Dear Jubilee,

We have questions about the size and color differences that we have seen in Airedales. Our Jennie, for example, has blond (not red) hair on her legs and face, and she has a light grey (not black) smoky saddle. Is there a name to describe this color characteristic? Would one assume that if the parents were of the blonde/grey coloring that the pups would also be of that coloring? Or.does their coloring change with age? Our Jennie is also quite large, but we notice that many Airedales appear much smaller. Are the dogs in different parts of the country of different sizes?

Puzzled

Dear Puzzled,

Until recently, the AKC always described the color of Airedales as black and tan. Now, there are two categories on the AKC registrations: black and tan, and black and red.

The color that you ask about can be affected by how they are groomed. A hand-stripped Airedale is more likely to have deeper color, while some clipped Airedales, especially older dogs, may have greyer saddles and lighter tan furnishings. One of my friends describes her dog as silver and champagne! Some, on the other hand, have very hard black and red or black and tan coats that feel like steel wool; many of these will retain these coats despite repeated clippings.

Breeders in different regions of the country are not breeding different characteristics and sizes. Breeders who breed to the official Airedale standard will consistently have dogs that range from a small of 22 inches to a high of 25 inches, regardless of where they are located.