Lakeland Terrier
The Lakeland Terrier were originally from Northern England’s Lake District, bred to hunt and kill foxes that would prey on sheep and lambs.
They are lively, fun and feisty little terriers, maybe not as crazy as other terriers, but they still have the traits. This could be your perfect breed if you are looking for an energetic and active addition to your family or a dog to take out runs or agility classes.
They need plenty of exercise so as long as you have an energetic life and time to play outdoors and take them on a good daily walk, they are a fantastic addition to your active family. They can cope quite well with apartment living as long as all their exercise needs are met and they are given plenty of playtimes. Barking can be an issue with this breed, so you will need to train them to be quiet on command.
They love and are devoted to their families and are good with kids; however, they have their limits and are probably best to avoid them if you have young children. Older kids, though, will spend hours running around the back garden with them.
They make excellent watchdogs, and you will always know who is at the door and anything suspicious or exciting outside. As with most terriers, they can be a little barky, so you may need to train them to be quiet on command. They are un-trusting of strangers and, as with most dogs, will need good socialisation to combat this.
They should be OK with other dogs, but they may be better as the only dog in the household, you might want to avoid two males together. Cats may be OK with if brought up with them. They were bred to hunt small animals, so they will typically chase neighbourhood cats with delight, and they are quick, so make sure they can’t escape from your garden.
They are intelligent dogs but a little stubborn; they have their own ideas about what’s right and wrong. You will need to discover their motivation reward early on for the best results, but they should be pretty easy to train and work with. Try to keep training both interesting and fun for the best results and avoid being harsh with them.
They have two coats and are light shedders but they aren’t as low maintenance as other breeds, they need brushing at least weekly. The consistency of their coats means they are supposed to be stripped, this will probably be something for a professional to do, but you could learn this yourself.
Lakeland Terrier Stats
The Lakeland Terriers were originally bred in the harsh but beautiful countryside of the English Lake District to hunt foxes. The purpose of the Hunt was to destroy the fox that would prey on sheep and lambs thereby affecting the livelihood of those dependent upon farming. The Lakeland had to be able to follow the fox over rugged peaks and cliffs in all weather, and when the fox went to the ground the Lakeland had to follow and either bolt the fox or kill it underground
- Weight -6kg – 8kg
- Size – 34m – 37cm
- They live for 12-15 years
