Full Cry Column
July 2001

Clint Stubbe - Northern Working Airedale Terrier Association correspondent

 I never thought there could be such a thing as to hard and dense of a coat on an Airedale.  The harder the better I always figured.  Well after clipping Lulu for the first time I have changed my mind.  Lulu is three now and she just got her first real clip.  Being a redline dog she didn’t really develop her full coat until she was two and last summer I just lightly hand stripped and ran the clippers over the top to give her some relief from the heat but this year she was in definite need of losing some coat.  I haven’t clipped tons of Airedales but enough to know how my clippers should perform and they just couldn’t get through her coat.  Eventually I managed to get most of her hair off by making numerous passes but still was left with quite a bit of hair on her neck and didn’t even bother to attempt her face.  The difference in her coat is not in length but in density.  She appears to have at least three times the amount of hair per square inch as any of my other dogs.  I am sure it is great for her especially on those cold winter nights but for cutting it is a nightmare.  I did what I could and will send out the blades to be resharpened and give it another shot when they come back.

Coat is important to me and is the Achilles heel of the Airedale breed in my opinion.  It seems it is either too soft or as I was surprised to find too dense.  It needs to be clipped in the summer, trimmed in the winter.  Picks up burrs or collects ice balls.  I am quite sure Airedales would be more popular as a working breed if they had a coat that was entirely maintenance free but such is not the case.  I think some of the redline types come as close to a functional, maintenance free coat as is possible without throwing the breed standard out the window and while I used to have some trouble with the lack of excessive beard or furnishings now it seems I just look at a fully coated dog like I would at my lawn after coming back from holidays. 

For those of you that live where there is little or no snow in the winter it may seem like a non-issue.  Just clip in the summer and forget it the rest of the year but for us who live where the snow comes and stays for a good portion of the year a good coat becomes more critical.  A hard coat is a must if you are running your dales in mild winter conditions as the ice can collect to such an extent that the dog will actually be incapacitated.  This only seems to be a problem with the softer under hairs or on dogs with wool coats and will not collect on a hard coat.

Summer brings another set of problems.  Running bears on those hot spring days will quickly send any dog with too much coat searching for a water hole to lie down in and more than one dale has packed it in due to heat exhaustion.  Remember he may not know when to quit so if your dog is acting strangely or seems weak or uncoordinated get it cooled down quickly.  If you use a dog box remember that even though it may have holes it will still not allow for complete circulation and could be acting like an oven if parked on a hot day.  Best to get out nice and early or late in the evening, which is pretty much dictated by bears behavior anyway.  How bears manage with a full-length black fur coat in the middle of summer I don’t know.

Bob McLellan posted something on the working Airedale message board regarding long races and Airedales.  It has been my experience that Airedales will overheat long before a hound on a hot day and I don’t know the reason for it.  From my experience I can rule out coat as the dales were clipped as close as possible and I can rule out conditioning, as all my dogs are roaded together.  I typically road my dogs for 10 km (6 mi) or sometimes more and when I load them up after the run Buzz my grade Bluetick will jump in and be breathing with a closed mouth not out of breath at all while the Airedales will be sounding like freight trains and foaming at the mouth.  There must be something in their physical makeup that is working against the Airedale.  I recently heard a radio program talking about Secretariat the great thoroughbred and an autopsy performed after his death found that he had a larger heart than normal allowing him to process more blood therefore more oxygen then an average horse.  This trait was passed down through his progeny.   Perhaps Airedales have had something with the opposite affect focused in their gene pool.  If you have any thoughts, ideas or similar experiences I would be curious to hear from you.  At any rate Bob had this to say.

“Keep in mind that I can quote from no veterinary reports or scientific studies on the subject. This is something I have been told by old time houndsmen since I first started hunting with hounds some 42 years ago. I have also read about it, or at least seen mention of it, in books and magazine articles dealing with hounds over the years. I have also seen pretty conclusive evidence of it on several occasions. As far as I am personally concerned, it is as true as if it were written in stone.

