Patterdale Terrier Klubb Sverige

Is it a breed or a Type? People can argue either way but the Patterdale terrier is a short coated black fell terrier that also can be red in color. In the Lake district it’s called a “slape” coat which is a short and thick, also called a double coat. The word Fell simply means mountain, and the Lake district of England is referred to as the Fells. 

The Fell terrier is a term that goes back to the 1800’s for the terriers used by the foxhound packs in the Lake district. The foxhounds are also referred to as Fell hounds, which are built better for the rough terrain in the mountains. 

Fell terrier unlike other types of terriers are “a pure type” rather than a breed, used for their ability to bolt foxes from some of the most difficult places in which foxes could enter. Fell terriers became refined for better coats over the early part of the 20th century with some breeders standardizing them to become Lakeland terriers, another notable mention of fell terriers is a bitch name wasp which was used with some of the early Border terriers. 

During the 1960’s the terriermen of the Rossenendale Valley and South Pennine areas of East Lancashire and West and South Yorkshire had been using Fell terriers for a number of years, and witnessed the decline in the quality of terrier they had been working, and stated that too much kennel club Lakeland had entered the strains and felt that the terriers with the short black coats were the better types for they're hunting conditions and started calling these the Patterdale types. 

Many people mention the breeding of Cyril Breay and Frank Buck's fell terriers, Cyril starting his strain in the early 1920’s and Frank in the 1930’s, together they created one of the most popular types of working fell terriers in the North of England. 

One of the first terriermen and breeders to embrace the name Patterdale as different then the fell terrier was Brian Nuttall, who had been breeding his grandfathers strain of terriers.

 Brian Nuttall using studs from Breay and Buck's breeding along with Border terrier, and other local terriermen, Brian’s terriers took on the more compact and bullish look, standing 30 to 33cm and became known for hunting otter, fox and badger. This was at a time when locator collars had not been invented and it took a very smart game terrier with a big voice to work all game. These terrier quickly became more and more popular with the professional hunts, gamekeepers and terriermen.

Since the 1970’s, the term Patterdale terrier has slowly become more loosely used, to any black working terrier regardless of coat or size. 

If your interested in a more detailed history of the Patterdale, we suggest some of the books in the links section of the website, by the author Sean Frain on the Patterdale Terrier and also the book on Brian Nuttall. 

 The club has one goal and that is to preserve the Patterdale terrier as a earth dog. All through the 20th century, breed after breed last favor with the hunts as they became show dogs. This lead to the rise in popularity of the Fell and Patterdale terrier once it was discovered outside of of it's native territory. 

The club aims to protect that standard and to work the terrier in this traditional manner and to support lawful and humane terrier work while educating newcomers to the world of the working terriers.

The Patterdale or Fell terrier is not recognized by the kennel club because it has no conformation standard that can be adhered to by the Kennel Club. The Patterdale can be 25cm to 40cm or 5kg to as much as 10 or 11kg, The Show breeders would not know what size, shape or conformation to breed for.

The standard in which the Patterdale terrier is breed for is purely working ability, with the most important trait being gameness or the ability to stay with it's quarry, Of course voice, intelligence and scenting ability are important as well, but they mean nothing without gameness being first and foremost. 

The UK holds working terrier shows during the off season which are hosted by Fox hunting packs, and sometimes breed clubs. These shows have nothing to do with Kennel club and are judged by veteran huntsmen and Terrierman who have dedicated their lives working terriers. Every judge will have their own opinions on what they feel is the best looking working terrier to them, which could be different then another Judge. This reflects the diversity of hunting conditions and quarry hunted traditionally being fox, otter and badger and the various methods preferred by hunting clubs and associations. 

Simply put, there is no "one" standard for all working terriers, and it's the inside of the terrier that counts the most. 

Books

The Patterdale Terrier by Sean Frain 

The working patterdales of Brian Nuttall's strain by Sean Frain

The Traditional Working terrier by Sean Frain

The working terriers of Gary Middleton strain by Sean Frain

John Park working terrier by Sean Frain

Border Lakeland terriers the complete guide by Sean Frain

Game working terriers and terrier rescues by Sean Frain

The Lakeland terrier by Sean Frain

Willie Irving, terrierman, huntsman and Lakelander by Sean Frain