Airedales In Service

Long before the German Shepherd became the dog of choice for police, service and security work, there was the Airedale Terrier.

Airedales were amongst the very first dogs used by police forces in both Great Britain and Germany around the early 1900s. But it was during the First World War that the Airedale Terrier really came into its own. Their intelligence, strength and athleticism saw them recruited by the British and Russian armies to assist the Red Cross by locating wounded soldiers, and for carrying messages behind enemy lines. It is in fact said that more than 3,000 Airedale Terriers were recruited for military service during the ‘Great War’.

Airedales were also recruited for sentry duty during World War II and continued to assist medical personal to locate wounded soldiers and to fetch and carry medical supplies.