Full Cry Column
February 2003

Kevin G. Kelly (Pacific Coast Working Airedale Terrier Association correspondent)

Hello all. Good Luck in this New Year. It's the height of the Christmas Holidays and we are having a great time here at the RDR Ranch on the edge of Big Basin, in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Lots of family and friends around for Christmas day and Christmas dinner. We are very fortunate.
The weather has finally been what is to be expected in a coastal rainforest. Last weekend we received over 20 inches of rain. Off and on, during the week before we had rain and high winds, battering the forest. It was the first storm of the season so all of the weaker branches and trees that had decayed over the summer months, came tumbling down. We lost power for just a few hours short of a week. It is the longest the power was off, to my recollection. The house sure was quiet and peaceful. I have spent a lot of time over the years living off grid and the one thing I notice the most in a house that is on grid is that there is a constant hum with intermittent additional noises chiming in from time to time. Freezers, refrigerators, tv's, coffee makers, microwaves, stereos, computers etc.,etc.,etc. I use them all and appreciate having them but they are a noisy bunch and it is very enjoyable to be reminded that they are not necessities but rather conveniences that are forever making their presence known.
This morning as I write the wind is whipping around outside, I just came back in from letting the dogs out and taking a little walk with them. There is a lot of excitement when it gets like this and I like it. I checked the satellite weather map and the Doppler radar map and we've got a big one blowing in. The hatches are battened down so there is nothing to do but enjoy it.

Rick Schell from Somerville, Alabama is real good about sending in field reports and we sure do appreciate it. He wrote:
"Hey guys, Copper is over a year old now and really starting to get aggressive on hogs. Even though he is protected with cut vests and collars I am concerned for him. My wife would have a hard time with me bringing him home hurt as he is the family protector and housedog. He loves it though and I do like to watch him. I like the way he does hunt closer then the hounds and always checking back with me. I wish we had more game here in Alabama like bear and cougar... I have 16 days off for Christmas and will hunt hard. I may take him duck hunting as he does fetch and seems to enjoy it. He is obedient most of the time. Sits and stays and comes to the cow horn. Airedales are smart dogs and I don't ever see myself without one. He will hunt anything and never sees a red light. It is always green for GO! I look forward to another pup from Billy Harkins. Maybe his next litter as I have a young plott from Roy Stiles in N.C. I am training now. I sure would like a
pup from Billys dog Steele. I may wait for that. I keep hearing little rumor stories from Washington state friends and family about trying to bring hound hunting back. If they do I will have to make a trip up there as I know it very well. Lots of bears and even more now then there was when I lived there. Merry Christmas and Happy New year! Rick Schell"
Thanks for the field report, Rick. Copper sounds like the versatile working Airedale to me. These Airedales can and will do it all if given the chance. I find with hunting ducks though, that both Brisk and myself get restless waiting, in the blind. But it's fun to watch her find the downed birds. Let me know what happened over Christmas vacation. If you ever get to Washington for a hunt let me know.
Thanks for your letter Rick.

ARES OWNED BY MARGARITA BEZNOSOVA, MINSK RUSSIA

I received a copy of an email Henry Johnson of Fults Cove, Tennessee, sent to Laurie McCrae of Montana, on December 19th. Both Laurie and Henry are good dog people and I like sharing their ideas. Henry wrote,
" Laurie, I don't know much about German Irish Terrier breeders but I think I told you that we found at least one that hunts his dogs on upland game and varmints and Wayne and Keith Waggoner went over and spent a week with him in October. They particularly liked one dog they saw and made arrangements to get a pup from a planned breeding to this dog next summer. If you end up with any good working Irish Terriers I'm sure Wayne and Keith would like to network with you if there is any way to get dogs together for breeding purposes or maybe by swapping pups every now and then. The way I look at the breeding of working strain dogs it's a labor of love and is about preserving the good working lines and improving them if you can, not about trying to make money off them or cornering the market in any way.
In regard to Airedales, I don't believe in the dictates of any Central Authority and I don't try to tell other people what to do. Every breeder has to do what he thinks is right for his situation, interests, and breeding goals. Over time, with my own dogs and through talking and visiting with a lot of other people, I came to believe that the true all-around Airedale is a terrier type weighing 50 pounds, plus or minus 5 or 10 pounds. Put a relatively short, hard coat on them and breed for brains and temperament and you will have something very hard to beat."
There are quite a few folks around the country, in Canada and abroad that are breeding good working dogs. I believe there is a need for them to stick together, even if there is variation in what they are breeding for. Collaboration will only enhance the preservation of the good working lines. I am very interested in hearing from anyone who has a working Airedale, they are proud of. (Irish and Border Terriers too, but don't tell Clint!)

