Airedales

[bill10979]

Highcountry,
I cant believe You havent put this up yet.. these are some Great looking dogs Test right here in my back yard.

http://www.dogads.com/airedalefieldnationals/

[hicntry]

I will be there from mar. 21st to Mar. 27th this year. I was told last year that I should bring my dogs out and run them against the best. I will be there and I informed them I am bringing the best with me. I told them I will run one of my pups on their Master Fur. They don't think a pup has a chance to pass that. Little do they know it is not a hard test for a working dog. I rib them constantly and put pictures up with the pup blowing off 500 yd tracks timed at about 2 min. The Master fur is only a 300 yd track. I have a standing offer to them also....Anyone that thinks they have a dog of any age or experience, that can beat the time on this pup running a track that wants to bet. I will back any $250 bet that they can't do it.

[bill10979]

Don,
I dont think Ill take that bet..

A 300m/yd test doesnt sound that tough. Thats what my DD did in her Breed test (HZP). Guess it just depends how they judge-if its like schutzhund track ie methodical/paced vs more a hunt style where dog can ground/air scent & uses more of a higher head.
Given that you work your dogs & hunt them, you might actually pay for your trip if you find any takers..
I do hope to make it out & would like to see your dogs. I bet as long as we dont talk Bush, well get on just fine!
I was very impressed with these photos I posted. Some of the dogs look great & I say that as someone who never knew of or liked airdales before.
Bars stay open till 2am, I imagine theyll have you on a 1st name basis time you head back!

[hicntry]

Nobody is going to take that bet Bill. There will be a lot there to see if I can back it up.... hoping I can't, but, that gives me something to shoot for as I don't expect much competition. I mainly want to see the bird work which there is two days of. I was talking to the big whell in the club and he asked me a puzzling question. He asked if I might want to sell this pup when the test was over! I told him no but, everthing has it's price and, maybe for $7500 I might part with him. Maybe for slightly less....but not much and likely not any less. What this dog could add to a breeding program is worth much more since he is as close as they can come to homozygous in the airedale world, he is great looking, an unbeatable coat....and I have done the 18 yrs of culling to get this product and he isn't going to be cheap. Besides, I figure the title alone is worth that to some.LOL The Master Fur Title and the fact that he will be the youngest one to ever pass it by far. This pup is the Magnum that is the top of the pedigree posted in the linebreeding thread. There is 10 generations of tight breeding here.......and no, they can't beat him. That 2 minute 500yd track was run at 8 mo, nose down, with creek crossings also.

Here he is at about the 300 uyard mark on one track at 8 months.

[DrahtsundBraats]

hicntry,
I admire your "grit"-but its always better to brag it up after the fact.

Good luck.

A story-years ago I went hunting with a guy who had an FC Brittany. Along for the day was a friend with his non-descript GSP. This "pet" proceeded to "slice and dice" the FC Brit. Every bird and every retrieve (phenomenol dog!!!). I'll never forget it. One of the best displays of bird work I have ever seen.

[hicntry]

DB, it's not better after the fact, it is better before. It is only much safer to do it after the fact. Personally, these people don't know, or understand me. I would love to see a dog give me a run for my money. It would be invaluable to find a heavy duty working dog to me.

Also, what I am doing is promoting this event. I think we can get a better draw than they are used to. I learned an immense amount about draw from a fellow years ago. He was a nobody named Cassius Clay. He had a mouth on him. It was so big that all people, myself included, payed good money every time he had a fight just to see him get his butt kicked. After a very sizable investment in this loud mouth, I realised this guy was good. I continued paying to see him fight to see him win. He got it coming and going. He promoted himself. People love to hate a person as much as they will ever like a person....if not more. If somebody can best my dogs, I can live with that and those nay sayers will all be happy.....they will lose sight of the fact they just beat a green puppy that skipped the Jr and Sr fur and went straight to the Master. There are a few good dogs out there.....and I know who has them and they are the working folks. They won't run against me anyway because a heck of a lot of them are running my dogs. I invited the other"working kennels" to come and show their stuff and they all declined. There are a number of people(houndsmen) coming just to watch the show and tip a few over dinner. I don't think you live that far away either. NJ isn't it. How far is that from Buckye Lake outside of Newark, Oh? There will be 2 of my dogs there from Ca, 1 possible from Id, 1 possible from, Ga, 2 or 3 from PA, 1 from Ky, 1 from Tn, maybe 1 from Wi, and 1 from Mi. Some are jokingly Calling this the 2007 High Country Airedale Field Nationals. I know a few won't make it but there will still be a good cross section. Come on down. The fur is Friday and the birds are Sat and Sun

