New Online Articles

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is, “Can you help me sit the trot better?”

So here are 9 tips to help you with this all too common challenge.

1. First and foremost, your horse needs to be on the bit. If his back is hollow, stiff, or tight, you’ll find it impossible to sit comfortably. (And, in turn, you’ll make your horse uncomfortable too!)

To put him on the bit, you’ll need to use what I call the “connecting aids”.

The “connecting aids” are a combination of three ingredients that are maintained for about three seconds. That’s the length of time it takes you to inhale and exhale:

Those three ingredients are the driving aids, the bending aids, and the rein of opposition.

When you marry those three ingredients (driving aids, bending aids and rein of opposition) for about three seconds, you give the cue to put your horse on the bit.

First ask him to surge forward as if you’re going toward a lengthening in posting trot. After his first two strides that are more forward, close your outside hand in a fist, and vibrate the inside rein.

Keep all of these aids on for about 3 seconds. You’re asking for the surge FIRST so you can be sure you’re riding from back to front.

Give the connecting aids almost simultaneously, but think of them in this order:

1. Close both legs.
2. Close your outside hand in a fist.
3. Squeeze and release on the inside rein.
4. Maintain for 3 seconds and then soften.

2. Slow the trot down. Ride “sub-power” and when you can sit easily, increase the impulsion for just a few strides at a time. Then slow down again.

3. Put your horse on the bit in posting trot. Once he’s round, sit for just a couple of strides. Start posting again before you feel like you need to grip with your legs. Reorganize your body, relax your legs, and sit again for just a couple of strides.

4. Cross your stirrups over the front of the saddle. Post without your irons until your legs are tired. If they’re tired, you can’t grip so you’ll sit deeper.

5. Focus on your hips. Notice how they open and close in the walk. Mimic that motion when you’re in sitting trot.

6. Pretend you’re a belly dancer. As you swing your hips, use a buzz phrase like, “Do the hootchie kootchie”.

7. Hold the front of the saddle with your inside hand. Use that hand to pull you deeper into the saddle so you can learn the feeling of sitting close to your horse in sitting trot.

8. Relax your knees and thighs by taking then an inch or so off the saddle for a moment, letting them drop, and then placing them on lightly again.

9. Take longe lessons. This is the best way to develop an independent seat so you can sit the trot easily. Don’t use any reins or stirrups. Let the person longing you handle steering and controlling the speed.

Do exercises where you move one part of your body while you keep the rest of your body still. (Arm circles, scissor kicks etc.) Also, just practice sitting deeply on your horse in his traveling gaits as well as through upward and downward transitions.

All of these tips will help you sit the trot, but the main things to focus on are putting your horse on the bit and keeping your hips loose so you can follow your horse’s movement.

Jane Savoie was the reserve rider for the US Olympic Dressage Team in 1992. She has coached at 3 Olympics in Atlanta, Sydney, and Athens. Jane has written 6 books on training and sports psychology. Click here for more info onsitting the trot

Do you remember going to the zoo when you were little? Do you remember taking your kids? A lot of the big zoos have closed these days as it is getting harder and harder for the owners to feed and care for these big animals. If you do find a zoo, you might not like what you find. The zoos now days are a lot smaller and most of these do not have all of the big animals that they used to when you were small. Some of the animals are so old that they are just left lying in their cages. They are fed and looked after, but there is just no where else for them to go.

You still can find those that have some of the really big animals, but they do not travel and if you want to see them you have to go to them. In the older days carnivals would travel from city to city and town to town. They would have all kinds of large rolling cages filled with all of these large animals. They would set up at the end of town and have their show run for usually three days. Do you remember thinking that you would not like being cooped up in those cages any more than those animals did?

Sometimes you would catch yourself thinking that you wish you were those animal trainers so you could travel all over the world. You might even catch yourself dreaming about all of the places these companies had been and wishing you could travel with them. Then you would see how they lived and this alone would help you change your mind. The people that traveled with these carnivals sometimes felt like those animals they worked with. They had no more peace than the animals. Now these carnivals do not travel as much as they used too, even though you might see one in a town from time to time.

There might not be as many animal trainers either as no one wants to run the risk of becoming hurt from these animals, it can be a dangerous job. After these animals get so old they do not what to do what their trainers want them to do so they might be so crabby and mean that even their trainer will stop using them and put them out to pasture. There are animal sanctuaries where some of the older ones can go where they are treated humanly and get to live out the remainder of their days in peace with some freedom.

