Airedale “The King of Terriers”: aka Bingley Terrier and Waterside Terrier This terrier finds his roots in the Aire Valley in the north of England. The Aire Valley was a key manufacturing center before the turn of the 20th century and is located less than a hundred miles from the Scottish border. In the mid-1800s, the valley’s factory hands and mill workers first bred this tough, devil-may-care dog. The Otterhound and the extinct English Black and Tan Terrier were foundational in the development of this breed created to be large fearless hunters of ducks and rats. Several existing breeds went into its makeup and a trained eye can spot traces of the Irish Terrier and Bedlington Terrier in the Airedale. Some believe setters, retrievers, and herding dogs contributed in the development of this versatile breed as well.