Back home here, my Laurie just told me a story about a guy up in a development here in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is a long drive through undeveloped countryside to get to the development, pretty wild all around, it sits on the edge of a cliff that drops into the San Lorenzo Valley with the river, of the same name, flowing 2500 feet below. A man who lives up there went to his wood shed for firewood during our last big rainstorm. He was not carrying a flashlight but in the dark, found his way to the woodpile in the shed and returned to the house with an armload of wood telling of the nastiest sounding raccoon that had thrown hissing threats his way, while he was getting the wood. Next day he found muddy cougar prints all over the inside of the wood shed and some in the mud outside.
The deer use his property as a major thoroughfare and the cats are following. I don't think he goes to the woodshed without a flashlight any more! He shouldn't go without an Airedale.

I got a note from Sandy Seaton Sallee, she and her partner Scott own and operate Black Mountain Outfitters up in Montana. They own Airedales Buster (Cajun/Cherokee Rose) and Banjo (Grit/Maggie).
I guess one of their hunters got to spend some time with Buster and Banjo and observe them. They wanted to know where they could get one from the same family. Here is Sandy's note;
"Hi, Kevin, how are you - I sure enjoy your FC articles! I think it was you that gave me the name of the government hunter in Helena, MT who bred our Banjo's half sister to our Buster's Idaho brother last year - I've lost it! One of our hunters wants a pup related to ours - If you have it, I'd sure appreciate you emailing, and I'll try to take better care of it! Buster and Banjo are doing great, Banjo tangled with a badger but left a porcupine alone last month so I'm proud of her - Buster just wanted to guard me from them both!
Sandy Seaton Sallee"
Thanks Sandy, for your kind words about the column and the comments about Buster and Banjo. I like how these good working Airedales speak for themselves to anyone who gets to spend time with them. Was Banjo able to send the Badger on his way?

Received another excellent field report from Bob McClellan he is a master of the, "Tales From The Back Country". Here is what he had to say;
"Yesterday we had a break in the storms that have been sweeping in from the West Coast, and I was determined to get the dogs out for some exercise. It had been several days since any of them had a run, and according to the weather forecast it might be several more until we had another chance. Sadie had been trying to bury her doghouse the last couple of days, a sure indication that we were over due!
Lately I have been working the dogs just one or two at a time, but I wanted to give each of them a chance to stretch their legs, so I loaded all 3 of the Airedales in the pickup and headed up a logging road near home. As soon as I left the blacktop I put Sadie out and roaded her in front of the truck for a couple of miles up the road. After awhile I picked her up and put Casey out.
There were a couple of inches of snow on the ground, and I saw a couple of fox tracks and one large bobcat track. None of them were fresh enough for a dog to run. I drove up the mountain until I ran out of tracks, and figured I was above the game; so I picked Casey up and drove back down near where I had seen the cat track and made a calling stand. The track was too old for an Airedale to run it, but I thought possibly the cat might be bedded close by and might come to a call. No such luck! After a half hour of unproductive calling, I put Kelly out in front of the truck and roaded him back down the road to a place where I wanted to park and walk in to one of my good calling locations.
I leashed the dogs and shouldered my day pack, then started hiking up a ridge on an old skid trail. The trail comes out on an old logging road that is impassible to vehicles due to washouts and an old bridge that has collapsed. Normally I walk a couple of hundred yards along this old road to a spot where I can call into the next canyon; a place that has been very productive for me in the last few years. I have called in fox, coyote, and a cougar from this particular spot. This time, I didn't get that far.
When I walked out on the old road there was a lion track right there, made in about 3 inches of snow. The Airedales stuck their noses in that line of tracks and pronounced it good! Now I had a decision to make. I could see by comparing the cat track to those of my dogs that the track wasn't hot fresh; yet the dogs were plainly telling me that it was good enough. I knew the country I was in, and I knew that from the road I was on I could hear the dogs if they treed this cat anywhere in that particular canyon. I also knew that if they ran out of that canyon I would undoubtedly lose them, and probably spend the rest of that day and very possibly part of the night waiting for them to come in. I also knew that there were no roads accessible to the truck that would be of any help to me. This would have to be a foot hunt all the way. I decided to gamble, and I unsnapped Casey and let him go.

