What do you get when you combine the King of Terriers 👑 with the Poodle 🐩 ? Meet the airedoodle! Part giant Terrier, part Poodle, this is one of the most versatile doodles out there.
The airedoodle is the hybrid combination of the Poodle and the Airedale Terrier, the largest of the Terriers. Airedoodles can also be called poodales or airepoos. The Poodle and the Airedale Terrier are both two of the most versatile dog breeds. Both breeds in the past have been used for many services and sporting activities. Airedoodles are highly athletic and a great companion.
The airedoodle is friendly and outgoing and gets along well with both children and other family pets. They are very playful and make great playmates for kids. Airedoodles are alert and watchful and they will definitely let you know if someone is coming to visit. They also get a high degree of intelligence and curiosity from both of their parent breeds.
In the north of England close to the Scottish border lies the Aire Valley. Aire Valley was the mecha of manufacturing at the turn of the 20th century. Aire Valley is the home of the Airedale Terrier. The workers of Aire Valley created large fearless hunters that were used for everything from rats to ducks.
Airedales have a veristile and distinguished past from serving in the British Armed Forces during WWI as messengers and guard dogs. This King Terrier was the first police dog that was used in both Germany and Great Britain.
Let’s take a quick look at the other half of the airedoodle.
The Poodle is called Pudel in Germany 🇩🇪 and Caniche in France 🇫🇷 . Both of these names are a nod to the Poodles original breeding use as a water retriever. The German Pudel name translates to puddle or splashing water . The French Caniche name translates to duck dog. 🦆
The Standard Poodles were originally bred as hunters of wildfowl to retrieve the game out of the water. The Miniature Poodle was also bred in France as a talented circus performer 🎪 . These Miniature Poodles were trained to walk tightropes and even perform card tricks and skits.
Both the Airedale Terrier and the Poodle have long histories of versatility and companionship.
Sizing it all up
The size of the airedoodle is much easier to explain than some of the other popular doodles. The airedoodle can weigh 40 to 65 pounds and be 22 to 27 inches tall. Airedales are normally crossed with a Standard Poodle. There is not much variation in the airedoodle size options. The airedale could also be bred with a Miniature Poodle to make a smaller airedoodle. 🐕
Color Coding, Fur Real
Airedoodles can have a wide range of hair characteristics. Their Poodle 🐩 parent has only one soft curly coat, while the Airedale has a coarse double coat. The Airedales undercoat is soft and the outer coat is wiry and rough. The airedoodle could have either of these coat traits or maybe even a combination.
Airedales come in either black and tan or black and gold. However Poodles can come in black, white, silver, blue, gray and shades of brown. Poodles can also have multi-colored coats. Airedoodles can have a combination of the colors of their parents, but it is common for them to have darker coats.
Airedoodles need to be brushed daily or at least twice per week. Most doodles also need to have their 👂 ears checked and cleaned weekly to prevent any ear issues such as ear infections. They also require a bath 🛁 about once per month. Airedoodles will most likely need to be trimmed about every 4 to 6 weeks by a groomer or the owner can learn the grooming skills and maintain the hair themselves. ✂️
The AKC asserts that “there is no such thing as a completely hypoallergenic dog”. Unfortunately people with dog allergies are usually allergic to the dog dander 🦠, not the dog’s fur. Granted the dog fur can be a carrier for the dog dander it is not the cause of the allergen. The old school of thought was that less dog hair = less allergen. So breeders would attempt to have as many Poodle genes in a dog breed to lessen dog hair shed. Unfortunately, this does not change the level of dander. Please be cautious regarding the labels of “hypoallergenic” if you have dog allergies. If you would like more info on this please read 22 Hypoallergenic Doodles. ◀️
Working it out
The Airedoodle being a hybrid dog comes from 2 different breeds that are both considered high energy. The airedoodle is a very active dog that appreciates a family that is active and outdoorsy. They will need at least one hour of exercise per day to stay happy and healthy. Airedoodles need a safe and fun way to channel all of this extra energy. 🔋 If they are not expending enough energy per day they can become bored which can lead to bad habits. These bad habits due to boredom usually include chewing or barking.
The good news is that the airedoodle loves a wide range of activities. Pretty much any activity that you can do with a dog they would be up for and excel at. 👍
⚠️ One word of warning, it is not recommended to have your doodle participate in highly strenuous activities prior to the age of 10 months due to underdeveloped joints and bones. ⚠️
Come, Sit, Stay
The airedoodle being a combination of the Poodle and the Airedale Terrier can usually be fairly easy to train. The Poodle is one of the most intelligent dog breeds in the world and both breeds love to please their owners. Both breeds are extremely loyal and form deep attachments to their owners so there may be some additional training needed in regards to separation anxiety. This separation anxiety can result in chewing, barking and destructive habits. 😬
The airedoodle is a smart dog that can become bored with routine training, the training needs to be varied and not repetitive. The owner will also need to be confident and firm and use positive training methods for the best results. With these training methods the airedoodle can learn quickly and enjoy more advanced training and tricks.
Airedoodles can be taught numerous skills such as tricks, agility, tracking, hunting or dock diving to name a few. They may be a little stubborn if they take after their terrier parent. They should also enjoy puzzles and challenging toys. 🪀
As with all dogs, early socialization and puppy classes are important and can teach good habits for life. This training makes for a happy and healthy doodle. 👍
Quality of Life
Airedoodles are generally healthy doodles. A hybrid dog can sometimes be healthier than either of their parent breeds due to increased genetic diversity. However, hybrid dogs can still be susceptible to the same medical issues that their parent breeds are prone to. For the airedoodle those medical issues are cataracts, corneal dystrophy, hip dysplasia, gastric torsion and skin issues. 🩺
There are a few recommended health tests that the National Breed Club suggests. These tests include a hip evaluation, renal disease DNA test, cardiac exam and ophthalmologist evaluation. 🧪
So now you want an Airedoodle….
If you are thinking about getting an Airedoodle you must make sure that you are in love with any combination of traits that a doodle surprise could offer. 🎁 Your doodle may look exactly like a Airedale Terrier but act exactly like a Poodle. Would you be ok with that? What about the other way around? If you can love 💗 ALL of the traits of both parent breeds then DO IT! Doodles are the best!
I would check at Poodle rescues and also at Airedale Terrier specific rescues, they may have a mixed breed/hybrid there as well. Also check regular rescues. Just realize that if you want to rescue you may have to wait to find your dog or travel to pick it up. But there are great benefits to rescuing instead of buying. 👍👏
If you decide to buy a puppy please do your research on the breeder and don’t be afraid to ask the right questions. And good luck to you! I hope you find your forever puppy! 🥰
