The Lakeland Terrier is one of the dozens of breeds originating in the United Kingdom and belonging to the group of terriers, where we have dogs of all sizes, colors and with the common denominator of having fought against wild animals.
- Weight : about 8 kilos
- Hair type : medium length and very hard
- Character : affectionate and sociable, very active
- Health : very strong, although they may suffer from some genetic diseases
- Life expectancy : between 12 and 14 years
origins
The origins are in the United Kingdom, specifically in the lake region, in an area very close to Scotland, where due to its mountainous terrain, fox hunting could not be hunted on horseback, but rather on foot.
For this reason, it is said that the Lakeland Terrier is much more resistant than the Fox Terrier, with which it has a great resemblance, since while the former was carried in a bag on the horse, the Lakeland Terrier always ran on foot.
There is already evidence of it since the beginning of the 18th century and it seems that it arose from a mix between the English Black and Tan and the Fell Terrier, breeds that are now extinct, something that has happened with many of the primitive terriers.
A breed made to work
This breed was created with the purpose of hunting vermin in areas with difficult access, something in which it stood out because it not only showed the hunter where the prey was located, but was also capable of killing them.
His energy was such that he could eliminate even foxes, which gives us an idea of the strength that the primitive lakeland had.
Now this is no longer the case and its appearance is due to several crosses with other terriers, such as the Fox Terrier, the Airedale Terrier , the Border Terrier and the Bedlington Terrier , the latter dog that may have provided such a graceful constitution to the breed that we see. occupies
As for the recognition by the Kennel Club, it is quite old, since it was done in 1921, although the breed club differs and says that it was in 1928, something that is not important and shows that this dog has been recognized for a long time. already a century.
Main features
Among the terriers, the Lakeland is one of the medium-sized ones and has a very proportional appearance that gives a feeling of strength, but without looking like a rough animal.
This gracefulness is provided by a skeleton of very fine and resistant bones, which provide the speed characteristic of the breed and its liveliness.
They have an average height at the withers of about 35 cm and their weight usually does not exceed 8 kilos , which contributes to making them look like a dog that is made for running.
Its head and jaw give it a very characteristic appearance. The first is rectangular, while the second is almost as long as the skull and looks very strong as it really is, since this animal has a good bite.
As for the coat, a large number of colors are allowed, such as black and tan, blue and tan, red, bluish, fawn, reddish, etc.
The layer is double, the first one very dense, close to the body to give it warmth and insulate it from the elements. On the contrary, the second is hard in order to protect it from attacks by vermin, branches or spikes.
The appearance it has in the exhibitions is real, but if we want it to look the same at home we have to go to the hairdresser from time to time , since the hair must be trimmed in several areas and leave more of it above the eyes.
Character
They have a fun character, very friendly and quite mischievous. That is with their owners and acquaintances, since with strangers and other animals it changes completely, so it is important to carry out early socialization, which will avoid problems later.
It is not unusual for him to be aggressive with dogs , so we will have to be careful with walks and what other animals we bring him with. The same happens with other pets, since we must not forget that it is a hunting dog that was responsible for killing vermin.
It is good with children, but it is better not to leave it with the little ones in the house. He is not very patient, and will not tolerate being hit, having his ears pulled, etc.
They are barking dogs and that makes them excellent guards, although they will not limit themselves to barking, but will not hesitate to attack that person or animal that tries to enter their home.
Another of their peculiarities is that they love to explore and access everywhere . Therefore, if we want them to not enter an area, we will have to close it well, because they will try to sneak into it.
Care
Unlike other dogs, the Lakeland does not have special needs when it comes to keeping its coat in perfect condition . In fact, brushing it once or twice a week will be more than enough.
Due to the type of hair that dirt has, it does not usually stick to it, so baths can be spaced out a lot in time, shortening the periods between each one of them if we have it inside the house and it starts to smell.
Yes, you will need physical activity. In fact, whenever we can, each of the walks has to last more than half an hour, and if there are small animals like cats it is better that they be on a leash, as their hunting instinct will not take long to come to light.
The eyes and ears do require a little more attention and we should clean them often with gauze and saline solution , thus avoiding infections that are more common if the dog goes out for a walk in the countryside.
Feeding
He does not have special feeding needs and we can give him any feed for small breeds , finding many high quality brands on the market.
This type of feed comes with a kibble adapted to the mouths of these breeds , although the truth is that with the strength that the Lakeland has in its jaw it can handle any type of feed that we put in it.
There are some brands that have presentations for the Fox Terrier. If we want we can give it to them, since it is very similar to this breed, but it is not necessary to be so specific.
Yes, we have to look carefully at the quantities, not because we are going to gain weight, but so that we don't end up too thin. For this reason, we will always give him the amount intended for active dogs, exceeding it if we go out with him a lot for walks in the countryside and he can run freely.
We can talk about this with the veterinarian, although we see if the weight is good or if it is a little short of reaching what is ideal.
Health
Like any terrier, Lakeland dogs have excellent health. Despite this, they are not free from certain genetic pathologies and perhaps one of the weakest parts of the breed are the eyes. Therefore, we commented that they had to be cleaned often.
Among the eye diseases to which the breed is prone are lens dislocation, cataracts or glaucoma . Therefore, it is advisable to have your veterinarian check your eyes at least twice a year.
The bones are also not immune to some diseases such as patella luxation , which causes pain and lameness, and can be treated in various ways and may require surgery in the most serious cases.
There is another bone pathology known as Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. This causes the part of the femur that is housed in the dog's hip to degenerate very quickly, which is due to the fact that the blood does not reach it well.
There are no other notable diseases and although they may seem like too many, the truth is that the Lakeland is one of the strongest dogs we can find.
Adopt
In Spain it is difficult to adopt a lakeland, since they are not abundant unlike other similar terriers such as the fox terrier, of which there are many specimens that are used mainly in hunting.
In any case, we can do a search on the internet. There are specialized search engines that track dogs in Spain and also associations dedicated to finding adopters for terriers .
We can contact them, since they are the ones who can best help us when adopting an animal of this breed. In fact, they will know if it is common to see Lakeland animals for adoption or if it is a mission impossible in our country.
If we do not find any in Spain, which will almost certainly happen, it is best to go to the United Kingdom, where there will be copies available.
The Internet has made everything easier, so from home we can search for shelters in that country and get in touch with them, being able to propose a remote adoption if possible, something that is feasible due to logistics.
There are companies specialized in transporting pets, and if we don't find any or they don't want to send it we can always go and pick it up, in which case we will have to find out about the regulations for transporting animals now that the United Kingdom is no longer part of the EU. Brexit.
We have the possibility of flying to the United Kingdom for very little money, and since Lakeland has a small dog, they may allow us to bring it in the cabin .
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