been opened enough that Kate could crawl out into the opening of the door. She was slowly making her way out the door when Lady, who was out in the backyard, discovered that the door had been opened and, as was her usual style, Lady charged the door with full-speed Airedale-size enthusiasm and baby Kate blocking the entranceway. I realized what was about to happen without being able to pull Kate out of the way in time when the most amazing thing happened. As Lady rounded the corner of the house to approach the back door, she caught sight of Kate and put on full brakes. I thought that this still would result in disaster because Lady did not have enough time to stop. But nonetheless, it worked. Lady came to a screeching halt and then quietly, carefully, as though walking on eggshells, she walked over Kate, the left rear and front legs on Kate’s right side, the right rear and front legs on Kate’s left side. Lady’s movements looked like a football player going through those tires during a workout. One foot in, one foot out, only slowly and carefully. Through the back door Lady came, in a manner befitting her name, gentile and etiquette-wise Lady. Not the "Mac Truck in a Big Hurry" entrance that we usually see.
Airedales and Agility
I had wanted to get involved in agility for some time, but my schedule prohibited the opportunity. Finally, I forced the issue and Ruth and I were off to classes. As a pup, Ruth had been evaluated in a temperament evaluation as being very subpar for obedience and agility training by an experienced dog person who evaluated the whole litter. We disagreed with the outcome of the evaluation and by the time she went to agility class, we knew we were correct. When I arrived at class, the instructor turned out to be the same person that had evaluated the litter. She didn't remember and I didn't remind her......until later. Ruth took to most of the equipment with ease and was competent fairly quickly. Except for weave poles. She thought they were stupid. Pointless. One day, after a full class we went to the weave poles and sent her. After a few struggling runs, it was time to repeat again. Ruth said, “Naw!”. She went through a few poles, turned, looped around, went behind a building, and went and stood by the gate, next to the car. I immediately recognized what she was up to, the instructors were puzzled at the behavior, until I pointed out where we were parked. They didn't want to end the session on a failure. So they had me go get the car, pull it around to the end of the weave poles! We got Ruth, opened the back door of the car, and sent her through the weave poles, and on to jump in the back seat. We got her out, repeated it once, and went home! Ruth is a favorite of the kids any time there is agility equipment around. She patiently lets them guide her on the equipment, over and over. Until she is done. Then they stop.
Airedales and Digging
Airedales are diggers. Terriers. We have enough space that we don't really try to stop the behavior. We regard some mischief as just part of being a dog. Consequently, we have had extensive caves and caverns dug in our large runs and yards. We have holes that were barely 10 inches across at the opening, that had three Airedales come out of them! We have had cave collapses, that fully reconfigured the yard. We have had dogs “disappear”, gone searching the neighborhood for them, only to have them crawl out of their hideout in the yard when dinner time came along.
A few years ago, there was a particularly wet spring and we were a little too busy to keep up with the grass in the kennel runs and it got away from us. We are talking thigh high jungle.... with holes! I had an employee from the clinic come out and help me catch up. Freddie is a great guy and willing to help with anything. But this was a test! It is hard to mow ground that rough, especially when the grass is that long. He was struggling and sweating and bumping along, but he was sticking with it. I was watching from another run as he trudged along, only to see him disappear from site! There one second, gone the next. Mower was there, no Freddie! I rushed over to check on him to find him barely sticking out of a hole, dirty and spitting. He hadn't seen the small entrance to the large cave, and zoom, he was gone! I helped him out and he was ok. I decided not to mention that I had been trying to discourage digging in that particular hole and had been putting poop in it for some time.......
Our son, Will, has had some ferrets for some years. But the smell associated with ferrets eventually drove them out of the house and into the barn. The barn is on one side of our kennel building and dog runs are along the catercorner side. Those ferrets were there no time before the dogs knew they were there. All our dogs can open gates, so we have latches on all of them. The exception is gates that require two hands to open. Chip managed to figure out how to open a two step, two handed latch to a gate in order to get in the barn and investigate the “new” ferrets. Chi-chi had a barn wall and a corner of a large building between her and the ferrets. It didn't matter, she knew they were there. She doesn't tend to be a big digger, but this was for cause. She tunneled about ten yards, under the concrete slab of the kennel building and into the barn, popping up next to the ferret cage. The other dogs knew something was up and let me know. I found her with her head sticking out, (Deja vu, just like Freddie!) right by the cage.
