Patterdale Terrier - TOP 10 Interesting Facts

1) Origin
Back in the past in Great Britain, there were many different terrier breeds and types, with different characteristics, which were most often bred for their working and hunting ability and to withstand British environement. And the Patterdale Terrier is a result of a culmination of working terrier breeds from the United Kingdom. The Patterdale Terrier can trace its ancestry back to the original black terrier known as Old English Terrier and to already extinct Northumberland terrier. The person who is credited for developing this breed is a Master of Foxhound, mr. Joe Bowman from the Lake district.
2) Utilization
The Patterdale Terrier was mostly bred across the northern England for hunting red fox and other game. These dogs were also used for hunting and controlling the numbers of European badgers. So the main utilization of this dog is hunting and they have great hunting instincts even today. This is a working terrier with independent mind, high intelligence, agile and athletic body which is small enough to go under the ground, great courage and higher energy, all very important traits for a good hunter.
3) Companion
Today, the Patterdale Terrier is not always used as a hunting dog, but they are more and more often living the life of family companions. It is true, that they are not for everyone, because they need an active owner who will provide them with plenty of daily outdoor exercise. These dogs are known to be quite playful, affectionate and friendly towards its owner and the whole family. It is quite loving family pet, who typically do not have problem with kids in the family. But of course, you should never leave any dog breed with a very young child unsupervised.
4) Size
Even though the Patterdale is pretty small dog, it has a compact, athletic and pretty muscular body and very strong and powerful head. The average height is between 12-15 inches, which is 30-38 cm and weight is usually between 11-13 pounds, which is 5-6 kg. There are no extreme size differences between males and females.
5) Coat
Interesting fact is, that the Patterdale Terrier comes in different coat types. You can find these dogs in smooth coat, which is short and glossy, rough coat, which is very thick and relatively long and broaken coat which is coarse and it can have longer whiskering on the muzzle. No matter what coat type the dog has, it should always be pretty dense doublecoat which is protecting the dog from harsher climate of northern England and which is weatherproof.
6) Color
Speaking of the coat, it is important to mention the color. The Patterdale Terriers come in variety of colors. Most often these dogs are single colored and the most common colors include black, red, chocolate, liver and bronze. These dogs can also be black and tan, liver and tan and ocassionally brindle.
7) Training and exercise
The Patterdale Terrier has a lot of energy and it is important to help them to burn off this energy. These dogs definitely need daily longer walks or jogs, regular playtime and fun training sessions, and they will be happiest if they can run off leash. Most of these dogs have high hunting instinct, so you should let them off leash in fenced or well known areas. Without enough exercise, the Patterdale Terrier can be bored and can potentionally develop some unwanted behaviour such as destruction. The Patterdale Terrier is known to be quite willing to please and they react quite well to classic obedience training. But, they are still terriers, which means they are independent and know how to be stubborn, so they are not total pushovers to train. Just like with all dogs, patient, consistent and firm training with a lot of praising and rewards for a good behaviour is a key to raise a well behaved dog.
8) Other animals
As i already mentioned earlier in the video, the Patterdale Terrier is a playful and friendly companion for the family. But, if you have other smaller household pets, than it might be little bit problematic due to the Patterdales higher prey drive. Of course, this can be vastly influenced by early socialization and Patterdale Terriers typicaly do not have problems with other dogs in the family, but smaller household pets like hamsters might be problematic.
9) Maintenance
Great fact is, that the Patterdale Terrier is a low maintenance breed. Even without any grooming, the coat will still look good. These dogs do shed some deal of fur all year long and regular weekly brushing will help to minimize the shedding and keep the coat clean. Just like with any other dog breed, you should regularly check their eyes, ears, nails and teeth and clean them or clip them if needed.
10) Health
Another great fact is, that Patterdale is usually pretty healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 13 years. Of course, just like any other breed, even the Patterdale Terrier may suffer from some health issues, such as eye problems, infections, Intervertebral Disc Disease and they are prone to becoming obese.