- Body saddle black or grizzle as is top of the neck and top surface of tail.
- All other parts tan.
- Ears often a darker tan, and shading may occur round neck and side of skull.
- A few white hairs between forelegs acceptable
The largest of all terrier breeds, the Airedale is a large, athletic dog with a distinctive wiry black and tan coat and confident, alert demeanor. Known as the 'King of Terriers', this highly intelligent and versatile breed combines courage with an outgoing temperament.
Developed in the Aire Valley of Yorkshire, England, by crossing Otterhounds with various terrier breeds. Originally bred by working-class fanciers to hunt otters and rats, their intelligence and courage led to their use as police dogs, war dogs, and all-around companions.
“Keen of expression, quick of movement, on the tiptoe of expectation at any movement. Character denoted and shown by expression of eyes, and by carriage of ears and erect tail. Outgoing and confident, friendly, courageous, and intelligent. Alert at all times, not aggressive but fearless”
Quoted from FCI standard n°7. It describes the breed the registry recognises, not any individual animal.
Breed reference from The Dog API.
Drawn from sources, not opinion: FCI breed standard; Dillard et al. 2020, PLOS Genetics. An empty column means we hold nothing for that side, not that there is nothing to say.
The Airedale Terrier standard is published by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), the international federation of pedigree-dog clubs, and it is what show judges apply. This section sums up what it says about coat and colour and size. It does not assess any one animal: use it to know what to ask the breeder.
Hard, dense and wiry, not so long as to appear ragged.
Lying straight and close, covering body and legs
outer coat hard, wiry and stiff, undercoat shorter and softer.
Hardest coats are crinkling or just slightly waved
curly or soft coat highly undesirable
Shortened from FCI standard n°7 — each label is the standard’s own wording with the verdict lifted into the tag beside it. Read the full clause at source.
The colours and patterns the standard admits, and what it prefers, discourages or disqualifies in each. An accepted colour says nothing about health.
Height at the withers (cm)
The same scale for every breed: no source defines size categories by height.
The standard's words
“Height at the withers: About 58 - 61 cm for males. About 56 - 59 cm for females”
Quoted from FCI standard n°7.
An adult's measurements, per the standard. It does not say how big this puppy will be. Quotations from the FCI are in English, as the standard publishes them; the headings are ours.
Breed-level information from The Dog API. It describes the Airedale Terrier in general; any individual animal can differ.
Known hereditary risks for the Airedale Terrier breed, and the specific documentation to request from any breeder before paying a deposit. A responsible breeder will have these readily available; deflection is a red flag.
4 conditions documentedThis is breed-level literature, not veterinary advice about an individual animal — your vet knows the animal.
Health checklist (PDF)Found in more than about one in twenty of the breed's dogs screened, or described as common in the sources.
A recessive surfactant disorder found in this breed: affected puppies are born at term and develop respiratory failure within hours to days, and none in the study survived beyond four weeks. In the Finnish research cohort about one Airedale in five was a carrier, and the variant was not found in any other breed screened, so two carrier parents can produce an affected litter without either looking unusual.
What to ask for
LAMP3 c.1159G>A DNA test result, on both parents
A recessive surfactant disorder found in this breed: affected puppies are born at term and develop respiratory failure within hours to days, and none in the study survived beyond four weeks. In the Finnish research cohort about one Airedale in five was a carrier, and the variant was not found in any other breed screened, so two carrier parents can produce an affected litter without either looking unusual.
What to ask for
LAMP3 c.1159G>A DNA test result, on both parents
Documented in this breed, but no source says how many of its dogs carry or have them. That is a gap in the evidence, not a sign they are rare.
An inherited bleeding disorder caused, in this breed, by a large insertion in the factor IX gene that leaves affected dogs with almost no factor IX activity. It is X-linked, so it shows in males while females carry it silently — a carrier dam can produce affected sons even when every dog in the pedigree looks healthy.
What to ask for
Haemophilia B (F9) DNA result for the Airedale variant, or a factor IX activity assay — on the dam especially, since carriers are female
An inherited clotting-factor deficiency, usually mild: most affected dogs bleed more than expected only after surgery or injury. The variant was first described in Beagles and has since been documented in a number of breeds including this one; a study in another breed found no link to post-operative bleeding, so its effect varies.
What to ask for
Factor VII deficiency (F7) DNA test result, on both parents
A kidney disease in which the filter leaks protein into the urine, usually in middle age, and that often progresses to kidney failure. Two variants associated with it were described in the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier and found in Airedale Terriers too, including an affected Airedale carrying both; the inheritance is complex, so a result shows risk rather than a certainty either way.
What to ask for
PLN (NPHS1 and KIRREL2) DNA result, on both parents, and a recent urine protein:creatinine ratio for any adult breeding dog
An inherited bleeding disorder caused, in this breed, by a large insertion in the factor IX gene that leaves affected dogs with almost no factor IX activity. It is X-linked, so it shows in males while females carry it silently — a carrier dam can produce affected sons even when every dog in the pedigree looks healthy.
What to ask for
Haemophilia B (F9) DNA result for the Airedale variant, or a factor IX activity assay — on the dam especially, since carriers are female
Median survival 12.0 years
95% confidence interval 11.8–12.3 years, from 556 recorded deaths among 1,237 dogs
Mortality hazard 1.04 (0.96, 1.13) relative to crossbred dogs, whose median is 12.0 years.
Measured in the United Kingdom from 584,734 dogs. Median survival is not a prediction for an individual dog.
McMillan, K.M., Bielby, J., Williams, C.L., Upjohn, M.M., Casey, R.A. & Christley, R.M. (2024) Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531.
An inherited clotting-factor deficiency, usually mild: most affected dogs bleed more than expected only after surgery or injury. The variant was first described in Beagles and has since been documented in a number of breeds including this one; a study in another breed found no link to post-operative bleeding, so its effect varies.
What to ask for
Factor VII deficiency (F7) DNA test result, on both parents
A kidney disease in which the filter leaks protein into the urine, usually in middle age, and that often progresses to kidney failure. Two variants associated with it were described in the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier and found in Airedale Terriers too, including an affected Airedale carrying both; the inheritance is complex, so a result shows risk rather than a certainty either way.
What to ask for
PLN (NPHS1 and KIRREL2) DNA result, on both parents, and a recent urine protein:creatinine ratio for any adult breeding dog