Texter Personalities
Perfect Dogs – We don't have any, and to our knowledge, we have never bred one!! This story section of our web site is designed to give insight into the behavior and health issue of Airedales. Sometimes, people get the idea that if they get a particular dog, it will be perfect. It might be great, but it is still a dog. It will sniff butts, eat cat poop, occasionally eat foreign objects, get sick, sometimes seriously sick, occasionally snap at someone, pee on the couch, dig holes, tear up the carpet and your expensive shoes, eat dry wall, run out the front door and down the street, ignoring your calls. It will also greet you with enthusiasm when you get home, lay at your side when you are tired, and lick your hand when you have no food to offer.
Ruth- She is the mother of Sarge and Gunnie, and David's favorite dog. She has an extraordinary sense of humor, but is very different from Sarge (see below). She is polite, attentive, extraordinarily intelligent and easily trained. She is a very mouthy dog, loves to fetch, and loves carrying stuffed toys. She is trained in both obedience and agility and the kids love to run her through agility equipment at every opportunity. Taunting housecats and laughing about it is a favorite hobby. She is always aware of what is going on, but is unlikely to actually be in the trouble herself. More likely, she is waiting for David to arrive, so she can go up to him as say, “See, I am not like those others, I would never......”
Tango- This is Laura's favorite and she has a number of unique personality traits and many have proved to be genetic. She is fundamentally very sweet and quiet. Not to say she doesn't have opinions. When petted she talks! Grumbles, mumbles. Sounds like growling, and has causes some unsuspecting humans to jump when she has done this, but that just adds to the fun. And talking is genetic, many of her descendants do it as well. She also will turn somersaults in your lap when you are sitting on the floor. She sort of dives into your lap and rolls over. More petting please. This is a genetic behavior! Her descendants often do this as well. She is also a smiler. She lifts her lips in what looks like a snarl, but is just a polite hello. She is very selective with this behavior. For a long time, David was the only one she ever smiled for. In the morning, she would want to get things going, so she would jump up with her front feet on Laura's side of the bed for petting, and stretch toward David, lifting her lips in a big grin! She knew the formula, disturb Laura to get David to take her out. For a long time, Laura never saw the smile part, and even was annoyed that “her” dog never smiled at her. Tango seemed to specialize in giving David secret smiles, often crooked and one sided, when only he could see her. Eventually, Tango's smiling became more overt, but she is always selective. This behavior is known to be genetic, and we have other dogs that do it. Not all are related to Tango.
Dixie- She is just too smart! Really! And she is an athlete, extraordinare. She is easily trained, but left on her own, she is quite willful. And what she wants is to find where we are. If left in the kennel, she is coming out! Over the 6 foot fence? No problem! Under it? No problem. Through it? OK, whatever! In the kennel apartment? Here I come! She got to where she could scale two 6 foot fences faster than David could go through the gates. She is extremely driven and very intense. There reached a point that she simply could not be confined. Luckily, we were able to find a home for her where the owner was as intense as she is, and they are constant companions. Finally, a system that works for Dixie. This high drive intensity and the escapism both proved genetic. Consequently, Dixie has not had as big an impact on our breeding program that her beauty would justify.
Chi-Chi – David first saw Chi at the national specialty with owner-breeder, Barbara Brown and thought she was extraordinary. Laura later saw her at another major show and came to the same conclusion independently. One thing led to another, and we were offered the pick pup from an upcoming litter. That pup was Luke, see below. Later, Barbara was unable to keep Chi, and she was offered to us. We jumped at the chance! At first she was kind of stand-offish, but polite. She was an older dog being added to an established pack, and she had to figure out her place in the order, plus there were new humans to deal with. As time passed, she began to welcome interactions with David as he did the kennel work. With the other dogs, she is intense and dominant. Indoors with people, she is calm and relaxed. Coming to us as an older dog and being reserved, we early developed some misconceptions about her. We mistakenly thought she was a beauty queen without much brains or trainability. This turned out to be incorrect. When we began temperament testing dogs as a routine part of our evaluations, we half heartedly thought we should give Chi a try. Turns out she was one of the most quickly trained dogs we have. Brains and beauty, and she passes it on!
