Here’s a simple and easy guide to choosing a dog. These are some of the things you should consider when choosing your puppy or adult dog to ensure you pick a best friend for life.
Purebred, Crossbred or Mixed-Breed
A purebred dog is a dog whose parents are both of the same breed. Humans create purebred dogs through selective breeding – inbreeding. Purebred dogs did not exist before humans manufactured them – a dog would simply breed with any other dog it chose, so there were no “purebreds”, just a race of mixed-breed dogs. The advantage of choosing a purebred dog is that you can accurately determine his size, shape, and personality. So, for example, if you were to choose a Poodle puppy you would know with certainty what he will look like when he gets older, his approximate size, that he will be intelligent, and easy to train, and that he will hardly ever shed any hair.
A crossbred is the child of two different purebred dogs. Crossbreds are also known as designer or hybrid dogs. For example, if you cross a Labrador and a Poodle, you get what’s known as a “Labradoodle”.
A mixed-breed is the result of two random dogs who mate. Also known as mongrel, random-bred, or mutt. For example, a mixed-breed is the result if a Purebred, such as a Poodle, and a Crossbred, such as a Labradoodle mating. more…
The Airedale Terrier is a people oriented dog with patience for children. He is affectionate and will protect his adopted family. Early socialization with children is important. They are large, strong dogs and they may play a bit rough. They have been used as police dogs and are alert and make excellent watchdogs. For safety reasons, never leave very young children alone with any dog.
*Temperament. His temperament is loyal and he will protect his adopted family. Many believe he has a sense of humor. Training can be a little difficult as he is more inclined to be a clown.
*Approximate Adult Size. Males weigh about 65 pounds and are about 23 inches tall at the withers (tallest point of the shoulders. Females weigh 55 to 60 pounds and are about 22 inches to the withers.
*Ideal Environment. The Airedale is a large size dog that is energetic and needs plenty of exercise. A properly fenced back yard would help in his exercise needs. He is not recommended for an apartment unless he has frequent, brisk walks. The Airedale needs a lot of exercise and attention or he will get bored and become destructive. If you have a cat, another dog or other small pets, they can be aggressive toward them as they were bred to hunt animals. Having a animal or pet run from this dog will get his hunting juices going. Early socialization will help considerably but it is hard to defeat his hunting heritage. more…
