The Lakeland Terrier is a

dog breed A dog breed is a particular strain of dog that was purposefully bred by humans to perform specific tasks, such as herding, hunting, and guarding. Dogs are the most variable mammal on Earth, with artificial selection producing around 450 globally ...

, which takes its name from its place of origin, the

Lake District The Lake District, also known as the Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous for its lakes, forests, and mountains (or ''fells''), and its associations with William Wordswor ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The dog is a small to mid-size member of the

Terrier Terrier (from Latin ''terra'', 'earth') is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. Terrier breeds vary ...

family. While independent in personality, it interacts well with owners and all family members, Alderton, David (1993). Dogs, p.214. Dorling Kindersley. . and is mostly hypo-allergenic (non shedding). In the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, the Lakeland Terrier is considered a vulnerable dog breed at risk of going extinct through low levels of breeding, according to

The Kennel Club The Kennel Club ("KC") is the official kennel club of the United Kingdom. It is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world. Its role is to oversee various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials. It also opera ...

. In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, the Lakeland Terrier ranked 148 out of 193 breeds by number of

American Kennel Club The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kenn ...

puppy registrations in 2019.

Description

Appearance

At 15–17 lb (7–8 kg), the Lakeland Terrier is the smallest of the long legged, black and tan terriers. It is similar in appearance to the slightly larger

Welsh Terrier The Welsh Terrier ( cy, Daeargi Cymreig) originates from Wales and was originally bred for hunting fox, rodents and badger; but during the last century, it has mainly been bred for showing. Despite this, it has retained its terrier strength ...

but is finer-boned. The largest of the threesome in this similar group of Terriers is the Airedale. The Lakeland is a sturdy dog, compact, free moving and able to cover ground with little effort and much quickness. The dog is relatively narrow in the chest and has a broad muzzle, yet slightly narrower than the

, with small, V-shaped ears. The Lakeland breed has a thick bushy wiry outer coat and a soft undercoat. It comes in a variety of colors.

lists the following as acceptable colors: black and tan, blue and tan, red, wheaten, red grizzle, liver, blue or black. Lakeland Terriers have an upright tail, which was previously customarily docked in the United Kingdom and continues to be customarily docked in the United States. Most Lakeland Terriers grow to between 13.5 and 15 inches (34 and 38 cm) in height, measured to the

withers The withers is the ridge between the shoulder blades of an animal, typically a quadruped. In many species, it is the tallest point of the body. In horses and dogs, it is the standard place to measure the animal's height. In contrast, cattle ar ...

The eyes are small and dark colored and of oval shape. The nose and pads of the feet are black except in liver colored dogs where the nose and pad coloring will be liver colored. Liver colored dogs will have a slightly lighter colored eye. The dog will not shed if properly groomed. It is suggested that " gular stripping and trimming improves the texture and quality of the coat" and is "necessary to enhance the dog's utilitarian purposes" as well as "enhancing him for the show ring".

Temperament

The dogs are friendly, bold, and confident. Shyness is very atypical, as is aggressiveness. Very intelligent and independent minded, they are quick to learn and easy to train, though Lakelands often exhibit " selective deafness" when their interest level is aroused. The Lakeland is quite receptive to

crate training Crate training is the process of teaching a pet to accept a dog crate or cage as a familiar and safe location. Advocates claim that dogs are den-dwelling animals and that a crate can become a den substitute. Most puppies can learn to tolerate cra ...

. As with most terriers, the Lakeland is energetic; daily exercise and playtimes are a must, lest this active dog seek other outlets for their energy, with undesirable results for the owner.

History

As one of the earliest

Terriers Terrier (from Latin ''terra'', 'earth') is a type of dog originally bred to hunt vermin. A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of the terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, game, and fearless. Terrier breeds vary gr ...

(Latin derivation of earth), dating from the 1700s, this "earth" dog is a descendant of the old English Black and Tan and

Fell Terrier Fell terrier refers to a regional type of long-legged working terrier, not a specific breed of dog. Description and purpose Fell terriers are types of small working terriers developed in the Fell (hilly) country of northern England and use ...

s. The Lakeland's original service was "going to ground" on the farm in hunt for vermin. Its size and energy make it popular as a hunter in hard to reach places; the breed is among those eligible for competition in sanctioned

Earthdog trial An earthdog test or earthdog trial tests the working ability and instinct of the small, often short-legged terriers or Dachshunds. These dogs were bred to hunt vermin and other quarry which lived in underground dens. Earthdog den tests involve man ...

s. The working dog version of the Lakeland is often known as the

Patterdale Terrier The Patterdale Terrier is a breed of dog descended from the Northern terrier breeds of the early 18th century. Description Appearance There are two breed standards for the Patterdale Terrier belonging to the United Kennel Club (UKC) an ...

. Whereas most terrier breeds have only to bolt their quarry, or to mark it by baying, the Lakeland must be able to kill the foxes in their lair. In the

, the mountainous, rocky terrain is unsuitable for

fox hunting Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds. A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of ho ...

on horseback, and foxes were hunted on foot. It has been suggested that the Lakeland Terrier's great stamina derives from running all day with the hounds, unlike his close cousin, the fox terrier, who would have been carried in a saddle bag to be released only when the fox had gone to earth. The UK Kennel Club claims to have recognised Lakeland Terriers in 1921,The Kennel Club
Breed Information Centre, Lakeland Terrier whereas the Lakeland Terrier Club suggests this was closer to 1928.
Origin and history The Lakeland Terrier Association (now defunct) was founded in 1921. In 1925 the breed attained homogeneity following a cross-breeding with the

Fox Terrier Fox Terriers are two different breeds of the terrier dog type: the Smooth Fox Terrier and the Wire Fox Terrier. Both of these breeds originated in the 19th century from a handful of dogs who are descended from earlier varieties of British terr ...

and the

Airedale Terrier The Airedale Terrier (often shortened to "Airedale"), also called Bingley Terrier and Waterside Terrier, is a dog breed of the terrier type that originated in the valley (''dale'') of the River Aire, in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. It ...

. The Lakeland Terrier Club was founded in 1932 and promoted the breed nationally through Kennel-Club sanctioned shows. The American Kennel Club recognised the breed in 1934. Lakeland Terriers have twice won Best in Show at

Crufts Crufts is an international dog show held annually in the United Kingdom, first held in 1891. Organised and hosted by The Kennel Club, it is the largest show of its kind in the world. Crufts is centred on a championship conformation show for do ...

and at

Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is an all-breed conformation show, traditionally held annually at New York City's Madison Square Garden. The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is one of a handful of benched shows in the United States. Dogs ...

Famous/Popular Lakelands

* Stingray of Derryabah - the first dog to win Best in Show/Supreme Champion at both the top US and UK shows

Westminster Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster. The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...

(1968) and

(1967) * Zelda Van Gutters -

Nickelodeon Magazine ''Nickelodeon Magazine'' is a defunct American children's magazine inspired by the children's television network Nickelodeon. Its first incarnation appeared in 1990 and was distributed at participating Pizza Hut restaurants; the version of the ma ...

's Roving Reporter/Mascot * Champion Revelry's Awesome Blossom - top winning Lakeland Terrier owned by Jean L. Heath and

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and media personality. He made significant contributions to American and African-American culture, and is well known in the United States for his eccentric ...

* Kevin - owned by

Neil Tennant Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for ''Smash Hits'', and a ...

(singer of the

Pet Shop Boys The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...

)Pet Shop Boys Official Site
Pet Texts, 21 April 2007

References

External links

* {{English dogs Dog breeds originating in England FCI breeds Terriers Vulnerable Native Breeds