All About the Breed: Patterdale Terrier

Also known as the Black Fell Terrier, the Patterdale Terrier is an active and outgoing breed. But how do you know whether you are ready to purchase a pet and if this breed is right for you? This information is absolutely necessary in making the decision to purchase a pet.

History

The origin of the Patterdale Terrier can be traced back to 1950’s England, when breeders Cyril Breay and Frank Buck began work to popularize the breed. Enthusiasts believe these dogs to have been created by crossing such breeds as the Fell Terrier and the Wire Fox Terrier, though this has never been proven scientifically or otherwise.

Throughout its history, the Patterdale Terrier has been most commonly used for hunting game such as fox, badger, and raccoon, and as a watch dog, proving its superior abilities to work while providing companionship.

Today, while the Patterdale Terrier has attained an underground popularity as a hunting and companion dog, the breed remains rather rare world wide.

Personality Traits

Best known for its spunky and lively nature, the Patterdale Terrier is full of character. These energetic dogs thrive on strong and dependable relationships with humans, and love to play the role of lap dog during down time. This breed is highly intelligent and moderately easy to train. As a pet, the Patterdale Terrier is obedient, loyal, loving, and affectionate. The Patterdale Terrier is not suited for full-time indoor or apartment living, as it enjoys spending time outdoors, playing games such as fetch and tug-of-war, and having plenty of room to roam, run, and play.

Train-ability

Due to its need for human attention and willingness to learn, the Patterdale Terrier generally responds well to basic training and commands. These bright dogs have the ability to learn to perform most any task their trainer is willing to take the time to teach.

Establishing immediate dominance, trust, and respect is key to successfully training the Patterdale Terrier. This breed responds best to a confident and caring handler with a stern yet gentle approach to repetitive exercises and tasks.

Benefits and Disadvantages of the Breed

There are many benefits to owning a Patterdale Terrier. This active breed is always on the move, and often quite amusing and entertaining to watch while at play. These dogs are very intelligent, easy to train, and capable pf learning to perform many impressive tricks and tasks. When properly socialized from a young age, the Patterdale Terrier gets along well with small children and other pets, often making friends quickly. This breed is alert and aware of its surroundings, serving as an effective watch dog by announcing the arrival of guests and unwanted visitors. The Patterdale Terrier is obedient, loyal, loving, and affectionate, making an excellent hunting dog, family pet, and companion alike.

Unfortunately, there are also disadvantages to owning a Patterdale Terrier. These energetic and athletic dogs require large amounts of daily exercise and room to run and play outdoors. Anyone wishing to purchase this breed lacking the adequate amount of time and space to dedicate to the dog is strongly advised against doing so. A Patterdale Terrier not receiving the proper amount of exercise and space will often act out by destroying property, chewing, digging, barking, whining, and ignoring basic training such as housebreaking.

The Patterdale Terrier has a strong instinct to hunt and will occasionally indulge in a good chase. When on the run, these small dogs are surprisingly quick, and may pose a threat to other animals, neighborhood pets, and small woodland creatures. The Patterdale Terrier must be leashed or properly secured at all times when outdoors.

This breed is known to enjoy digging, and is quite good at doing so. It is not unusual for a Patterdale Terrier to dig a hole under a fence within the matter of only a few minutes. These dogs must be properly secured or supervised at all times when outdoors.

As previously mentioned, the Patterdale Terrier remains rather rare world wide and can prove quite difficult to obtain. Individuals seeking to purchase this breed often encounter such challenges as inability to locate a breeder, high prices, and being placed on long waiting lists.

Common Health Concerns

While the Patterdale Terrier is typically known as a healthy and hearty breed, they do suffer from a few health problems, including: patellar luxation – dislocation of the knee, epilepsy, hypothyroidism, entropian – folding inward of the eye lid, ectropian – folding outward of the eye lid, cryptorchidism – failure of one or both of the testicles to fully descend, and various dental issues.

Now that you know all about the breed, do you think you are ready to own a Patterdale Terrier? Remember, purchasing a pet is a big decision and should be discussed thoroughly and seriously with your entire family.

Sources:

http://www.heydogs.com/p/patterdale-terrier.html

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/patterdaleterrier.htm