COUGAR TREED BY BOB'S AIREDALES

He left there at a run, following that line of tracks right up the road; I suspect running them by sight as much as by scent. Kelly and Sadie were bucking at the end of the leash wanting to go too, but I held them in temporarily while I awaited developments. We followed Casey up the road. After about a quarter mile we came to the spot where Casey and the cat tracks had left the road and headed down the bank toward the bottom of the canyon. We stood there and listened awhile, but there wasn't a sound.
After several minutes I decided to walk farther up the road so that I could hear the country up toward the head of the canyon. I had only gone a short distance when I heard Casey hit the tree. He was directly across the canyon from me, and near the top. The cat had very nearly made it! A little farther and he would have been out of my hearing.
I waited a little while, and Casey really settled in on that tree. Kelly and Sadie were about to have a fit now, wanting to go; so I took them back to the spot where Casey had left the road and put them on his tracks. They were over the bank and gone in a heart beat. I brushed the snow off an old stump and sat down to rest while I listened.
It was about a 10 minute wait until I heard first Sadie and then Kelly bark treed. I had been on that hillside before, and I groaned. I knew what it was like. It was going to take me a heck of a lot longer to get there. I took off the sweater I was wearing and stuffed it into my day pack, but wore my jacket. My watch said 1:00 o'clock when I slid off the bank in the direction the dogs had gone.
I slipped and slid my way to the creek at the bottom of the canyon. There was no way to cross except to wade. Fortunately I was wearing my Sorel snow boots, so my feet only got a little wet. Now the work began. Up the side of that snow covered canyon; one step at a time, and three back. Slip, slide, and rest. One foot in front of another. When I got away from the noise of the creek, I could still hear the dogs. They weren't going anywhere. Push, push, and plod.
An hour and 45 minutes after I left the logging road I finally clawed my way up to the tree where the Airedales had the cat. I was wet from sweat and from snow falling from the trees and brush. I was beat! I pulled off the pack and praised the dogs for a job well done, then flopped on my back on the hillside for a rest.
The cat was treed in possibly one of the worst places for pictures that I have ever treed one. I could have hit it with a rock, but there wasn't a place on that steep hillside where I could set up the tripod and still have a view of the cat. I didn't bother to take the video camera out of the pack. I got out the still camera and took several off hand shots, in the hope that at least 1 or 2 wouldn't be blurred too badly to use.
When I was through, I looked at the dark leaden sky, and I knew it was time to get out of there. I put the pack back on, and the thought struck me that I was lucky to have the Airedales instead of hounds. I knew where I had to go, and there was no way that I could pull 3 dogs off that tree and lead them back the way I had come! I started slipping and sliding my way toward the bottom of the canyon, calling dogs as I went. When I was about a third of the way down, they gave it up and came to me; and stayed with me the rest of the way.
When I finally hit the bottom of the canyon, I had to wade that creek again, then claw my way up the other side to the road. I was beat when I finally made it to the road, but I knew I was home free then. I had the road to walk on, and a down hill go all the way to the truck. I beat the dark, but not by much; and my legs felt like worn out rubber.
The thought has crossed my mind that I am possibly getting too old for this type of thing. I think of the places a guy goes, and the situations he can put himself in, just trying to get to a dog that is barking treed someplace. But that barking dog pulls some people like a magnet! I guess I still have a few more miles left in me."
Thanks Bob your stories take us all out there with you and we are the luckier for it.