Gunnie – She was never a dominant personality. She always had her obnoxious and demanding brother, Sarge in her life. She was content to be polite and reserved. She was a great mom, like most of our girls, and took the business of taking care of pups seriously. She was a tremendous contributor to our breeding program and the current generation of females are largely her daughters.
Luke - He has the closest to what we consider the ideal temperament of all our dogs. He is highly intelligent and easily trained. When he came back from the show circuit, we took him to an Airedale event for fun that involved the opportunity for Canine Good Citizen certification. This requires knowing how to sit, stay, be polite with strangers, and a few other tasks. He had never done any of it before. In less than ten minutes, he mastered all the necessary training to be certified. Plus he is bold, unshakably confident, and generally calm (for an Airedale).
Sarge – He is unique!! He is very dominant, pushy, opinionated, obnoxious, and a softy all rolled into one. He demands to be the constant center of attention, and on his terms! And he is LOUD! He easily has the biggest bark of all our dogs, and he never barks softly, everything is FULL volume. It is not possible to walk across the yard and not get bumped by him, if you don't pay attention to him. It is all about him! He does have quite a sense of humor, particularly if the joke is on you! His level of narcissistic behavior has not been matched by his offspring. It is just Sarge! By the way, on a scale of trainability, he scores pretty well, when properly motivated. Surprise, surprise!
Chip – He is Tango's grandson, and has a lot of her personality traits. He talks, does somersaults in your lap, and generally has a bit of her demeanor. He is also an unexpected tough guy toward other dogs. He is not the type to start fights, but once it is on, most dogs come out second best.
Ted – He is a Sarge and Dixie son. And it shows! Luckily, he has none of their worst habits. He has an intense affection for David, wants to always be with him, and pays constant attention, very similar to mom. We thought this would make him highly trainable, but his Sarge side comes out, if the training activity is not on his agenda. He can be a bit stubborn, like dad. He has littermates that have excelled at training.
Moonie and Foggie - These are Chip and Gunnie daughters and they show it. They are polite like mom, but have that comical aspect that comes from Tango, through Chip. They both do somersaults and occasionally talk. Moonie is a smiler. Foggie is in my office as I write this, resting calmly and politely. Periodically, she gets up and rests her head heavily on my arm in a request for attention.
Junie B. - This is a Ted daughter, and the Dixie intensity and high drive is there in spades. Luckily, the escapism is not. She is a very pay attention personality like dad and always wants to know what David is doing around the kennel. While pregnant with her first litter, we x-rayed her to get an estimate on pup numbers and discovered she had a large rock in her stomach. We couldn't do anything about it since she was VERY pregnant and after the litter, she had lots of work to do and no time for surgery to remove foreign objects. Several months later, when she could work it into her schedule, we removed the rock. In the entire time, (from when the rock was discovered through surgery and beyond) she was never nauseated, never missed a meal, and never missed a beat. And we have no idea how long the rock was there before the discovery!
Back To Basics Presents
Not Just Child's Play
Tom Lams shares his thoughts on the
relationship between children and dogs.
By Laura Post
"I want to get a puppy for my child. When will you have a litter for sale?"
This question can strike fear in a breeder's heart. Which is ironic because I haven't met a trainer/breeder yet who didn't grow up loving a dog or pet of some sort. A major factor behind breeders’ concerns is the fact that, yearly, a large number of tragedies occur where a dog has seriously injured a child. An understanding of the nature of dogs versus children is greatly advantageous to developing an fulfilling relationship between a family and their pet. Renowned animal behaviorists/communicators, Tom and Kay Lams, will soon visit LSATC, and recently, Tom shared some of his insights into the world of dogs and children with me. (It might surprise folks to know that along with their lifelong study of animal behavior, the Lams' raised seven children.)
