February, 1915 
HOUSE AND GARDEN 
85 
eye. So popular has the Airedale been that he has gained friends 
and admirers very rapidly. Naturally there have been Airedale 
clubs both in England and in this country which have done a 
great deal to exploit the breed. The dog, however, has never lost 
his head under this 
attention, and has 
never been “cod¬ 
dled" into a mere 
bench favorite. He 
is too virile for that. 
E n g land, of 
course, claims the 
early champions of 
the breed, but of 
late years the quali¬ 
ty and style of the 
native American 
stock have been in¬ 
creasing by degrees. 
Two of the best 
dogs now in Ameri¬ 
ca, however, were 
recently imported 
from Engl a n d, 
namely, 
Oorang 
As a friend and companion he is without a peer; he will do anything from 
playing with the baby to hunting bears 
Patrick 
and York 
Rvburn Swell. Both 
are wonderful ter¬ 
riers, and carried 
all before them in 
the Old Country. 
They have not as 
yet been matched 
against each other 
on this side of the 
Atlantic. When 
they are put to¬ 
gether on the bench 
it will be a battle 
worth watching. 
Dogs, like humans, are heir to certain ills, and the Airedale is 
no exception. In the case of the terrier, small ailments will not 
bother him very much. His natural robustness will throw them 
off. When he does fall sick it will probably be a more serious 
complaint. A good rule to keep is that dogs respond readily to 
the same treatment as humans, although, of course, medicine 
should not be given in the same quantities. Generally, the dose 
for a terrier is about one-fourth of that for a man. It is not 
wise, however, to rely too much on one's medical knowledge or 
powers of diagnosis. It is best to call in a veterinary at once if 
things look bad. In giving the dog medicine, hold the head high 
and make a little pocket by pulling out the lower lip at the side. 
Into this the medicine may be poured from a spoon. 
Every dog owner is afflicted with visions of distemper in his 
dogs, and the bete noire of the kennels is likely to break out at 
any and all times. Some kennels are singularly exempt from this 
disease; others are hardly ever without it. It is the most in¬ 
sidious of the germ diseases which attack the dog. Feeding 
utensils, bedding, water-vessels are all likely to become active 
agents for the spread of the malady. Scrupulous cleanliness and 
constant care are the only safeguards against it. Distemper is 
particularly prevalent among puppies. If its presence is sus¬ 
pected, the animal should be isolated and examined at once for 
any signs of fever. If its temperature is above the normal, 
ioi° E., a veterinary should be sent for immediately. In any 
case, vou have “locked the barn door" first. 
There is so much real enjoyment to be had out of the keeping 
of dogs, even if you never show them, that it seems a waste of 
opportunity for the man in the country not to establish a small 
kennel for breeding purposes. I think it will be found that the 
Airedale is an ideal dog for the venture. In 
selecting a spot for voiir kennel, the requisites 
of free admission of sunlight, pure air, free 
from draughts, dryness and drainage facilities 
must be borne in mind. Every outdoor kennel 
should have a run attached, surrounded by a 
wire fence about five feet in height. A cheap 
and entirely suitable kennel house can be made 
from a stout barrel raised above the ground on a 
couple of railroad ties. When this is filled with 
straw, a dog could wish for no more comfort¬ 
able house. More elaborate and more durable 
kennels may, of course, be provided, but I am 
speaking now for the beginner on a small scale. 
Breeding Airedales successfully is a matter 
of reading all you can about the dog, and then 
paying the best price you can afford for your 
parent stock. Most dog dealers are reputable 
men, and it will be found that the amateur can 
generally rely for their word in buying from 
them. It is a good plan to register your pup¬ 
pies with the American Kennel Club as soon as 
possible. In this connection, a recent ruling of 
the A. K. C. provides that after 1915 no dogs 
will be registered whose parents have not also 
been previously registered. 
If you are going in for showing your Aire¬ 
dales, “condition" will be your first care. This 
is of two kinds, internal and external. If you 
have been taking care of your dog’s diet and ex¬ 
ercise, a few days of extra attention should 
make him physically fit. The condition of the 
coat is quite another matter, although, of course, 
general physical fitness keeps the hair growing 
properly. But the coat of the Airedale, as with 
all wire-haired dogs, has the most exasperating 
tendency to become tufted and snarled. If you have not been 
in the habit of grooming your dog daily with brush and comb, 
then the task of preparing him for the bench will be doubly diffi¬ 
cult. As an artificial aid, however, the following application will 
be of benefit: 
T i n c t u r e of 
cantharides, j/2 
oz.; oil of nut- 
m e g, y 8 oz.; 
lavender water, 
10 ozs. 
This mixture 
should be 
rubbed well into the roots 
of the hair daily. As a 
general stimulant for the 
coat and also as a prevent¬ 
ive against vermin, kero¬ 
sene oil is as good as any¬ 
thing. But you will not 
want to keep the dog in the 
house after using it. The 
xAmerican Kennel Club 
does not allow the use of 
scissors or knives in trim- 
(Continued on page 73) 
He has been well named the "biggest and 
best terrier 
