Airedale Terrier Akita Mix

The Airedale Terrier Akita Mix, is a mixed breed dog resulting from breeding the Airedale Terrier and the Akita. Both of these dogs can be friendly but personalities differ, so you never know. The Affenpinscher is known for being a very sweet little dog. All dogs need proper socialization and that will be a big factor in how they interact with others. What does this mixed breed look and act like? Is it more like the Airedale Terrier or the Akita? Those are the questions we will try and answer below. Continue reading below to see pictures, videos, and learn more about the beautiful Airedale Terrier Akita Mix.

While we really recommend that you acquire all animals through a rescue, we understand that some people might go through a breeder to get their Airedale Terrier Akita Mix puppy. That is, if they have any Airedale Terrier Akita Mix puppies for sale.

If you are interested in helping animal rescues raise money, please play our quiz. Each correct answer donates to help feed shelter animals.

Airedale Terrier Akita Mix History

All hybrid or designer dogs are tough to get a good read on as there isn’t much history to them. Breeding specific dogs like this has become common in the last twenty years or so even though I am sure that this mixed breed found it’s share of dogs to the shelter due to accidental breeding. We will take a closer look at the history of both parent breeds below. If you are looking at breeders for new, designer dogs please beware of Puppy Mills. These are places that mass produce puppies, specifically for profit and don’t care at all about the dogs. If you have a few minutes, please sign our petition to stop puppy mills.

Airedale Terrier History

The Airedale Terrier is sometimes known as the “King of Terriers.”It probably gets this name because it is the tallest of the Terrier breeds. It originated from the Black and Tan Terrier, and was originally bred by hunters in Yorkshire to hunt. The majority of it’s quarry consisted of small game such as fox and water rat. However, they also became good as a bird dog - finding and getting birds.
In the mid 1800’s, they were bred with Otterhounds. This helped their ability to smell as well as hunt around the water. This was originally known as the Waterside Terrier or Bingley, and specialized in otter hunting. In 1878 that breed was accepted as the Airedale Terrier. It was placed on the map as the premier military dog in World War I. It was used as a sentry, messenger, explosives detector and search and rescue dog for wounded soldiers.
After becoming a show dog, various breeders bred it with Bull and Irish Terriers, this removed the traits of the Otterhound cross which did not seem very popular with the show crowd. The hunting ability and the size of the Airedale assisted it to become a popular big game hunter. It is of course a good family companion as well. Like most dogs a combination of good hunter, protector, and companion were highly sought after traits. Four United States presidents have kept them as companions in the White House, it is obviously a well respected breed.

Akita History

The Akita is an Asian dog that hails from the mountains of Japan. Predecessors of the modern Akita were used for hunting bear, wild boar and deer in Japan as late as 1957. They would be used to flush out the bear and keep it at bay until the hunter could come and kill it. However, like virtually all ancient dog breeds they have morphed over the generations. From being dogs that hunted and protected to being killed and forced to fight for human entertainment.
During the early part of the 1900’s the Akita was in decline, breeders were trying to “improve” it by breeding the Akita with the German Shepherd Dog, St. Bernard, as well as the Mastiff. As you can imagine this interbreeding made it lose a lot of it’s Akita characteristics. They are often recognized as Japanese and American Akitas. Since there was so much interbreeding in the U.S, the Japanese Akita is really known as the breed standard. Like virtually all dogs, they were used as hunters as well as dogs in times of war. During the Russo-Japanese War they were used to track prisoners of war and lost sailors. Japan had a war-time attempt to cull all non-military dogs, which started the breeding of them with German Shepherds to insure they were needed in World War 2. You can obviously find a lot more information on them as there is a lot to distinguish between the Japanese and American version and a lot of information online about the differences.

Airedale Terrier Akita Mix Size and Weight

Airedale Terrier
Height: 22 - 24 inches
Weight: 4- - 65 pounds
Lifespan: 10 - 12 years

Akita
Height: 26 - 28 inches at the shoulder
Weight: 70 - 130 lb.
Lifespan: 10 - 12 years

Airedale Terrier Akita Mix Personality

The Airedale Terrier and the Akita are both loyal and affectionate. They are also very charming, so watch out! This dog will require a good training regimen as they can get excited. They are very loyal to their family. One of the best things you can do for any breed is to socialize it as much as possible. Please use positive reinforcement, it goes a long way! She should be rather affectionate and love being with you, she can also be stubborn so keep that in mind.

Airedale Terrier Akita Mix Health

All dogs have the potential to develop genetic health problems as all breeds are susceptible to some things more than others. However, the one positive thing about getting a puppy is that you can avoid this as much as possible. A breeder should absolutely offer a health guarantee on puppies. If they won’t do this, then look no more and don’t consider that breeder at all. A reputable breeder will be honest and open about health problems in the breed and the incidence with which they occur. We obviously recommend that you look for a reputable animal rescue in your area to find your new mixed breed. Health clearances prove that a dog has been tested for and cleared of a particular condition.

The Airedale Terrier mixed with the Akita might be prone to joint dysplasia, eye problems, allergies, among others.

Note that these are just common problems in both breeds.

Airedale Terrier Akita Mix Care

What are the grooming requirements?

Even if you know the breed, sometimes it is hard to tell if it will be a heavy shedder or a light shedder. Either way, Get ready to invest in a good vacuum if you want to keep your floors clean! Give them baths as needed, but not so much that you dry out their skin.

What are the exercise requirements?

Plan on taking them for extremely long walks and hikes to keep their energy level down. This mix will more than likely have a high energy level. This exercise will keep them from being destructive. A tired dog is a good dog. A tired dog is a good dog though. Never tie your dog up outside - that is inhumane and not fair to him.

What are the training requirements?

This is an intelligent dog that will be a little bit challenging to train. They are going to want to take the alpha position and need someone with a firm, strong, hand that can let them know their place. The best thing you can do is break the sessions into shorter daily sessions to keep their attention span higher. It might have a prey drive and be disposed to running for and chasing small prey, but if handled properly this can be managed. All dogs respond best to positive reinforcement. So make sure to praise her when she does well. She is an intelligent dog who loves to please, and loves a physical challenge. The more exercise she gets the easier she will be to train. Proper socialization is imperative to all dogs and puppies. Make sure to take her to the park and doggy day care to get her around as many people and dogs as possible.

Airedale Terrier Akita Mix Feeding

"A lot of times diet is done on a per-dog basis. Each one is unique and has different dietary requirements. Most dogs in the U.S. are overweight. A mix like this one that is prone to hip and elbow dysplasia should really be on fish oil and glucosamine and chondroitin supplements as soon as possible. A good diet to look into is Raw Food Diet. A raw food diet will be especially good for the Wolf background.

Overfeeding any dog is not a good idea as that can really exacerbate health problems such as elbow and hip dysplasia.

I good diet to look into is Raw Food Diet. A raw food diet will be especially good for the Wolf background."

Airedale Terrier Links

Links to other breeds you might be interested in