In a recent round of correspondence, Billy Harkins of Owltown Airedales has heard from Helena Ardholm from Sweden. Helena is putting together a book on working Airedales for international publication. I will put together some of their shared comments for a view of perspectives and versatility in the world of Working Airedales.
Helena wrote;
Dear Billy, Henry Johnson in Tennessee gave me your email address (he sends his regards)and he informed me you hunt wild boar and bear with your Airedales. I'm writing a book about the working Airedale, a new kind of book based on individual teams of Airedale and handler. It includes interviews with the handlers, as well as action photo taken by the handler or a helper. This to create an authentic book that shows what Airedales are doing today, what they can do.
The main audience for my book is Airedale owners, both new and experienced ones. Terrier owners in general might be very interested as well. So my interviews will be pedagogical, and "personal" as far as each dog is concerned. What makes this particular dog so good at what he's doing. I have teams from all over the world in my book, the book will be published internationally. Would you like to participate in my book? It would be a rare treat for the reader to learn about Airedales hunting wild boar and bear. In my country, Sweden, we have a problem with wild boar in my region. They have multiplied in the absurd, and there are just no hunters with the knowledge to control the population. Efforts are now being made to set things right, they've called in "the cavalry" to hunt off as many as they can. There was a piece on the news about the situation the other day, they showed packs of boar running around. These are dangerous animals!
Kind regards, Helena Ardholm"

Billy sent a letter saying he would be willing to help in anyway. So Helena sent a general questionnaire with specific, sport related questions.
It's not often that any of us sit down and try to describe our experience and attitude about hunting with our Airedales. I'm glad Billy shared his thoughts with us as well as Helena. Here is what he had to say;

"Helena I told you that I wasn't a dog trainer I guess that I should rather say that I'm not an obedience trainer. Most of the training that I do is taking a younger dog out with the older more experienced ones and just watching how they act. I like to work with a dog's natural talents; say if a young dog shows an ability to trail game I will hunt him with my trail or (strike dog). A strike dog is usually the most valuable dog in the pack and a good one is hard to come by. You always need to have a younger dog in training in case you lose your older one.
Other dogs may not have an ability to find or tree game so well but are aggressive enough to use as catch dogs. A catch dog is used to go in on a bayed hog and grab it by the ear and hold the hog till you can get to it to throw it on the ground and tie it up. Some times the catch dog will pay a great price even lose its life but he should never turn loose of the hog. A dog that will turn loose will get the hunter hurt. I guess that I should say too that I use cut vest and cut collars to protect my dogs from injury.
When I am bear hunting the more aggressive dogs can be used as pack dogs. When the strike dog trails up and jumps the bear up I will usually have three or four more dogs on lead to turn loose. With that many Airedales most bears will climb a tree and stay put till you get there. Sometimes they might jump out and try to run but about 75% of the time once is enough.
I own five Airedales at the present and Owltown Airedales is my kennel name. I live in the southeastern part of the U.S. in the state of Georgia. The line of dogs that I own have come from different people here in the states but all have come from hunting lines of dogs.
As far as temperament and personality goes my mother raised nine children and she said that no two of were alike and I have found that the same applies with my Airedales. Some are more sociable than others but they all have to be serious when it comes to hunting. My strike dog Steel for instance is a real sociable and loyal dog while Slim, my catch dog, seems to have a mind of his own most of the time. But both have bold personalities. I have a young female that seems to be a little timid at times but it tends to be an advantage when I'm hunting her on boar. I use her as a bay dog on boar. She will be more likely to live longer because she isn't as aggressive.
I have always been an avid hunter and I have been hunting with dogs for nearly twelve years now with dogs of one breed or another. I have hunted with Airedales for about the last seven. My ancestors here have hunted boar and bear and other game ever since they came to this country and so I guess that it is a heritage that was past down through the generations.
The reason that I use Airedales to hunt with now days, is that they just suit me better for the hunting I do. I have used hounds in the past but even though they do have better noses and can run a colder track they can be hard to catch some times. I have worn out a good truck and several good pairs of boots trying to catch them over the years, and when you turn them off the lead you might not see them the rest of the day or for several days. My Airedales on the other hand when I turn them out to hunt they will usually come back every thirty minutes or so to check with you. If they don't I know that they have found something. I use tracking collars to locate my Airedales when I hunt them because they don't bark on track. If they get out of hearing distance you will have to have some way to find them. If for some reason I cant get to them or they give out before I can find them they will find me or at least try and find there way back to where I turned them out. But after a day's hunt they will usually give up the chase and now days, I do too.