Jenna Anderson is a writer and you can visit her sites at cabin decor and cabin furniture.

When you begin going to dog shows you need to know the dog show lingo. That way you’ll understand what people are saying and know how to communicate. These are terms used at AKC dog shows.

Terms

The American Breed Class is a regular class open to all dogs six months old, which were whelped in the United States. Its parents must have mated in the U.S.A. The exception is champions. This is a basic term to be familiar with and learn.

The term angulation means the angle made when bones meet at the joint, which is a concrete notion useful when talking at dog shows. The angulation is related to balance. When both of these traits are good the canine’s joints be more flexible and the movement will be smooth.

Agility Trials are competitions in which the dogs surmount or negotiate jumps and obstacles like tunnels and weave poles. These events are a lot of fun for the audience. The AKC holds a national agility trial. There are many canine agility events sanctioned by various dog clubs.

An All-Breed Show is a conformation show and any bred can show. Of course, you’ll want a very agile dog. In a conformation show the judges try to select the canines that are the epitome of the standard for their breed. A match show means no championship points are given at that show.

When a trainer uses a treat to attain a dog’s attention causing him to seem alert it is called baiting. It is important to teach your dog to bait properly; he should look attentive, quizzical, with an air of anticipation.

The bench show is one in which the dogs are seated on benches, when they are being shown. Sitting on the bench allows the attendees, breeders, and exhibitors to view and discuss them. The judges look for the ideal dog for this show, exhibiting the standards better than the other competitors. When the dogs limbs and body are posed to design a pleasing look it is called stacking.

The champion is the title given to a dog that defeats a specific number of dogs in designated competitions during a series of shows. A standard is determined for a breed. A dog is measured out when his measurement is not within the limit for the breed. The dog earns credit toward a championship called points.

The exhibitor or handler is the person that brings a dog for showing and shows him in the correct class. He shows the dog in the ring or works him at an event such as a field trial. He is hired by an owner that doesn’t want to show the dog himself.

Another person involved in shows is the fancier. He is someone that has a keen interest and normally is actively involved in some part of the sport of purebred canines.

The gait is how the dog moves. It is one indicator of the dog’s condition and structure. Agility, angulation, and balance are intertwined in the dog’s gait.

To move is to gait a canine in a patten a judge proscribes. Moving close means that the dog’s hocks turn inward and his pasterns drops towards the ground, moving parallel to each other. Moving straight describes a balanced gait in which the inclination angle starts at the shoulder and legs stay mainly straight going from these points to the pads of the dog’s feet. This is while his legs extend. This can also start from the hip joint.

Tristan Andrews is a freelance author who writes articles about dogs and dog supplies.

Riding a spooky horse can be frustrating and even scary. First, it might help you to understand why your horse shies. Then, I’ll give you 7 tips so you have some tools to help cope with shying.

You might be more patient with your spooky horse when you understand that horses have survived in the wild all these years because of their natural flight response. So, when you think your horse is being unreasonable because he’s shying from something that seems benign, change your attitude toward his behavior.

Say something like, “You have incredible survival instincts.” Or you can say, “You don’t need to be on the lookout for potential danger. I’ll keep you safe.”

Do you get frustrated when your horse spooks from the same flowerpot he saw two minutes ago? Maybe the answer lies with the theory of the dominant eye.

You see, most of us (including horses) have a dominant eye. To find out which is your dominant eye, keep both eyes open and point at an object like a tree. Then alternately close each eye.

You’ll find that when you close one eye, your finger doesn’t move, but when you close the other eye, your finger jumps to the side. For example, if you close your right eye and your finger doesn’t move, that means your dominant eye is your left eye.

The dominant eye explains why a horse tends to shy more when perceived danger is on one particular side of his body. Let’s say you’re circling to the right, and your horse is left-eye dominant. He seems pretty secure about his environment because his dominant eye (the left one) is on the outside. He can see his surroundings and keep himself alert and safe from “danger”.

However, if you’re circling to the right and he’s right eye dominant, he’ll want to whip his head around to the left so he can check out the environment with his right eye. The result is that he spooks more from objects that are on the left side of his body.

Understanding why your horse spooks will help you be more patient with this behavior. But you still need to know how to deal with it.

Here are 7 tips for riding the spooky horse.

1. Never punish a spooky horse. Shying comes from fear. If you punish your horse for shying, you convince him he was right to be afraid.

