History
The Lakeland Terrier is one of the oldest working terrier breeds still known today. It was bred, raised, and worked in the lake districts of England long before there was a kennel club or an official stud book. The fact that it has been outstripped by many younger terrier breeds is not so much a reflection on its quality as a tribute to the scope of its working ability. The name "Lakeland" indeed, is a modern acquisition. In olden times the breed was known as the Patterdale Terrier.
It is related that long before the days of the great John Peel, or before any packs of hounds were formed, the Lakeland was kept by the farmers in the mountain districts, who, at that time, would form a hunt with a couple of hounds and these terriers. Their work was to destroy the foxes found raiding the sheepfolds. There was sport, but it was not sport for sport’s sake alone. It was a very practical matter.
So great was the courage of the native Lakeland Terriers that they would follow underground for tremendous distances. It is told that, in 1871, Lord Lonsdale had one which crawled 23 feet under rock after an otter. In order to extricate the dog it was necessary to undertake extensive blasting operations. Finally, after three days’ work, they reached the dog, and he was gotten out, none the worse for his experience. Still other dogs have been known to be locked underground for ten or twelve days and have been taken out alive. Others have paid the penalty.
Cumberland was the birthplace of the Lakeland Terrier. This is a particularly beautiful county, richly studded with lakes, particularly in the southern part. The Bedlington is attributed to neighboring Northumberland county, but it is not difficult to suppose that there was certain traffic in dogs at that time.
The first organized effort to promote the interest of this Cumberland County breed came at the Kersurck show in 1912, when a terrier club was formed. The new club made considerable headway for two years, and then came the outbreak of World War I. Naturally, all civilian activities were under a damper, and little or nothing was heard of the Lakeland Terrier again until 1921. That year fanciers met at Whitehaven, in Cumberland. According to Thomas Hosking, who later came to the United States and who was one of the nine fanciers who attended, the name Lakeland Terrier was chosen at that meeting. The standard was drawn up at that time, and shortly afterward the breed was made eligible for registration in the stud book of the Kennel Club (England). The Lakeland Terrier was accepted for registration in the AKC Stud Book in 1934.
Although a worker for generations, the Lakeland makes a very good appearance in the ring. He has a dense, weather-resisting coat, strong jaws of moderate length, powerful hindquarters, and good legs and feet on a short, strong back. Despite his gameness and courage, he has an attractive, quiet disposition.
[taken from American Kennel Club]
Temperament
Robust, hardy and healthy, good with people and children, in many ways they make the ideal family pet - though not all will live harmoniously with another dog of the same sex, especially a Terrier of similar temperament. They respond well to consistent, patient training and attention. Bad habits once learnt are difficult to change, never encourage a puppy to do things that will not be acceptable when adult.
Though relatively small they are active dogs that love to race round, run and play with a ball. Owner's gardens or runs need to be well fenced as Lakelands were bred to squeeze through small openings. They can walk all day, but are adaptable and if the weather is bad will be content to sit at the fireside (or preferably, if allowed, on the owner's lap.) "Gay fearless demeanour" "on the tiptoe of expectation" - Lakelands can sometimes tremble with the sheer excitement of life - this is known as "Terrier dither" and is not a sign of nervousness. They become less exuberant as they get older.
Appearance
Smart dogs with very sound "workman like" conformation, they are not exaggerated in any way. Size varies somewhat, most are between 13 1/2 and 15 inches to the top of the back, Dogs tending to be a little larger than Bitches.
Coat texture
The hair is not shed and Lakelands require regular grooming and trimming. The coat is double, consisting of a harsh topcoat with a soft undercoat. Show dogs are always hand trimmed, raking out much of the undercoat on the body and shaping the furnishings on the face, legs and underbelly - much work goes into preparing a coat for the show ring. Pet dogs need regular combing but rather than hand trimming are often just clipped a couple of times a year - then the undercoat tends to predominate resulting in a softer more fluffy texture which many pet owners seem to prefer.
Coat colour
Most Lakelands are variants of the Black and Tan saddle pattern, ranging from mostly Black to almost all Light Tan. Those with a mixture of Black and Tan on the back are referred to as Grizzle. The other main colour is Solid Red, which is also very variable, ranging from quite dark to very light - the lighter ones are referred to as Wheaten. Very occasionally Liver (Chocolate) and Tan ones are produced. Solid black was lost in Britain but continues to be line bred in Scandinavia, recently some have been reintroduced into the UK.
Below is a photo gallery of various colours available in the breed however it should be noted that the only colours registrable with the Australian National Kennel Council are:
Black and Tan
Blue and Tan
Red
Wheaten
Red Grizzle
Liver
Blue
Black
[Breed information taken from the Lakeland Terrier Club of the UK]