COMPOSITE PHOTO OF STEEL AND BEAR

Any more I mostly hunt boar. I start hunting around the first of the year and hunt till the opening of turkey season in the spring.
I don't like to have my dogs in the woods when gun season is open. Some hunters aren't dog people and have been known to shoot dogs. After turkey season closes around the middle of May I will hunt till Sept. when deer season opens back up. I mostly hunt on the weekends or if I can get a day off from work I'm usually in the woods somewhere.
On the topic of teamwork one important issue with my dogs is they must not be fighters. If I have a young dog or a dog that I'm not too familiar with I will keep a close eye on him for a long while. I have had some in the past that I couldn't break from fighting and so I had to find them a new home. One that comes to mind is an older dog that I had that hadn't been around other dogs and had been left in a pen for years. I took him hunting and turned him loose at a bear tree and he went in and grabbed my good tree dog first thing. A dog like that is nothing but trouble. My dog Slim when I first got him he was about three years old at the time. He hadn't been hunted either and lacked proper social skills too. The first time or two that I took him out he thought that he had to whip my other male Steel. When I had them on the lead together he would start growling at him and tore into Steel.
I wore him out and he pouted the rest of the day but after about three or four times he got the idea and once that I had gotten him on some game he realized what his role as a hunting dog really was.
I guess that one of the most important lessons with training dogs is to go with my own instincts. I had a young walker hound that I was hunting several years ago that had a few faults. He would run off game at times and my hunting buddy kept telling me that the breed itself was to blame and that they couldn't ever be broke from running off game. After listening to his advice I finally gave in and gave the dog away. As time went on, the dog straightened out and made a better than average hunting dog. Ever since then when I see good hunting potential in a dog I will give it more time. Also everyone is entitled to their own opinion so that and experience seems to be what works for me.
For someone who is interested in hunting Airedales on big game one of the first things to consider is that it is a dangerous sport and your dog will eventually get hurt or even killed. First aid in the field is a must. One will need to learn how to suture cuts and learn about bandaging and antibiotics. You too could very likely get hurt yourself so this is something to seriously consider before hand.
I have found out that the Airedale doesn't really physically or mentally mature until they're at least two years old. Some will however start hunting at an earlier age but by two years they will be old enough to take on about anything.
The novice hunter on the other hand may take longer to learn the sport. Learning dogs takes years; in fact I still have a lot to learn myself. The bible says that the wise walk with the wise and that has rung true for me when it comes to hunting. I have learned more in the past three years from two old men down South Georgia than I had learned in the previous nine years. Mr. Terrell Williford and Mr.C.M. Wilkerson have hunted for over forty years and the two of them took me in under their wings and taught me a great deal. I have seen the two of them catch some of the biggest boar hogs with a bay dog and two catch dogs. Neither one of them would weigh over a hundred and fifty pounds soak and wet and they're in their late sixties.
They say that knowledge is power and there's a lot to it. Just knowing your dogs nature and knowing how to throw and tie a boar when your dogs have done their part is something one must learn. One must have confidence in his dog whether it is to find the game or to hold on to the hog when you go into catch and tie it.
I had a catch dog turn loose one time and the hog jumped forward while I had it by the back leg and it pulled my shoulder out of joint. That was a painful experience to say the least but it was a good lesson. So from now on, I want to know that my catch dog will hold on before I get in that situation again.
I went to a coon dog trial once with a friend and took one of my female Airedales. My buddy was making fun of the way my dog looked; he told me to tie her out in the back so no one would see her. All the other dogs at the trial were hounds so a terrier as you would imagine did look out of place. When it came time for my entry my little female really put on a show and everybody wanted to know what kind of dog that was. She ended up winning a second place trophy in her event.
Usually after hunters that aren't familiar with Airedales see them in action they gain a new respect for them. Billy Harkins"

