Airedales have a large,full,square type muzzle and a balanced head with no stop. Small dark eyes give a fiery expression. Narrow well placed ears are expected while fly away or hound ears are a major fault. Neck should be long,well muscled without any sign of weakness, free of excess skin. The teeth should be strong,even, pure white and with no yellowing or discoloration. Bite should be level causing less front teeth wear. Front legs should be straight and well apart with a full, deep chest giving plenty of room for lung and heart function. All the feet are cat like, strong, round and well knuckled. Loins well developed. Stomach tight and tucked not wasp waisted. The hindquarters are square and well muscled with hind legs being well apart yet squarely under the body giving stability under all forms of movment. Tail should be docked to 2/3 it's total length. The tail is set and carried high with a great air of confidence. Movment is symmetrical, giving the expression of effortless motion with that ever present Terrier spirit. Facial expression should be pleasing and gentle yet with a glare of fiery determination. Our dogs are always ready for whatever might arise and tend to be larger than most Airedale standards, i.e. height-AKC 23" vs ours 26"-29", weight-AKC 55 lbs vs ours 75-120 lbs. Our Airedales are everything they should be and then some! I truly love this breed. I am striving for the best of them.
We do not know exactly how the black factor began but we do belive that the genetic factor for the red/rust coloring was completely blocked out somehow and the solid black factor began. After extensive research we found the original black's pedigree to be of the old Mt. View and Mooreland lines. These two kennels produced an excellent line of dogs. Our blacks are extremely intelligent and can be trained to serve any purpose from loyal family guardian to fearless hunting companion. Some have been trained for cougar and bear hunting and have several kills accredited to them. The rarity of the blacks is well known and some breeders would doubt their existence but we have the proof! Our only variance to the breed standards with the black is the color of the coat! Red highlights can sometimes be seen as a red mustache or beard. Occasionally some gristling shows up.
Since the AKC does not accept the black coloring we have chosen to register our dogs with another prestigious kennel club. Click Here For More Information On Black Airedales