Lakeland Terrier

COUNTRY: Great Britain

WEIGHT: 17 pounds

HEIGHT: 13-15 inches

COAT: Hard and wiry

COLOR: Blue, black, liver, black/tan, blue/tan, red, red grizzle, grizzle/tan, wheaten

GROUP: Terrier

From solid-colored, broken-coated terriers of the lake districts of northern England, this fine working terrier emerged. The entire area the northern counties of Cumberland, Northumberland and Westmoreland was the fount of many terrier varieties. The dog that eventually developed into the Bedlington and Dandie Dinmont was probably the origin of the Lakeland and the Border Terrier as well. A century or more before organized dog shows, the Lakeland assisted in informal hunts. These were organized by farmers with a couple of hounds and terriers when foxes were raiding the sheepfolds. These dogs were not like the "fox" terriers developed further south which were expected to bolt the quarry. The Lakelands were practical working terriers, required to face and kill the fox underground. When exhibited, they were still shown under the all-embracing term: Colored Working Terrier.

The breed was then called the Patterdale or Fell Terrier and came in a variety of colors as well as white. When they were first exhibited in the 1880s-90s, they were divided into white and colored dogs. Masters of Foxhounds judged the terriers not on their looks, but for their ability as working "fox" terriers. Soon the white terriers were used exclusively for otter work. (Young hounds, in their excitement, often mistook a dark dog for an otter and mauled the dog instead as both bolted from the hole.) The dark dogs were kept to hunt for foxes in the mountain rock piles.

Stories of Lakeland courage are plentiful. In 1871, Lord Lonsdale had a Lakeland that crawled 23 feet under rock after an otter. In order to extricate the dog, it was necessary to undertake extensive blasting operations. The dog was taken out, still in fine fettle, three days later. Still other dogs were recorded to have been taken out alive after 10-12 days. Of course, many paid the ultimate penalty.

In 1921, a group of fanciers met to resume pre-War activities and dubbed the breed after its lake district. Seven years later, the name Lakeland became official. The first president of the breed club was Lord Lonsdale, whose family had raised Lakelands for 50 years.

The Lakeland coat must be groomed in a manner similar to that of the Wire Fox and other rough-coated terriers. Although not as well known as some other terriers, they are consistently successful in the show rings. One famous champion, Stingray of Derryabah, was Best in Show at Crufts in 1967, followed by a BIS at Westminster, in New York, the following year. He became the only dog to win these prestigious shows on both sides of the Atlantic. Actor Bill Cosby is an ardent terrier fan, co-owning several top-winning dogs, among them a Lakeland, a Wire Fox and a Welsh Terrier. They capture more than shows, however, winning hearts as well. Lakelands are down-to-earth, level-headed dogs who make fine companions. The breed adores children and matches their energy step for step.