2. On the other hand, don’t soothe him by patting him for being brave while he’s shying. You’re just rewarding behavior you don’t want.

3. Don’t make a nervous horse walk straight up to something scary. That’s the most frightening thing you can do. That’s like asking a horse to come face to face with a cougar when every instinct tells him to flee from danger.

4. If the scary object is at one end of the ring, circle in the middle of the ring. Then, as your horse relaxes, gradually shift your circle toward the scary end of the ring. Your horse doesn’t have to eat a whole bale of hay at once. Let him eat the bale a flake at a time.

This slow way usually ends up being the faster way. You accomplish your goal with a minimum of resistance and trauma both to your horse and to you.

5. When you’re at least 15 meters from the scary object, use your inside rein to gently but firmly bend your horse’s neck enough to the inside so he can’t see it with either eye. Remember, a horse has both binocular vision and monocular vision where he can see with each eye separately.

So, you need to bend the neck enough so he can’t see the object with either eye. He won’t shy from what he can’t see.

Once you are directly beside the scary object, relax both reins. Many horses are claustrophobic, and you don’t want your horse to think he’s being “pinned” against something with no escape. That’s very scary.

6. Don’t stare at the scary object. If you focus on it, your horse will too. Look at your surroundings instead.

7. Breathe! If you’re holding your breath, you’ll convince your horse there’s good reason to be afraid. Inhale deeply, and as you exhale, feel your butt lowering down into the barrel of the horse like a centaur.

If you find it hard to focus on breathing, sing. You can’t sing without breathing. So have your favorite song on the tip of your tongue so you can belt it out easily.

Understanding why your horse shies and having tools to cope with this behavior will help you feel more confident when you ride. As a result, you’ll transmit that confidence to your horse.

Jane Savoie was the reserve rider for the US Olympic Dressage Team in 1992. She has coached at 3 Olympics in Atlanta, Sydney, and Athens. Jane has written 6 books on training and sports psychology. Click here for more training tips

If you own birds and keep them in an enclosed area, filtering the air you and your birds breathe is just as important as proper housing, food, and water.

Here are 7 reasons why filtering the air your pet bird breathes is a necessity.

1. Birds’ respiratory systems are very easily clogged by airborne particulates. Clogged airways foster disease and infection. Birds instinctively hide signs of illness so that other animals don’t see them as weak and ideal as prey.

In many cases once your bird develops symptoms, the condition is grave and the bird cannot be saved.

2. Their air passages are so effective at delivering oxygen that birds can become ill very rapidly when exposed to airborne chemicals, smoke, and other gases that can sometimes be present in your home.

Fumes from a burned Teflon pan can be fatal. Making sure that you are able to filter gases as well as particles is crucial.

3. If you have more than one bird, it is even more important to clear the air because the additional volume that is produced by several birds can make the entire population ill, and their owners as well.

4. Bacteria and viruses travel most often by attaching to airborne particles. If the air is thick with dander, this makes it easy for disease to move from one host to another through inhalation and/or ingestion.

And even though many viruses are smaller than the .3 microns that HEPA filters can remove, by clearing the air of particles you are also greatly reducing the number of pathogens as well.

5. There are numerous other airborne particles that are common in the cleanest of households that can also stand in the way of your bird’s good health.

Household dust, dust mites, mold and mildew spores, pollen, and dander from other pets are just a few. Removing these pollutants from the air will increase your bird’s chances of staying healthy.

6. Now let’s focus on the people in the house. The protein found in bird dander is one of the most common allergy triggers. Your feathered friend will only stay healthy if there is a healthy human to provide top notch care.

Filtering the air with a medical grade HEPA ( which stands for high efficiency particle arresting) filter will remove dander (as small as .3 microns) that is invisible to the eye, but let’s an allergy sufferer know it’s there by causing watery eyes, congestion, itchy nose and throat and a general discomfort when close to the birds.

Clean air means you feel better and are able to take better care of your bird.

And while it is invisible to the eye, it lets allergy sufferers know it’s there by causing watery eyes, congestion, itchy nose and throat and a general discomfort when close to the birds. Filtering the air allows you to enjoy your bird more.

7. Some birds are more susceptible to diseases that can be transferred from birds to humans. Constantly filtering the air to remove these germs greatly reduces your chances, your bird’s, and your family’s chances of becoming infected.

