When people talk of Versatile Dog Breed, the usual appear. German Shepherds are among them. You may get the Belgian Malinois, Rottweiler, The Retriever Breeds, among the breeds mentioned among the general public. Some people have the tendency to check only the Working Dog Breeds as the ‘say-all’ for dog versatility. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
While there are other breeds that I could mention that are very underrated in the Versatility category (and could mention those for the future); I’ll use today for my favorite dog breed: The Airedale Terrier.
Anyone who has a decent knowledge about dogs would know that the Terriers come from the Latin word “Terra”, meaning earth, stating that Terriers are Earth Dogs. A more detailed description would state “Chein Terrier” in the Old French language meaning “Earth Dogs”; which derived from Medieval Latin meaning, “Belonging to the Earth”. Airedale’s are known as “King of the Terriers”, because of their rather large size compared to most members of the Terrier Group, usually around 22-23 inches at the shoulder. (Oorang Airedales, not officially recognized by the AKC, can be bred to be as over 100 lbs, while the average Airedale usually is no more than 60-65 lbs.) All Terriers were/are used for hunting something, whether you had Scotties and Westies ratting out holes filled with vermin, or Airedales hunting game fowl. Which leads me more of the many occupations of an Airedale…
Airedales were bred near two hundred years ago they were bred for hunting out rats, along with game animals by the working class by the Aire River in England. They were crossed with the Black and Tan Terrier (now extinct, I believe) along with the Otterhound (a rare breed here in the US), among other breeds, to make it one of the versatile breeds out for hunting, chasing out pesky vermin such as weasels, and were among the first working breeds of dogs (not officially listed as one, though). There were and still are top-notch guard dogs, the first dogs in the police workforce (And still are used often there in the United Kingdom), and were War Dogs for the Allied Forces in the first two World Wars. Even one won a medal for his heroic efforts during the First World War: http://www.airedaleterriers.org/articles/wardog.html. Over the years, the Airedale has/is been used for/currently used for therapeutic use, and Agility and Obedience Trails, as they are one of the most intelligent breeds (but can bore with repetitiveness).
A few pictures and videos for verification:
Herding:
With Gas Masks During the 2nd World War:
Attack Training:
Hunting:
I would love to continue on why I feel the way I feel about this particular breed, but there is more information out there for you to read if you’re interested about this breed, you just need to take the time to look for it. And make sure it’s reputable, of course….This is end of my first post, and plan to add more in the near future…
Sources:
http://www.petwave.com/Dogs/Dog-Breed-Center/Terrier-Group/Airedale-Terrier/Overview.aspx
http://www.hkairedales.com/Airedale_Terrier_History.htm
http://www.airedaleterriers.org/articles/wardog.html
http://www.biggamehoundsmen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=20945
http://www.airedaleterriers.org/articles/huntnat_files/032402-14-30%20web.jpg
Knowledge from Obsession/Special Interest/Intense Fascination as a Child.
Use to Own One.
Random Rumblings 