[hicntry]

Clay, origially the lower class bred them for poaching the estates of the elite. They were only allowed to hunt foxes and hares....but there was better game if you could do it without getting caught. They were silent by nature and extremely adept at killing game. The modern version is that the were a classic bird dog, but, I have my reservations about that.....but it suits those you like to say it. Maybe it's true, I couldn't say. Some of those dogs pictured have an ungodly amount of time in them. It isn't the breeds fault, it is more that most of them are show stock with limited drive. They were picked as pets and the people decided to make a bird dog outmof them.They are trained dogs for all intent and purpose. I am not knocking anyone or the dogs here. It is a sad case that most are not hunters like in the versatile world and think everything is about training. I am only runing the fur with my pup but the same thing is true there. They have more of an obedience track than a fur track. None of these people has ever been exposed to real fur dogs. They don't time them, and they walk the track with most of them because they won't move the track on their own.....to much obedience and being taught to stay within the 40 yds. Hopefully, we can open some eyes but I am not holding my breath. The reality is that the majority of the people don't want a fur dog or a bird dog, they just want a few tiltles. Bragging rights. I am wanting to see certain dogs do bird work that, I have been told, are real eye openers. The majority shouldn't even be allowed on the grounds. They have no separate classes, the best are run with the worst so it makes the breed look pretty bad overall. I have made numerous suggestion on how to do it but, the bottom line is very few of these dogs would pass a test. We are working on it.... they just aren't listening. A well bred dale can do a great job on birds....those are the ones I am going to see.

[Bruce Schwartz]

Are they pointers, retrievers, flushers, trackers? And what are the tests (trials) like - I couldn't tell a lot from the pictures at the web site? Must make make good duck dogs? Just wondering.

My parents had an Airedale and they traded it to the ob guy for the cost of my delivery. Of course you know what the standard joke was after that. Anyway it was a real nice looking dog in the pictures, and my dad hunted ducks with him.

[bill10979]

Bruce-Your parents gave up a good duck dog for a baby delivery?! They mustve been crazy!!

D & B-Newark is about 25 Minutes E of Columbus between Columbus & Zanesville, off I70. Buckeye lake is very nice grounds, gently rolling hills, pretty country.
Last yrs big anuual DD event was in Zanesville Don, just 30 minutes away. I think youll like the grounds.

Don, you sure know how to promote, Ill say that. Personally I never liked Ali-I liked when Frazier put him on his can & Norton broke his jaw. But give him this, he did get you watching! My dad & I always watched the fights & Listened to Hoowaaard Cooosell. Remember those days?!

I believe Dales flush, dont know if they train to HUP or whistle sit, at Flush. Those pics seemed to have well trained dogs, its evident. If Im not at a retriever event, Ill be there..
Curious if you have hunted w/the pup.. Are you a coon hunter Don?

[hicntry]

I have not hunted this pup yet Bill. He just turned 9 mo and has the bottled scent down pat but he has been roaded and in the field. He is a bit young for hogs and is now about the age I would start working him....if it wasn't for the Nationals. Here is a picture of the pup, Magnum, at 7 weeks old. There isn't a whole lot that phases him. I can see that he has a bit of the scapper tendency like his grandfather, Hunter....who he is a carbon copoy of in many ways.

Magnum at 7 weeks

[hicntry]

Thanks Clay...you can definitely say that "airedales are a versatile breed."

[blathens]

I wouldn't mind visiting the "Nationals" in Newark, Ohio. Not too far of a drive for me. Any directions, times, events, etc. available?

Bill

[hicntry]

Bill this link should have all the info.

http://www.hwc.airedale.org/AiredaleNat ... 007web.pdf

It would be great to meet some of you guys and I understand some of the dogs are good on the bird end. I want to see Ed's Brisco dog. Shutzhund II, Sr Retriever Master flusher, Sr Fur.

[blathens]

Don, I am not getting through to the address you provided. I am getting an "error" that is redirecting me to other airedale sites. It is probably my computer. Let me know where and when and maybe some of us is Ohio can meet up with you.

Bill

[hicntry]

It worked for me yesterday Bill but I can't open it now. As soon as I can get in I will copy the info and post it. Be good meeting some of you guys.