Dogs view children as being lower in the pecking order than adults. Why do you think that is?
Kids are often hyper and don't concentrate on one thing. They make sudden, erratic moves that dogs don't understand or often see as prey-type behavior. One thing we work on during seminars with children and dogs is to make the children more aware and sensitive to what the dog is feeling.
Another thing is that children, being shorter, are often on the same eye level as the dog and will stare at the dog, whereas adults tend to look at the dog and then look away. Dogs see staring as threatening behavior. And sometimes children stare because they are afraid. A dog's instinct is to dominate and if it senses fear, it will want to react.
Should parents wait until their child is a certain age before getting a dog?
I have seen success with children being raised with a puppy and then with older kids with a dog. Both situations can work. However, one of the hardest times for the dog can be when a child starts school. The child will suddenly not have time or as much time with the dog as before and the dog can suffer from lack of attention. I know of one situation where a family dog leaves the house at 3:00 PM every day, like clockwork, to walk to the bus stop and wait for the child to come home. The dog never mistakes the time. So dogs prefer routine. I have one dog that eats at 4 PM every day. If I'm late in feeding him, he brings me his bowl.
I have heard it said that a mature dog’s intelligence is equivalent to that of a five-year old child. Would you agree with this?
Not always. I had a dog where I never did know his limits. There wasn't a thing I couldn't teach him. And every dog is different, some are smarter than others. Some are smarter than a lot of people.
Are there breeds of dogs that you wouldn't recommend for children?
I would not recommend Dalmatians. More Dalmatians bite children than any other breed. Of course, I am mostly speaking of "backyard-bred dogs here" where attention to breeding for temperament and health is ignored. A dog in pain from hip dysplasia, for example, can be testy, especially around children, because it doesn’t feel good. Other breeds I don't recommend for children are Basenjis, Akitas, Rhodesian Ridgebacks and Rottweilers.
Breeds I recommend are the King Charles Cavaliers, they are wonderful dogs with kids. Also Shelties, and the Australian Shepherd, but only with an active family, these dogs need exercise, and Whippets. Whippets are fantastic house dogs. Calm in the house and very loyal. You'll never go to the bathroom alone though if you own a whippet, they'll follow you everywhere.
What about Airedales with children?
Airedales are not for everyone, and for families with children, it would depend on the temperament of Airedale, calmer Airedales would be better. Some Airedales do not like quick movements and some don't forgive easily. I find Airedales tend to be one- to two-person dogs. The children would need very good dog manners and would need to have a good understanding of how a dog feels.
Also, parents need to communicate to the dog that the kids are first and the dogs are last in the pecking order.
Airedales will often rule a household if the owners are not careful, why do you think that occurs?
Airedales are extremely intelligent and too smart to put up with a lot of baloney. You have to ask for what you are wanting, they just won't up and give it to you. They are also very intuitive and will take advantage of people if the owners aren't careful. In this way, the Airedale can be too smart, smarter than their owners sometimes. And it’s best to guide rather than force the Airedale into doing what you want. Negotiation, that is really what it's about, and with most dogs, not just Airedales.
Poodles are another breed that can be smarter than a lot of people and will take over a household if the owner isn't careful. I would place Dobermans in that category as well.
The things I have learned from attending your seminars have greatly influenced how I interact with both dogs and people. Your understanding of animal behavior and communication, and your ability to teach this to people is extraordinary.
I can't say that I've learned it all. Or that there is one perfect way. I am constantly making adjustments to what I teach through what I learn. And working with dogs is a constant learning process. The dogs have taught me a lot. We just need to listen. And approach things with an open mind. If you don't do that, you will miss something, and often, the dog will teach you more than you teach it.
Back To Basics
Showbreeders Translate Murphy's Laws
by Laura Post
One of my favorite books of all times, "No Hidden Meanings" by Sheldon Kopp and Claire Flanders has an illustrated eschatological "laundry list" of 43 truths that have worked their way into my subconscious only to surface at various opportune moments. At 4 am one morning, while trying to catch a nap in the veterinary clinic closet on my son's bean bag chair (a chair meant only for 12 year olds) and keep two C-section pups warm at the same time, a couple of these truths came to mind:
1) All important decisions must be made on the basis of insufficient
data, and
2) All solutions breed new problems.
