History of the Patterdale Terrier*

The border country of northern England and southern Scotland is a unique area that has given birth to several breeds of earth working terriers. The terrain is rugged, the weather harsh and the people tough. Life is primarily on remote farms with sheep being the main farm commodity, and for centuries, they have been protected from fox predation by aggressive hound and terrier work. Dogs suited to this inhospitable climate have weatherproof coats and may be larger than their southern cousins.

Patterdale terriers are native to the Lake District of northern England where the tall, bare and beautiful hills are called Fells. The weather is cold, wet and windy. The fells are steep, rocky and filled with foxes.

Even 20th century farmers depend on organized fox-hound hunts to diminish the numbers of foxes that prey on their sheep, and the fox-hounds depend on fell terriers to extricate foxes from deep crevices in the rock.

The Fells are so rough that horses can not be used for hunting, so the Huntsman, his assistants, the hounds and terriers may cover miles walking on a mountainside in a day. The Huntsman and the Whipper in each keep a pair of terriers at their side to be instantly available when the fox goes to ground. Only the toughest of terriers can keep up all day, then go to earth and rout out a hill-fox under the worst of conditions. The Patterdale is that type of terrier.

They are all of working terrier lineage and have a definite stamp of type. Fell and Patterdale terriers are well known as hard-bitten terriers, willing to work any place, at any time. They are loyal companions, but are rarely kept strictly as pets (there is work to be done)!

People who admire these terriers do so because of their working talents. They are quiet indoors or out and are not usually dominant with people. They tend to ignore other dos and to be rather aloof. As experienced working terriers, Patterdales may find den trials and artificial earths a bore and refuse to enter. However, in the field it is an entirely different story.

* NOTE: This information has been contributed by, and is property of The Patterdale Terrier Club of America, and is gratefully used here with permission.

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