What I am referring to is the physical ability that allows a hound’s blood to thin as the hound runs. Keep in mind that hounds have been bred for umpteen generations, and a lot of years, to run the long runners. Hounds have been bred specifically to run fox for a heck of a long time. Some of the same breeds of hounds have been, and are being, used to run coyotes. A small bear, in the spring of the year when they are lean, can really pick ‘em up and put ‘em down.

There are lots of dogs that can stay with, and even out run hounds for a short time. Other breeds of dogs have been bred to run and catch the same animals that hounds are used to hunt; and under the right circumstances will surpass the hound and get the job done faster. The sight hounds, whippets, greyhounds, and staghounds can make a trail hound look like it is running backwards; but they need pretty open country, and they need to make a fairly quick catch. They have the speed, but not the endurance.

You may have read about other breeds of dogs, Airedales included, running with a pack of hounds after coyote to serve the purpose of a catch/kill dog. You can pretty well bet that the catch dog didn’t start the race with the hounds. It was turned into the race near the end, and may have passed the tired hounds in a burst of speed to make the catch. It is even possible that the hounds that were in on the kill may not have been in on the start of the race.

What gives the hound it’s phenomenal endurance is this ability of the blood to thin. It gives him the edge over any other breed of dog that I am aware of in a long hard race. Of course a hound has to be physically fit and properly conditioned, the same as any other athlete. Some breeds of hounds are well known for their speed over others. Generally speaking, the running hounds, or “fox hound” breeds such as the Walkers, Goodmans, Triggs, and Julys are accepted as being faster than the so called “tree hound” breeds; but, again generally speaking, all hounds have that endurance if they are conditioned for it.

You can look at this thing with the blood a couple of different ways. It is a cooling system. Unable to perspire, a dog’s blood vessels act as a radiator of sorts, carrying body heat away to a place where it can escape into the air; through the open mouth.

Also, blood carries oxygen to the muscles. Starve the muscles of oxygen, and the dog becomes physically exhausted. Pump blood through the system faster, and the system becomes more efficient. Thin the blood, and it becomes more efficient still.

I can readily think of something that happened many years ago regarding a catch dog running with hounds. In those days I lived a long way south of here, and I knew several houndsmen who hunted wild pigs. I never ran my hounds on hogs, but I camped with these fellows quite often. In the morning they went one way looking for pigs, and I went another hunting cats.

It became quite the thing to run a couple of bull dogs with the hounds. The guys called them pit bulls, but looking back now I believe they were probably Staffs. One houndsman that I knew pretty well soon had one.

Pig season started in the early fall, while it was still pretty warm. About a month or so into the season I saw this fellow out pig hunting, and I noticed he didn’t have the bulldog along. I though possibly it had been killed by a hog, and I asked about it. I was told that, “No, it was still alive. It just needed to find a new home”. The houndsman was tired of carrying it out of canyons after it passed out from heat prostration.

The following summer I attended a field trial, which were quite popular among the houndsmen at the time. Someone entered a little female bulldog to run with the hounds. I was near the finish line when that heat came in. The bull was running right up there with the hounds, right in the middle of the pack, when it just keeled over and rolled to a stop in the dust. It gave a couple of kicks, and as chance would have it, it slid down the bank of a creek to a spot where its head was in the water. There would have been one less bull dog in the world if someone hadn’t run down there and fished her out.

I’m not picking on the bull dogs here, as I have seen other breeds of dogs run with hounds, including my own Airedales. Some do a pretty good job of it for a while. “For the job he was bred to do though, I don’t know of any dog that can surpass a hound”. I still enjoy hearing a good pack of hounds drive a track; bear, cat, or fox. It’s just that under the present conditions a different kind of dog suits my purpose better. Right now, that’s Airedales.“

Interesting thoughts Bob and I have to agree with you that for the long races hounds will probably out run an Airedale.  In the winter I think the Airedale has the advantage especially if they have to overnight in the bush.  For me it is probably irrelevant anyway because generally I am on foot so anything that can go farther than me is home free anyway.

