Lakeland Terrier

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Breed Details

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Breed Rating

Breed Details

General

The Lakeland Terrier originated in England and was bred to hunt down foxes and badgers. The plan was to kill them while they hide in their den as opposed to chasing the prey out of the den and tackling them. They are a mixture of the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, the Old English Black and Tan Terrier and the Border Terrier.

This breed has a great resemblance to the Airedale Terrier. Their body is muscular and athletic giving them great agility and strength while on the hunt. They have a long muzzle and medium sized triangular floppy ears that prick upward and forwards. The Lakeland Terrier has a naturally long tail but will be docked for show purposes and they have long strong legs that give them their quick speed.

The Lakeland Terrier is a responsive, intelligent breed that thrives on attention from their owners. They will make great family pets because they adore kids and get along well with other dogs. Smaller family pets will need to be raised with these dogs as puppies so they become comfortable around them as adults. The Lakeland Terrier is an energetic and outgoing dog but they will be more aloof around people they haven't met yet. Upon a couple of meetings they will become much more friendly.

Color

The Lakeland Terrier comes in a liver, wheat, red grizzle, tan grizzle, black & tan, red, blue, tan & blue or black. Most commonly seen are the black and tan colour variety. At birth, this breed is actually a darker version of their adult colouring and will lighten as they age.

Coat

This breed has a thick double layered coat with the outer layer being coarse and wiry. The under coat is fluffy and plush keeping their body temperature in to insulate them. Since the Lakeland Terrier has such a thick coat, it will need to be plucked once a year to remove the dead fur.

Personality

The Lakeland Terrier is a happy-go-lucky breed that loves getting attention and spending time with their masters. They are not a breed to be left alone too often as they become very lonely. These dogs are very stubborn so will need to be trained firmly and consistently if they are to truly grasp the commands. This breed is said to be harder to housetrain but just like with basic obedience, repetition and consistency will be the key. The Lakeland Terrier is a self-confident breed that possesses understanding and intensity when hunting. They do their job to the best of their abilities which gives them their reputation for being such hard working and effective dogs. Although they have an important breed purpose, the Lakeland Terrier is primarily a devoted companion to people.

Care

This breed will need a moderate amount of grooming to upkeep their coat. Brushing them 1-2 times per week and bathing every month or two will be excellent for their coat. Annual plucking of their fur will be needed unless the dog will be participating in shows which they will then need a much more extensive grooming regimen. The Lakeland Terrier is prone to a couple of eye ailments such as cataracts and lens luxation. Legg perthes syndrome may also be genetically inherited.

Training

The Lakeland Terrier will need a very firm hand when it comes to their training because they are very stubborn dogs. Although incredibly clever, consistent training methods as well as short lessons will be the best way to teaching this dog basic obedience. The lessons should be made fun to encourage them to want to obey. Once these dogs pick up the training, it is burned into their memory!

Activity

This breed will need about an hour of exercise per day. Running around in an off-leash dog park or taken out on a walk will be perfect for these dogs. They love to chase after dogs or a ball, so this type of exercise will tire them out more quickly! The Lakeland Terrier will do well in an apartment but should have a backyard just to run around in at home. These dogs tend to play inside so will not need excessive amounts of exercise at the end of the day.