From this beginning, the list quickly grew (#3 being: An unplanned C-section will occur at 3 am. A planned C-section will also occur at 3 am.) Knowing I was not alone with my observations, I queried other breeders about the quirky nature of breeding and showing dogs and below is a sample of the contributions.
Murphy's Laws On Breeding:
Corollary to #3: Your terrific vet who is almost happy to do a 3 am C-section because she too is a breeder is sure to be at her national specialty the night of your emergency C-section. (Phil Weinberger)
4. Fertility (there are no sterile barn cats) is inversely (not to be confused with perversely) proportional to desirability of cross, ease of insemination, and waiting list for pups.
5. In case of breeding with chilled semen from hundreds of miles across the country - your bitch will be at her peak on Sunday when there is no Fed Ex delivery available for your area. (Sherry Raley)
6. The puppy that has a conformation to rival AKC standards will also be a good three inches outside the accepted size range or will have a bad bite. (Carla Hughes)
7. A dog's misbehavior will be in direct proportion to the number of people who are watching.
8. If you think your dogs all have water, they don't. (Cecilia Porter)
9. If you are wondering if you have latched the gates so that the dogs can't open them, you haven't. (C. Porter)
10. If there are two pairs of shoes laying side by side on the floor - your puppy will pick the most expensive pair to chew to pieces.
11. Only the good die young. (C. Hughes)
On Showing:
1. There is an inverse relationship between distance and ring time: the further you have to travel to the show, the earlier the ring time. (P. Weinberger)
2. Plan on rain the day you pack for a show and preferably the entire week prior to the show so that your dog's furnishings will look their worst.
3. If a dog is going to get injured/ill, it will be minutes before or during a show. (Sara Kautz)
4. Your dog is less likely to pee on the gate and poop in the ring UNLESS the judge is Ed Bivin. (P. Weinberger)
5. If you count on a judge taking 15 minutes per group, he or she will break the records on fastest judging times. Likewise, if you need to get an early start home after showing, plan on being able to read War and Peace in its entirety before its your time to show. (S. Kautz)
and last but not least:
6. As soon as you send in those entries, the little "star" will either blow all coat or damage herself in some way that you just can't cover up. (S. Raley)
Places to Go, People To See: Puppy Socialization
Socialization: Exposing your puppy to as many new and different positive experiences as possible.
Developmental Stages:
0-7 Weeks - “All In The Family”: This is a time for the puppy to be with its mother and siblings. A lot of training is obtained with this family dynamic and the pup will learn to moderate its aggression and behavior by correction from mom and sibs.
7-9 Weeks “Welcome Home”: Puppies are mentally mature enough to go to their new homes at this age. Expect your breeder to have given the pup one or two rounds of vaccinations and dewormed if the fecal showed any types of internal parasites.
8-16 Weeks “Places To Go, People To See”: Socialization can begin at this time. Take the puppy out and around to see new sights and sounds. Try to take the puppy with you to a new place at least once a week. Let him play with other dogs. Beware of a fearful stage at around 8 to 10 weeks of age and try to avoid anything that might be traumatic for the dog. If the puppy acts scared of something, avoid this something until after 11 weeks of age. A pup can be thoughtful about a new experience but you don’t want it to be frightened. After 11 weeks of age, try to be around the “scary thing” as much as possible.
DON’T baby your dog and pet him, try to comfort him when he acts scared though. This will reinforce his reaction to the “scary thing”. Also, don’t hold tight on the lease when he gets frightened, this tells the dog that you, too, are scared.
4-6 Months “Installing Controls While Still Out and About”: Keep working on socialization - obedience classes can begin and keep taking the dog out and about to see as much as possible.
Teething will be an issue during this phase. Encourage Housebreaking during this age and look forward to less accidents as the pup approaches six months of age.
6-12 Months “Those Wacky Teens”: This is the beginning of adolescence and at around 6 months of age, the pup can be neutered/spayed. By the end of 12 months, housebreaking should be mostly successful.
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