Billy had also sent a photo of Steel at the base of a tree with a large bear perched in the top. Here was Helena's response;
"Billy, What a powerful image! I do protection work for the Swedish Air Force with my Airedale; though I'm used to see him in rough and tough situations I've never seen anything like that photo! This dog must be very brave and very exact. I can't imagine a photo with a bear and an Airedale! Many thanks for now, Helena"
Billy has a litter now that is Slim/Molly. Slim is KaBar's son and Molly is Steele's daughter. These should be outstanding pups and I plan to go take a look at them. (A good excuse for a visit!)
I'm always glad when anyone is working towards expanding the network of working Airedale enthusiasts. The more we all stay in touch the better for the breed, as a versatile working dog. Good luck on your project, Helena and let us know how it's going. I'm glad you got in touch with Billy and I thank you Billy for sharing your thoughts.

I went back to the Tennessee Valley Airedale Terrier Association column in the Feb. 1993 Full Cry, written by Henry S. Johnson, Jr. and found a few more comments from Danny Kelly in England. He expresses the need for breeding for working abilities very well and I would like to include his comments here. Back in 1993, Henry wrote;
" From time to time I have run excerpts from the letters of Danny Kelly of Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England, about his own Airedales and the state of Airedales in England today. Continuing in a letter written March 12, 1990, Danny says, " If I'm going to be honest, I'll have to admit that I'm more than a little disappointed with my second Airedale, Ben. Ben, who is now 6 1/2 years old, does have some good points. He's obedient good with children, a fine vermin hunter/killer and waterdog, and he has a lovable, clownish personality. But he has more than a few faults, too, and they are serious faults. He can be very nervous, and I mean very nervous, and at times appears to be very lacking in confidence. Ben, also lacks real Airedale gameness and spirit. In my opinion, that is a vital characteristic of the breed. Without gameness you don'ts have anything. It doesn't matter what other qualities the dog may have, if it's lacking in courage and fighting spirit it's not a good Airedale.
" Please don't misunderstand me, Henry. When I'm talking about gameness, I'm not talking about blind aggression. I would not encourage or want an Airedale of mine to fight without good cause, but I would always expect it to be game. Many people mistake a quarrelsome dog with a game dog, but being aggressive and quarrelsome doesn't prove anything. Many quarrelsome dogs are not game. Oh yes they act tough when they are on a lease or safe behind a fence. But many of these same dogs can't look a good Airedale in the eye.
" In the past I've known and been told about some great Airedales. I wouldn't want any other dog because as far as I'm concerned no other breed can equal a good Airedale. The real Airedale is a magnificent animal. He makes a great companion and friend but also can be trained and used to great success for police and military duty, killing vermin protection and guard work, big game hunting as a gun dog, or whatever. But, even so from my own observation and from what I've read and been told, I do believe that really good Airedales are becoming harder and harder to find. And things can only get worse unless breeders decide to stress utility rather than show points. I'm not the only person that feels this way over here, because many other Airedale owners I've spoken to have, voiced similar opinions.
" The most common complaints I've heard about Airedales that are being bred today are: They are very nervous and highly strung; they fear loud noises, sudden movement and strange, new objects; they have no spirit and lack gameness; they lack any guarding/protective instincts; they are silly, brainless and not trainable. Yet when I've spoken to people who owned or knew Airedales in years gone by, they speak very highly of their courage, loyalty, intelligence, guarding instincts and so on. From this one can only assume that the average Airedale of say forty years ago was a far better animal than the average Airedale you are liable to see today.
" I was talking to one old fellow who said, 'The Airedales I knew and owned as a young man wouldn't back off from anything, man or beast. Not like the so called Airedales they are breeding now that are afraid of their own shadow.' I agree with him 100%, Henry. Far too many of the Airedales being bred today are nervous and highly strung with about as much courage and spirit as an old lady's lap dog. It's a sad fact to face but in today's modern world the vast majority of Airedales, are being bred for beauty rather than utility, so should we really be surprised to find so many third rate Airedales? As long as the dogs can win in the show ring, the breeders are happy. It doesn't matter if the dogs their breeding lack all the qualities and characteristics of Real Airedales, like a natural hunting instinct, strong, sound physique, a good nose, plenty of stamina, gameness, intelligence and trainability. As long as the dogs they're breeding are pretty nothing else matters! Personally, I think this attitude is disgraceful. Lets hope more breeders come to their senses soon or it won't be long before the Airedale Terrier becomes nothing more than a beautiful but useless lap dog.
" Of course, I'm not suggesting that there are no good Airedales still being bred in England, because I'm sure there are. But as far as I'm aware, no breeders are attempting to breed Airedales that are capable of becoming good workers and hunters. So I fell strongly that any good, utility type dogs are being born despite, rather than because of, their breeders. In other words, I think to find a good Airedale you would require just as much luck as judgment. I'm pleased to know that North America has some hunting/working, companion bloodlines."
Henry wrote, " Well Danny, you really lay it out hard and heavy. That's a tough challenge for breeders who really have the best interest of Airedales at heart. We have seen many of the faults you mention, as well as the common occurrence of dysplastic hips in certain strains. TVATA is dedicated to restoring the Airedale to its former top position as a thoroughly reliable and enjoyable companion, utility dog and hunter on all varieties of game. We honor the show people for the classy appearance of the modern Airedale, but beauty alone is a deadly trap. Performance must come first--- combined with beauty if possible, but performance first."
Later in the same column Tony Johnson of Frazerburgh, Scotland, said; "the best strains of working Terriers in Britain are not registered with the Kennel Club and the dogs bred for show quickly lose their working characteristics. He says the only hope for working breeds is to keep them out of the show ring and in the hands of dedicated breeders who respect and nurture the working qualities. "Performance before beauty" says Tony. " Or you soon have no performance at all."

