THE BIGGEST AND BEST TERRIER 15 



rabbits, mink, what not, each and all he hunts 

 with equal gusto and success. Is it any won- 

 der that though the Airedale is only a little over 

 half a century old his fame has spread from pole 

 to pole? 



The Airedale is a dog that no one can know 

 well without becoming his friend, but all his 

 friends do not know him well. For this reason, 

 and because so much depends upon one's first 

 dog, it seems particularly necessary to give some 

 advice to intending Airedale purchasers, whom 

 we may divide into dog owners and kennel own- 

 ers. By a dog owner I mean one who wants an 

 Airedale or two as a companion, guard, and all- 

 round dog. Kennel owners are those who intend 

 keeping, breeding, and showing or hunting sev- 

 eral dogs. 



The dog owner does not as a rule think it 

 worth while to post himself on the history and 

 points of the breed. He has heard the praises 

 sung of " the biggest and best terrier," and has 

 decided that he is the dog he wants. If that is 

 all he wants let him get some friend to give him 

 an Airedale puppy or let him buy one as cheaply 

 as he can, but he is going to lose half the pleas- 

 ure of owning a good dog of a good breed. 

 Merrinac, the best known maitre d'armes in 

 France, once said to a party of American fencers 