Dave Spring from Joliet Montana wrote to Kevin recently:

The family is doing great.  The kids are active and on the go.  It is fun watching them (3 ½ , 5, 6 ½ ) all develop into there own little people.  They are each unique but they are all extremely curious, active and love to be outside.  If you remember from my e-mails last year, we live on 11acres just outside a small town in rural Montana.  I was looking for a dog to be a companion/protector for my family at home on hikes, jogging and on trail rides in the mountains. Living in this country we do have loose dogs, coyotes and occasionally, bears and lions in the area. It has been a comfort for me to look out into the pasture where the kids are sledding, digging, catching bugs or playing ball, depending on the time of year, and see Josie (Tucker/Lady) right there in the mix.

Last year while researching what breed of dog we would replace our older dogs with, Airedales kept coming up as a dog that could fill the many roles that we wanted.  Hunting is a big part of our life.  We have had several pointing dogs through the years but we have been without hunting dogs for about six years (since kids).  I knew that I would one day get into dogs but thought I would end up a retriever in the yard and several hounds out in a kennel and still another dog to be with the kids in the pasture and on hikes.  (I know the chances of encountering a lion are slim but my kids love to run up and down the trail laughing, crying, yelling and screaming.  It is very comforting to see Josie right there with them.)  Because the priority at home is the kids, I was looking for the companion/protector first and figured my dogs would come later.  The idea that the same dog I had for the family, home and trail could hunt upland, retrieve ducks, hunt coons and lions had me a bit skeptical.  After reading about a “Sandhill” dog and bitch protecting their hunting camp from a bear I thought I would give this breed a try.  I thought if she could do half of the things that were claimed of her I would have a heck of a dog.

At a year old she has lived up to everything we wanted in a dog and more than we expected.  She jogs 3 miles, off lead, with my wife every day, and occasionally again with me.  On this trip we pass four houses each with loose dogs, she has made friends with all of these dogs even when they are acting protective of their property.  She seems to deescalate them and put them at ease.  Then at home when the kids are playing in the pasture she will immediately position herself in-between them and the neighbors Saint Bernard any time it moves even though it is two hundred yards away.  This is the dog that attacked her when she was 6 months old after she had wondered over close to their house.  She stays away from him on her own but will run out growling to meet him if he moves toward the kids or my wife when they are in the pasture closer to his house.  She is around horses and has never chased or harassed them.  She has retrieved grouse and pheasant that she has flushed along with a lot of baseballs hit into the pasture by my kids.  I have not had her waterfowl hunting yet because I didn’t go this year but she is comfortable in water and I plan on working water retrieves this summer.  She made short work of a coon that I shot out of a tree for her.  I have not had her out by herself (with out my friend and his two walkers) on coons or on a lion track as I am a beginner in this area of hunting but I think she shows good potential.  Her interest and enthusiasm are obvious.  After having Rots. and pointing breeds I am amazed at her manner inside the house.  She is calm inside and has slept in the utility room along with all the shoes (we have not had one chewed up yet) since she was 8 months old.  She is gentle with the kids even when accepting treats from the three year old, carefully & gently removing it from his hand.  (The kids have grown up with big dogs and have been taught to be nice but to assert themselves if the dog is bothering them but I am still impressed in her ability to be situation appropriate)

Because I am not the best trainer I do not think Josie will ever win a “Shoot to Retrieve” against a good Short Hair,  a Retrieving Competition against a well bred Lab, a Night Hunt against a Grand Champion Walker or high score in an obedience trial against a highly trained Border Collie but she is doing all of these things and has an obvious bond and protective instinct for her kids and house.  I know we will never be without an Airedale or two or three and that they will all have “Sandhill” prominently in their pedigree.

Thanks for staying in touch.  I am very interested in this breed and particularly this line and am planning on becoming more and more involved as the kids grow up.

Dave

Thanks Dave.  Dave called again to tell me about a barbecue they went to at a neighbor’s place who lives a couple of hundred yards away.  The neighbor has a St. Bernard and Josie and this dog have a bit of history.  Dave kept Josie at home because of this but later in the day the St. Bernard growled and lunged to the end of it’s chain at one of Dave’s children causing him to cry out.  Dave just heard the neighbor yell no and before Dave could even get to the door Josie was there ready to defend her family if need be.  Dave says this is exactly why he wanted an Airedale and just confirms in his mind he made the right choice.