An excellent HEPA air purifier to help your bird stay healthy by removing airborne pollutants from your bird’s air is offered by PurerAir.com– the Bird Dander Air Purifier See it now at http://purerair.com/bird_dander_air_purifier.html
Debbie Davis, President, PurerAir.com

This unusual looking dog is rooted in ancient history with Egyptian pharaohs. It is considered an elegant dog, its fur is like silk and the texture is fine. Its tail curls. It is among the sight hounds of the Middle East. That means it hunted by sight. Though it began its life as a breed in the courts of royalty it worked as a hunting dog for nomads for centuries and that is how its capabilities were fully developed. It supplied gazelle and hare for the hungry nomads with the aid of the great falcons. These aggressive birds were trained to plunge down at the prey.

The Afghan hound is quick, nimble, leaps extremely well, and has good endurance. For most of history these dogs were limited to the Afghanistan mountains. They were brought to Britain during the 1800/partners/s by returning army officers. They were brought to the U.S.A in 1926. They were known as Galanday Hound, Barukhzy hounds, Shalgar Hound or Persian greyhounds. There were two kinds of Afghan hounds developed in Afghanistan; one was breed in the north and another in the south and west. Once they reached Britain a new standard was coined for the breed, which depended on the arresting features of a dog named Zardan that Captain Bariff, brought back from India. And this dog was one of the Persian sight hounds. In 1912 a standard for these dogs was written. The breeding of them ceased during World War I.

Some of the dogs were taken to Scotland and they are the Bell-Murray strain, originally inhabiting Baluchistan The were the steppe kind of dog and their fur wasn/partners/t as thick. In 1925 Mrs. Mary Amps sent some of her dogs from the kennel in Kabul. They were from the Ghazni strain; their fur was thicker; they were the mountain kind of sight hound. From this model the current stylized dog was bred in the United States. The dog gathered appeal slowly; people interested in glamor were most attracted.

The Afghan hound became in vogue with show dog trainers and such more quickly. They are popular dogs in conformation showing and lure coursing.

It has never lost its taste for hunting and when outside will tend to run down small animals, though it gets along well with them inside the house. Sometimes it doesn/partners/t obey when called. It is warm-hearted around children, though not as playful as may be desired. It is reserved around strangers. It is an independent dog.

The Afghan hound needs exercise each day outside. Sprinting and walking combined help to fulfill its need for exertion. Excercing it in a space where it can run and leap is better. It needs to be brushed several times each week. The male weighs between 45 to 60 pounds and is 24 to 29-inches tall and then female weighs 50 pounds and is 25-inces tall. Its lifespan is about 12 to 14 years. They are easily affected by stress and sometimes it causes digestive problems. They are prone to allergies and cancer. They are sensitive to anesthesia because of their lower body fat. The Afghan hound has a tendency towards developing chylothorax. It is a rare disease that affects the lungs.

Tristan Andrews is a freelance author who writes articles about dogs and dog supplies.

One of the most popular dog sports at dog shows is agility. In this dog sport, a handler instructs a dog through a course of obstacles; it is timed and the dog must be accurate. The dog is normally leash free and incentives such as toys or treats are not usually permitted. The handler controls the dog through body language, his voice, and movement. He isn’t allowed to handle the dog physically or touch the obstacles. This intense show requires high quality training of the dog. The voice commands are down, come, sit, out, go, turn, and come.

What is an agility course? The basic agility course is constructed of standard obstacles, which a judge lays out according to his wishes. The space it is laid out in is about 100 by 100 ft. The obstacles are numbered according to the order in which the judge wants the course completed.

The course is hard enough that a canine cannot do it on his own; he needs the instructions of the handler. These are the usual contact obstacles: dog walks, ramps, tunnels, and jumps. Some other contact obstacles are: pause box or pause table, weave poles, sway bridge or sway plank, hoops, and platform jumps.

Dog agility began in the 1970’s in Britain. It quickly gained adherence over the world and agility competition became an international dog sport. Different organizations have their own regulations concerning scoring and clean runs. They also value faults differently.

Faults

The time fault occurs when the dog goes beyond the time allowed for the course. The dog misses a contact, if he doesn’t put his paw in the contact zone while negotiating an obstacle. Knocking a bar off of an obstacle, while jumping is called dropped or knocked bar. The dog commits a weave pole fault, when he begins the weave pole incorrectly or skips poles or tries to back-weave to make missed poles. The off course fault is taking the incorrect obstacle in a sequentially numbered course.