A few years ago when my sons and I were involved with Boulder Creek 4-H, we used to work the dog shows here in Santa Cruz County, as a fund- raiser. The first couple of years I didn't see any Airedales that looked very rugged, they all looked too delicate. Finally in the third or fourth year there was a male that had some substance. When I told the owner that I liked the way he looked, she said; " Yeah, too bad he's dumb as a box of rocks but he's almost got his Championship title so I will be able to breed him and make some money on stud fees."
I know I'm preaching to the choir here in Full Cry but I think it's very important for breeders to accept the challenge given us, to preserve the good working stock and improve when and where we can.
If you have "Real Airedales" get in touch. I know there must be pockets of good versatile working Airedales all over the world, especially in North America. The more we connect with one another the better off the breed will be.
Speaking of all over the world I have traded a few emails with Margarita Beznosova from Minsk, Belarus, Russia. She is trying to prove Airedales make good hunting dogs, to her fellow countrymen in Russia. When she first wrote she hadn't had her computer too long so she didn't know how to send pictures. I sent her a Christmas greeting and she responded with three pictures of her dog, Ares, and this message; "Best Wishes to You with New Year from Margarita (Minsk,Belarus)" One of the pictures is included with this column.

EDDIE BOATWRIGHT'S MOPSY AND SLICKER

One of the other picture's is from Eddie and Nancy Boatwright. Eddie wrote to me saying, "Kevin, As I write this, Chief is in the process of breeding Hardcore Katie so we should have another great litter on the ground in March. The pup we got from Wayne in Pa. is progressing nicely and we will breed her in about a year. I am not sure whom yet but somebody is going to get bred to Ol' Jack at Henry's. Maybe it will be Mopsy (Chief/Katie) who is very red and hard-coated. Happy New Year! Eddie and Nancy"

That's all good news Eddie. I'll keep a good thought for the health of the litters and the moms. Let me know what you get.
With this being the first day of the year, 2003, let me wish all of you the very best of Luck and Good Fortune. May it be you best year yet!

There are two quotes this month. The first is right in line with the discussions above. " Get the performance into the dog first and then work on the looks." Al Kranbuhl
The second quote is " There are times when perseverance is worth more than brains." HSJ
Remember, as, Henry S. Johnson Jr. says: " Let us hear from you Airedale people. And don't forget to put your arms around those furry black and tan dogs with the beards and the moustaches and talk to them. They are people dogs and family members."
Respectfully submitted, Kevin G. Kelly, Pacific Coast Corresponding Secretary for the Working Airedale Terrier Association. No rules, regulations, officers, dues or formal affiliations, its more a state of mind.