| Black and tan Patterdale. | |||||||
| Country of origin | England | ||||||
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| Notes | The Patterdale Terrier is recognized by the American Rare Breed Association | ||||||
| Dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | |||||||
The Patterdale Terrier is a breed of working dog that originated in the Lake District of Cumbria in Northwest England.[1] The name Patterdale refers to a small village a little south of Ullswater and a few miles east of Helvellyn.[2]
The Patterdale is a type of Fell Terrier. The Patterdale terrier was "improved" and brought into the Kennel Club as the Welsh Terrier after a brief naming struggle in which the name "Old English Broken-coated Terrier" was attempted before being rejected by the Kennel Club hierarchy. The Patterdale Terrier is sometimes called the "Old English Terrier" or the "Fell Terrier".
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The Patterdale Terrier is a small working dog. In the UK it is not a dog type that is recognized by the UK Kennel Cub as a pedigree. As such the Patterdale has been bred as a working dog, so the appearance can differ widely. This phenomenon is common in several types of working dog, including the Border Collie.
There is no breed standard in the UK, most working dogs stand between 12 -15 inches the withers and weighs between 14 and 20 pounds. The preferred size depends on the quarry. In the UK, all sizes are in use, depending on the terrain and quarry: in the UK, the most common quarry was the fox. In the eastern United States, mini dogs are preferred and 30 cm (12 in) tall and 5.5 kg (12 lb) is the preferred size for groundhogs (aka woodchucks) these have been bred from runts of the litter from the UK. However, somewhat larger dogs can be used in the American West when ground barn hunting larger raccoons and badgers.
Coat
The coat may be "Smooth", "Broken" or "Rough". All types should be dense and coarse.
Smooth: Generally smooth, may have a wiry stripe down the back. Short, dense hair.
Broken: Coarse, wavy hair on body except for head and ears which is smooth. May be some longer whiskering on muzzle, around base of neck, and chin.
Rough: Longer hair overall, including face, ears and muzzle. Very thick, sometimes,slightly curled.
Colour
Colours include black, red, bronze, or chocolate, and occasionally blue. (Any of these colours with tan is also possible)
There are slight variations within these colours. White on the chest and toes/feet is permissible. In the case of the Chocolate, they will have a liver coloured nose, whereas the Blues, will have a slate coloured nose. Influx of Lakeland, Border, and Bedlington was not uncommon in the early forming of this breed, and may partially explain some of these colours.
Patterdale Terriers can live up to 15 years.
Patterdale puppies tend to be bold and confident beyond their capabilities, and responsible owners of working dogs will not over match their dogs or introduce them to formidable quarry before they are around a year and a half of age. Even as a yearling, the dog will not be fully capable.
The Patterdale is a working terrier, and terrier work requires a high-energy dog with a strong prey drive and a loud voice. As a result, Patterdales are very energetic dogs, and can be quite vocal. It is not uncommon for a Patterdale to be cat-aggressive. However, as with all breeds there is variation. Some Patterdales are more animal-friendly, befriending cats and other dogs alike. Patterdales are prone to the sulks if their owners pay attention to others. They do not enjoy travel by car, as it often upsets the dog to be confined for a prolonged period of time.
Patterdales display an intriguing crawl, similar to an act of prostration, used to gain attention and stalk quarry through long grass. This originates from their inbred ability to compress their lungs to fit into small spaces, in search of their prey.
Patterdales which are not trained on a consistent basis, or are not exercised regularly, may quickly exhibit unmanageable behaviour, including excessive barking, escaping from the garden, or digging in unwanted places inside and outside the house.
These dogs were carefully linebred. The modern Patterdale Terrier is to fell terriers, what the Jack Russell Terrier is to hunt terriers—the indisputable leader in numbers and performance as a breed.
The Patterdale was developed in the harsh environment in the north of England, an area unsuitable for arable farming and too hilly (in the main) for cattle. Sheep farming is the predominant farming activity on these hills. Since the fox is perceived by farmers as being predatory on sheep and small farm animals, terriers are used for predator control. Unlike the dirt dens found in the hunt country of the south, the rocky dens found in the north do not allow much digging. As a consequence, the terrier needs to be able to bolt the fox from the rock crevice or dispatch it where it is found. The use of "hard" dogs to hunt foxes in this way was made illegal in England and Wales by the Hunting Act 2004, as it runs counter to the code of practice [1] under the Act.
In the United States, The Patterdale Terrier was recognized by the United Kennel Club on January 1, 1995; yet it remains unrecognized by the American Kennel Club.
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