If a dog goes towards an obstacle and hesitates too long or turns off in another direction it is called a refusal. It is a run out, if the dog trots passed the course. Handling is a mistake of the handler - he unintentionally touches the obstacle or the canine. Training in the ring is another mistake that is done by the handler. It consists of him attempting to get the dog to do something that looks like it is for the objective of training. An example of this is trying to get the dog to repeat an obstacle, if it isn’t allowed in the regulations. Different organizations have rules for this fault that are opposite of other clubs. So the penalties vary.

The penalty can be being put out of the ring, no penalty, the dog and handler may be given the longest course time, and this is normally up to the judge. Some other faults include: the dog bites the handler or judge, either the animal or handler acting unsportsmanlike, the dog goes out of the ring and stays out, the dog goes potty in the ring, and the dog having his collar on while running, if it is against the rules.

Tristan Andrews is a freelance author who writes articles about dogs and dog supplies.

It is part of the spritz family of canines that includes many other breeds. The Alaskan Malazmute originated in the arctic region. It was discovered by western people to be living among the Inuit villagers of the northwest coast of Alaska; they lived along the Norton Sound. These people were called Mahlemuts. Mahle is a tribal name and mut means village.

The villagers used the Alaskan Malamute for hauling big game such as polar bears and seals and for pulling sleds. These dogs are big and strong, but they aren’t fast. The outer coat of this bred is thick and rough, not long or soft, which is called a guard coat. The guard coat gets longer on the neck , shoulders, and over the back. Its undercoat is like wool and its oily. The dog is well insulated. The coat is less thick and shorter in warm weather.

The range of colors for the Alaskan Malamute goes from shades of red to sable to black to gray. According to the AKC the points trimmings, and undercoat can have color combinations. But only white is accepted amongst solid colors. White is the main color on the dog’s under-body and some areas of its legs and feet. White helps to shape the face markings. White spots are acceptable on the dog’s forehead, nape or collar.

In size, which is called freighting size, the male should be shoulder height 25-inches, weight should be 85 pounds and the females should be 23-inches for shoulder height and weigh 75-pounds. The head preferred is in proportion to the body and it is broad with good depth. The dog’s expression should signal an affectionate attitude.

It is a dog that likes fun, but is a work animal. It has an independent attitude, but can work on a team. The Alaskan Malamute likes to be with the family and will mind its manners, if it gets enough exercise. If not, it may be destructive because it is frustrated. It is a sociable dog concerning people, but it can be hostile towards other pets, livestock or unknown dogs. They are graceful and nimble when negotiating furniture and objects in the house.

It lives about 14 years. The litter size is from 4 to 10 puppies. It is generally a healthy breed. It needs enough exercise each daily, proper nutrition, and good grooming. This bred has problems with hip dysplasia. The other ailments they are prone to are progressive retinal atrophy, chrondodyplasia, and cataracts.

These dogs are usually quiet, not barking very often. The sound they usually make is like the one Chebacca of Star Wars fame made. Sometimes these dogs will howl. It can live nicely outside, when the weather is cold or temperature. When it is hot it can survive outside with shade and a lot of water, but it will be more comfortable inside.

Spritz Family

Tiny/Small/Medium

Klee Kai (tiny)
Finnish Spitz (small)
Banji (small)
Shiba Inu (small to medium)
American Eskimo (small to medium)
Jindo (medium)
German Spritz (medium)

Medium to Large

Chow Chow
Norwegian Elkhound
Keeshond
Caanan Dog
Samoyed

Large

Akita
Alaskan Malamute

Tristan Andrews is a freelance author who writes articles about dogs and dog supplies.

The Akita originated in a section of Japan called Tohoku on the island of Honshu, which ia the biggest one of the Japanese islands. During the 17th century a nobleman that was intensely interested in canines was exiled to Akita Prefecture, whose terrain is harsh and weather very cold. This nobleman dared the local landowners to a contest of breeding a group of strong hunting dogs to hunt wild boar, deer, and bear. They held the prey at bay for the hunters to kill them.

These were the forerunners of the Akita called the matagi-inu meaning hunting dogs. They were breed as such for about 300 years and then in the 1800’s , they were used as fighting dogs. Some owners cross-bred them to compliment the fighting ability. The Akita-inu Hozankai Society of Japan began in 1927 and its purpose was to sustain the rudimentary breed. In 1931 this breed was recognized as a national treasure of Japan.

