Patterdale Terrier
Alternative names
Fell Terrier
Country of origin
England
Classification and breed standards
UKC: Terriers Stds
Notes
Not recognized by most major kennel clubs

The Patterdale Terrier is a breed of dog native to the Lake District of Cumbria in North West England. The name Patterdale refers to a village a little south of Ullswater and a few miles east of Helvellyn.

Appearance

According to breed standards at several all-breed registries, this terrier is to be no more than 380 mm (15 inches) tall and should weigh less than 8 kg (18 pounds). Smaller is preferred, especially in the eastern United States where 300 mm (12 inches) tall and 5.5 kg (12 pounds) is considered the maximum usable size for groundhogs (aka woodchucks). However, larger (9 - 12 kg) is preferred when hunting raccoons in excess of 13 kg (29 pounds). They are allowed in black (very dark brown), grizzle, chocolate, red, tan, and black-and-tan. True black is very rarely seen, but acceptable. However, this breed is rarely shown and breeders are more concerned with the practicality of the breed than with outward appearances. Practicality means strong neck, jaws, and teeth; staying power at bay; ability to squeeze into tight burrows; durability and endurance; and peaceful with humans, livestock, and other dogs.

Temperament

Most Patterdale puppies are bold and confident beyond their capabilities, and therefore are never, or briefly, entered to rats as they soon lose all caution when confronted with quarry of any size. Many a bold pup has lost his life in a raccoon den while on a casual walk-in-the-woods in the States. They have great stamina and can work quarry all day, or play all day with the kids. Yet, indoors they are relaxed and quiet. They have been exported abroad notably to the States where they appear to be used primarily as hunting dogs.

An excellent book about the origin of the breed and fell terriers in general is "The Fell Terrier" by D. Brian Plummer from The Boydell Press. Plummer goes into depth describing the land and the people the shaped the big dog in the small package currently called the Patterdale Terrier.

History

The Patterdale terrier of modern times refers to the mainly black (actually a very dark brown) smooth coated fell terrier first popularized by Cyril Breay from Kirkby Lonsdale and Frank Buck from Leyburn in Yorkshire during the early part of the 1900's. At that time, any "typey" fell terrier being shown in the Lake District was called a Lakeland terrier, or simply called a coloured terrier, whether or not they were from Ullswater county. The popularity of these smooth-coated black fell terriers and working fell terriers in general, waned from the about World War II until Brian Nuttall of Holmes Chapel began breeding dogs he acquired from his grandfather. His grandfather's dogs were from Breay and Buck blood lines and carefully linebred. Nuttall blood lines are still considered to be of the highest quality and adds a bit to the price of a puppy. The modern Patterdale terrier is to fell terriers, what the Jack Russel terrier is to hunt terriers -- the indisputable leader in numbers and performance as a breed.

They were developed in the harsh environment in the north of England that is unable to sustain agriculture and too hilly in the main for cattle. Sheep farming is the dominant farming activity on these hills. Foxes being predatory on sheep and small farm animals, necessitated predator control. Unlike the hunt terriers to the south, typified by the Jack Russel terriers of today, which are bred bolt a fox to continue the chase, or to bay the fox until the fox can be dug to, these fell terriers were bred to bolt the fox or dispatch it, if it chooses to fight. Where much of the "earths" in south of England are an easy dig, much of the north of England includes "earths" too rocky and/or too deep to dig. The fell terriers that survived to pass on their genes, have created a truly "tough as nails" dog.

Some puppies are allowed to chase rabbits, but most tire of chasing any quarry that won't turn and fight.