Lakeland Terrier

The Lakeland Terrier is the smallest of the large terrier breeds. They are “fine-boned” and come in black and tan, blue and tan, dark grizzle, grizzle and tan, liver and tan, and wheaten colors. The Lakeland Terrier’s characteristics are similar to those of a slightly larger Welsh Terrier.

These dogs have narrow chests, broad muzzles, and V-shaped ears. Their eyes are dark and oval-shaped. They are double-coated, and an interesting thing about these dogs is that if they are properly groomed, they will not shed.

Coat

Lakeland Terriers have a soft undercoat and a hard outer coat. These dogs don’t shed much. They can come in black, liver, blue, wheaten, and red.

They will also need other basic care; brush their teeth at least three times a week. Check their ears for signs of infection and redness, bathe them every 4-5 weeks (more if they live inside the house), and trim their nails if they don’t wear them down naturally.

Training

The Lakeland Terrier is known to be trainable and willing to learn. They are interested in learning new things as long as training sessions are interesting and fun. They respond best to positive training methods that involve plenty of treats, praise, and food. 

Never use fear, punishment, or pain as a training method. These types of training methods can have a serious negative impact on the dog’s psyche and can cause shyness and aggressiveness.

Lakeland Terrier character

Like many other terrier breeds, the Lakeland Terrier is an energetic and very entertaining dog. They are proud and have been described as having a "cock of the walk" personality. They are alert and playful. The Lakeland Terrier is devoted and loyal to its family and has a healthy, natural distrust towards strangers. They are excellent watchdogs.

Terriers are known to have an “aggressive” attitude, but Lakeland is not like that. They will rarely start a fight, but as natural terriers, they will not back up from one. They will certainly stand their ground and they are not afraid to take on much larger and stronger dogs.

Lakeland Terrier and children

The Lakeland Terrier is known as a breed that loves children. Many terriers are a great fit for children as they have plenty of energy and will to play. If this dog is properly trained, your children will have a great, energetic, tireless playing companion that will certainly make them laugh.

No matter what the breed is, you should always supervise your dog and your children playing. Accidents can happen in a blink of an eye, especially with such a fast and agile dog.

Lakeland Terrier and other animals

These dogs usually get along with other dogs as long as other dogs don’t pick up a fight. The Lakeland Terrier is playful and enjoys the company of other dogs but should never be trusted around other, smaller pets. These dogs have a high prey drive and should never be left alone with smaller pets like cats, gerbils, guinea pigs, or ferrets.

Health problems

The Lakeland Terrier is generally considered a healthy breed, and These dogs have an average lifespan of 12-15 years. 

When getting any breed, the breeder must show you the health tests that they have done for their breeding dogs. Dogs must be adequately tested because taking a chance and hoping that the puppy’s parents are healthy is a risk no one should ever take.

Only healthy dogs should be bred because that is the only way to ensure that bloodlines will remain healthy and without any problems.

Breeders

When getting a dog, the most important thing is to get it from a responsible and reputable Lakeland Terrier breeder. These dogs are energetic and protective, and getting a poorly bred dog can have catastrophic results. Responsible breeders will breed dogs that don’t only look good but have great characters as well.

You must find a good Lakeland Terrier breeder that can help you learn about this breed and make an informed choice about getting a dog with these characteristics. 

If you are unsure whether this is the breed for you, check out this FREE GUIDE that will help you decide which dog breed is right for you.

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The Lakeland Terriers’ origins can be traced to the Cumberland region in England next to the Scottish border. These dogs are closely related to different British terrier breeds like the Dandie Dinmont, Bedlington, Border, and the now-extinct Old English Black and Tan Terrier. 

The exact time of their creation is still unknown, but what we do know is that they were employed to guard the English Herdwick sheep against large Westmoreland foxes. Their job was to attack and kill foxes that hunted the sheep they were trusted to guard.

The Lakeland Terrier Association was formed in England in 1921 and soon after, the first Lakeland Terrier was brought to the USA.