Airedale Terriers are working dogs that have a lot of energy. So, when you start training, you need a whole plan to make sure that energy is spent well.
They are intelligent and get bored easily. So, if you don’t train them properly, they will destroy your house and you won’t be able to tame them.
Here’s all you need to know about training these dogs.
About Training Airedale Terriers
The first thing you should know about Airedale Terriers is that this is a breed of dog that loves to work. They have a lot of stamina and energy that needs to be spent.
So, you need to spend some time on their exercise needs. That means you should aim for two walks every day, but even if you take them out once, that might work.
You should also put in a romp in your backyard to make up for that walk you missed because it’s possible that you will have those days too. And it’s a good way to keep your canine healthy and also get rid of any guilt that might creep in.
These dogs also love to play, swim and retrieve objects. So, jogging and playing fetch are excellent ideas.
Remember that you will get tired sooner than your Airedale Terrier. That means you must make other arrangements to make sure that they get the required amount of exercise every day.
General Training and Socialization
Training is an important part of bringing up an Airedale Terrier. Whether you have a pup or an adult dog, training and socialization is the phase when you teach them how to behave with kids, adult humans and other animals too.
And if you can help it at all, you must start this process when they are still puppies. Socialization should be a part of training exercises.
You should take them to different places from parks to supply stores to outdoor adventures. You should also make sure that they are okay with children, even if you are not expecting any to be around your furry friend.
You want to make sure that your dog doesn’t misbehave when you run into kids on your daily walks. Basically, you must make sure that you visit places that have a variety of people when you are training your dog so that they get used to all kinds of crowds.
You should know that even after socializing, these dogs will be a bit suspicious of strangers. You need to expose them to all kinds of people so that you can tame those strong protective instincts.
This will teach them the difference between regular human behavior and suspicious behavior which will come in handy for those who want their pet to scare away intruders. Or at least alert you when there’s something fishy going on near you.
Crate Training
This is another item that is not optional with an Airedale Terrier. You need to make sure that they know how to live around your house.
Crate training is also important because they need to know they have a place where they are safe and can relax without a care in the world. These dogs are intelligent and make decisions on their own.
So, you should help them define spaces around the house that will inform their behavior. When you go through crate training with your dog, they will learn to stay or sit based on the commands they get.
But don’t be surprised if you’re doing the training in full daylight and they decide to obey the command after moving to a spot with some shade.
Agility Training
You should also go through agility training with your Airedale Terrier because this dog loves sports. It is important to stimulate their bodies and minds because it keeps them healthy and happy.
This breed of dog is also very social and loves to spend time with their humans as well as other dogs. Use positive reinforcement to get them to listen to what you’re teaching them.
This approach also makes training fun for everyone while making your dog physically flexible and mentally patient.
Temperament That Impacts Training
You need to know the temperament of your dog properly so that you can guide them towards learning all the tricks you are nudging their way. Airedale Terriers are intelligent dogs so you might want to use those traits to your advantage.
Here’s what you need to know about their beautiful minds.
Exercise provides not just physical but also mental stimulation to this dog breed. So, you must give them interesting things to do while you are playing with them.
This will make them expend all that energy that is inside their bodies. If you don’t, these dogs will get quickly bored and that will turn into bad behavior.
This bad behavior manifests itself in the form of destructive chewing and excessive barking. Neither is pleasant.
If your dog is bored, it will destroy its surroundings—that’s your home—in less than a day. That’s because these are working dogs that were never meant to be domesticated pets.
You will notice that they are very good at following scents, looking for prey and chasing them. This also includes exploring that comes in the form of digging the ground.
If you don’t want them to resort to these natural behaviors, you must give them something to do so that they stay occupied. And also because your home can’t turn into a hunting ground because you were too busy to keep your working dog breed engaged.
It is important to manage these behaviors that are literally hardwired into them. That should be done by figuring out other productive activities for the dog.
Airedale Terriers are also known for being very bouncy in the first two years. They have a lot of vigor and the height to which they can jump may surprise you.
It is a visual delight if you can control it. That’s why it is recommended that you give them a romp where all of this energy can be expended.
These dogs are not great companions if you have kids or seniors in the house. They get too tempted to play with their humans and these age groups are not the best targets for your hyper-energetic dog.
Since these dogs were bred to hunt animals, they are likely to be aggressive towards other animals in the house. It is important to note that they are naturally aggressive or try to dominate other dogs in the house, especially if they are of the same sex.
Since they also have strong prey instincts, they will chase other pets in the house. This gets worse if you have animals like cats which tend to flee.
So, you need to find ways to control these dogs when they are around other animals till you gauge the strength of their prey instincts.
Also Read: Do Airedale Terriers Shed?
How to Train an Airedale Terrier
Here are a few things you should know before training an Airedale Terrier.
Be Firm and Consistent
As mentioned before, these dogs have a mind of their own. If you’re not consistent, that will trip up any dog, but if you’re not firm, these dogs are likely to prove to you that they are the boss.
Don’t let them get away with things even once because that sets a bad precedent.
Obedience School
You should not skip it because it is where you teach them to follow your commands. You need to show that whether they are behaving badly or are too excited, they still need to listen to you.
Some Things Never Change
It’s important to remember and accept that you can’t train certain behaviors out of them. That means they will always be curious and all you can do is train them not to mess with your property.
Also Read: How Much Do Airedale Terriers Cost?
Parting Thoughts
Airedale Terriers are not tough to train but ain’t a piece of cake either. They will listen to you if you’re firm, consistent and show them who’s boss.
If not, they can be stubborn and manipulative because they are intelligent dogs.