With a food shortage in Japan during World War II and the ruling to use all dogs pelts as fur to produce army uniforms (except for German Sheperds) the Akita were into decline. But when the war was over many servicemen shipped Akitas to the U.S.A., but the initial Akita came to the United states in 1937, arriving with Helen Keller on her return from Japan. At this time Japanese breeders began to scoop up the Akitas that remained and bred them to a standarized look, which was a new approach.

Today there are two kinds of Akita: the Japanese kind bred for a more artistic dog and the American cousin selectively breeding for the bigger more robust appearance. The U.S.A. bred Akita can be any color, but the Japanese restrict the colors to white, fawn, bindle or red. The American Akita can have black masks and can be pinto colored. This breed was recognized by the AKC in 1972.

The temperament of the Akita is daring, smart, self-reliant, steadfast, and forceful. It is affectionate and protective concerning its owner or family. It isn’t outgoing to strangers and can be combative to other canines. and pets. It is best to introduce this breed to other pets in the home, while it is a puppy. They are friendly with children, but too romping like for small kids to play with them. They also become excited and then get somewhat snappish.

It gets bored easily and needs exercise and something to do to keep it occupied part of the time. It needs training to b a good house dog along with sufficient exertion. Its coat needs brushing every week.

It is a big breed and a strong one. It has large bones. Its coat is doubled - the inner one is thick and the outer coat is rough and straight haired. The coat resists water and insulates against the cold. It walks briskly with an air of power.

The Akita lives from 10 to 12 years. The UK Kennel Club’s survey of 2004 stated that the major causes of death were: cardiac aliments, cancer, and gastrointestinal problems.

Tristan Andrews is a freelance author who writes articles about dogs and dog supplies.

This cute, perky looking little dog is called the “king” of terriers. It originated in England in the 1800’s. It was developed for hunting otters and badgers. These days it is used as a police dog and guard dog. The male and female are 23-inches tall and they weigh 55 pounds as an average. These dogs are also called the Bingley terrier and the Waterside terrier.

Its height is the maximum for any type of terrier. The Old English terrier is its ancestor. Hunters in Yorkshire appreciated the ability of these canines to hunt many kinds of game. At about 1850 the Airedale terrier was breed with otter-hounds to bred in an increase of its swimming ability and improve its sense of smell. This is how the names Waterside and Bingley came about and this group of dogs were recognized as Airedale terriers in 1878.

Owners started putting them shows, thus they were cross-breed with Bull terriers and Irish terriers to refine away characteristics of the otter hound, which had traits that weren’t wanted. The Oorang Airedale, which is a larger vesion was breed in 1920’s and 1930’s by American breeders.

It is a big terrier with a rough wiry, wavy outer coat and it is soft and short. The dog is deep chested and has a long flattened head. Its fur is resistant to dampness and requires stripping. It has long legs and a powerful jaw. The Airedale terrier is strong and agile. It has the traits for hunting strong game. In the U.S.A. the owner normally has the tail docked, though it isn’t required by the AKC. In England; they let the tails grow out and be fluffy.

Th eyes are supposed to be dark, little, and have an Airedale expression. Light colored eyes aren’t considered desirable. Airedale’s sometimes have congenital retina problems. Their mouth can transfer a hefty bite; their teeth are the biggest of any terriers. But they are not aggressive dogs towards humans.

It is a playful, adventuresome, friendly, smart, and loyal dog. They aren’t suitable to play with real young kids because Airedale’s play a bit roughly. Otherwise, they do fairly well with children, supposing they are socialized and exposed to kids early in the Airedale’s life. They are very good at obedience training.

The Airedale is capable of being a herding dog. But they need to be trained sufficiently so that don’t aggravate the cattle or other livestock. This is because they are strong in will and have tenacity. One goal in breeding them was to make them independent hunters, which is why they are more intelligent, independent, and self-willed. An Airedale puppy should definitely be trained for obedience.

This dog need plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. To properly exercise an Airedale romp with it, play a vigorous game with it or take a really long walk. It needs its coat stripped, if it is a show dog or shaped, if it is a pet. Its fur needs to be brushed twice per week. Its fur coat was developed to stop an animal it hunted from hurting him - it came out when the other animal clawed him.

Tristan Andrews is a freelance author who writes articles about dogs and dog supplies.