CHAPTER VI 



THE USEFUL AIREDALE 



HAD there never been a specific need for 

 just such a dog as the Airedale, he would 



never have existed. He was " manufac- 

 tured " to meet a distinct want : the need for a 

 big, strong dog, game to the bottom and with a 

 liking for water, who would serve the all-round 

 purpose of pal, guard, poacher, and vermin de- 

 stroyer. Had the Airedale not filled this bill, he 

 would never have persisted. He would have died 

 out ignominiously, without even winning a local 

 fame. 



The Airedale, however, is not only all that his 

 Yorkshire " manufacturers " longed for, but he 

 has shown himself much more. Wider acquain- 

 tance with the world has placed him under many 

 different conditions, and he has not very often 

 been weighed and found wanting. He has made 

 his home in all countries from Alaska to India. 

 He has been used for all sorts of game from the 

 grizzly to mice; he has done police duty in 

 France, Germany, and America; he has drawn 



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