While some other breeds have distinct "field types" versus "show types," the Airedale Terrier Club of America maintains the belief that dogs bred to the conformation standard shouldn't differ from those dogs used for work or sport.

The ideal Airedale described in the breed's AKC Standard is a dog whose form follows its function as a strong and tireless working dog.

This space is too limited to reprint the entire Airedale standard, but a few points are pertinent. This, in part, is how the Airedale Standard describes the ideal Airedale:

Body: "Back should be short, strong, and level. Ribs well-sprung. Loins muscular and of good width. There should be little space between the last rib and the hip joint."

Hindquarters: "Should be strong and muscular with no droop."

Legs: "Forelegs should be perfectly straight, with plenty of muscle and bone."

Thighs: "Should be long and powerful with muscular second thigh, stifles well-bent, not turned either in or out, hocks well-let down parallel with each other when viewed from behind."

Coat: "Should be hard, dense and wiry, lying straight and close, covering the dog well over the body and legs. Some of the hardest are crinkling or just slightly waved. At the base of the hard very stiff hair should be a shorter growth of softer coat termed the undercoat."

Movement: "Movement or action is the crucial test of conformation. Movement should be free. As seen from the front, the forelegs should swing perpendicular from the body free from the sides, the feet the same distance apart as the elbows. As seen from the rear the hind legs should be parallel with each other, neither too close nor too far apart, but so placed as to give a strong well-balanced stance and movement. The toes should not be turned either in or out."

Eyes: "Dark, small, not prominent, full of terrier expression, keenness and intelligence."