Training a dog is a very important part of dog ownership. Too many owners get a dog, give him just the basics, and are surprised later in life when they start having problems with the dog. When a dog gets older, he is more set in his ways and will be more difficult to train when he's been allowed to behave in a certain way for so long. When the dog is confused and stubborn, the owner gets upset with the dog. A dog is only as good as his owner allows him to be. I firmly believe a well disciplined dog is a happy dog. Nothing makes any dog happier than knowing they are pleasing their master. When they are doing what is expected of them, the master is happy and the dog can sense this.
One of the first and most important steps of good training of your Airedale is socialization. They need to be socialized with people and other animals from their very first day with you. One training issue with this dog is their tendency to be aggressive towards other dogs. While you may think this is something you can take care of when the situation arises, it is a very difficult problem to correct when the dog is fully grown. Training a dog (or puppy) is not that much different from raising and disciplining a child. There are rules that need to be set and followed at all times. Consistency is the key to good training. Dogs will learn quickly what they can get away with, when they can get away with it and with whom.
I had a friend who had a German shepherd that liked to jump on him whenever my friend came home. When the dog was a pup, it made my friend feel loved and missed. When the dog was big, my friend discovered the jumping had got out of hand. Therefore, he decided he was only going to allow the dog to jump when he called the dog to him. This did not work well at all. He had a confused dog that had been jumping for over 3 years and suddenly wasn't supposed to jump anymore. Don't let this happen with you and your Airedale. Certain disciplinary rules for poor behavior (jumping on people is always poor behavior) need to be the same all the time. If possible, enroll your dog in a basic obedience course. You will both be happier for it.
Airedales need lots of patience in their training. They are the one dog that does not respond well to harsh words as part of the training. They strive to make their owners happy, so let them know what you want and praise them when they cooperate. They are a very active dog so you may want to take them for a short walk before your start working with them in training. You don't want them totally worn out, but you do want a little of their pent up energy released so they will be more relaxed.
They are a stubborn willful dog, which can make training a little more difficult but make sure you stick with it. Keep them motivated and don't allow them to get bored. Once they have mastered a certain command, praise them and move on to the next one. Don't bore them by repeating it no matter how excited you are that they mastered it. And always end the session on a positive note.
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