I just got back from a twenty hour round trip to Salmon Idaho where I bred my Lulu (Grit/Maggie) to Chukar (Cajun/Cherokee Rose) who is owned by Steve and Donay Freestone.  All in all a nice visit with some real nice people in some beautiful country.  Steve and Donay own the hotel de Luxe where pets are welcome so if you are passing through Salmon give them your business and maybe talk dogs.  Steve also runs a taxidermy business next door and although he specializes in birds his elk, goat and cougar mounts were of equally fine quality.   Donay seems to be keeping him busy with work as she got a nice bull elk last year with her bow and a cougar this winter.  Chukar is a really nicely put together square dog standing 24 inches and 70 lbs.  He has nice tight feet and although he is the son of Cajun who is slick coated Chukar’s coat is pretty typical for an Airedale although nice and hard.  He is a good bird dog but was shocked off of fur by his prior owner who gave him to Steve and Donay when he learned he had cancer.  Steve will attempt to rehabilitate him but those shock collars really do the job. 

My Bar was of a mind to chase whatever he pleased so I have given him a couple of lessons this spring while bear hunting. The first time I saw some elk in the road ahead so I kicked him and Buzz (hound) out of the truck and told them to git. Well as soon as Bar smelled those elk he put it into high gear while Buzz who knows about amperage and ungulates beat a hasty retreat back to the truck. It couldn't have been a better setup as the elk saw Bar coming and went off the road then came back up and crossed right in front of him. I let him chase them just into the bush then laid it on hard. I've never had the courage to try the high pins on myself but it doesn't sound pleasant. I did him twice more on some Mule deer and the last time he wouldn't even show interest in the deer but I gave him a shot anyway. Now he pulls his nose in real quick whenever we drive through where some deer have been standing on the road and I am confident he will be straight although he may need a refresher at some point in the future. I don't enjoy frying my dogs but I sure do enjoy knowing that if I put them on a track they will stick to it.

Thursday I put out on a nice sized bear but he took the dogs into a steep creek canyon 6 km (3 ½ miles) away where he gave them the slip. Thank heavens for tracking collars.

Saturday I took the wife and our three young kids out to look for bear. We went as high as we could before snow stopped us but saw nothing although the dogs winded something but I didn't turn out. On the way down I checked a side drainage and spotted a bear feeding by the side of road up ahead. We all watched him for a bit then I put the dogs out and sent them up the road. I watched through the glasses as they got closer and closer and were pretty much right on top of the bear before he clued in and took off. They had baled off of a switchback and down into a big creek draw so I just waited and eventually heard the dogs treeing down below. I had hoped to get everyone in on the tree if we got one up but it was pretty rugged and quite late so I told Monika to take the truck and meet me at the bridge where the creek crossed the main road and I would walk out the creek with the dogs. I got to the tree and they had a good-sized bear up a really small tree. There was bigger timber around but this guy had chosen a six-inch fir tree with about three branches over an inch in diameter. He was decidedly uncomfortable so I took some pictures, as I knew he wanted to come out. He wanted to jump over to a bigger tree but the one he was in was so small he couldn't even get set up for the jump. I had left my bow at home but really wished I hadn't as this guy was a keeper. Well I took a stick and whacked the tree a few times and that's all it took. Down came Mr. Bear right into a pack of waiting dogs and the race was on again. Thankfully in the right direction, down. The truck was only about a kilometer away but as luck would have it he crossed the road not 75 metres in front of the truck where the wife and kids were standing around waiting. They were quite excited when I finally got there. The bear didn't tree again.

The quote of the month is: "If an owner of a lurcher asks too much of it before it is capable, the owner is courting trouble. Overmatching at too young an age is going to break a dog's heart. Patience is a virtue that every dog owner should possess, but unfortunately many don't." (Sammy Vaughan, Earth Dog--Running Dog, April 1999)

Well that's it and as Henry S. Johnson Jr. Always said: " Until next month, let me hear from you Airedale people and don't forget to put your arms around those black and tan dogs with the beards and the moustaches and talk to them. They are people dogs and family members.

Respectfully submitted, Clint Stubbe, Northern Corresponding Secretary for the Working Airedale Terrier Association. No rules, regulations, officers, dues or formal affiliations. It's more a state of mind.