Lakeland Terrier Breed Magazine - Showsight

Lakeland Terrier Breed Magazine features information, expert articles, and stunning photos from AKC judges, breeders, and owners.

TERRIER LAKELAND

Let’s Talk Breed Education!

Page 1 of 3

Official Standard of the Lakeland Terrier General Appearance: The Lakeland Terrier was bred to hunt vermin in the rugged shale mountains of the Lake District of northern England. He is a small, workmanlike dog of square, sturdy build. His body is deep and relatively narrow, which allows him to squeeze into rocky dens. He has sufficient length of leg under him to cover rough ground easily. His neck is long, leading smoothly into high withers and a short topline ending in a high tail set. His attitude is gay, friendly, and self-confident, but not overly aggressive. He is alert and ready to go. His movement is lithe and graceful, with a straight-ahead, free stride of good length. His head is rectangular, jaws are powerful, and ears are V-shaped. A dense, wiry coat is finished off with longer furnishings on muzzle and legs. Size, Proportion, Substance: The ideal height of the mature dog is 14½ inches from the withers to the ground, with up to a one-half inch deviation either way permissible. Bitches may measure as much as one inch less than dogs. The weight of the well balanced, mature male in hard show condition averages approximately 17 pounds. Dogs of other heights will be proportionately more or less. The dog is squarely built, and bitches may be slightly longer than dogs. Balance and proportion are of primary importance. Short-legged, heavy-bodied dogs or overly refined, racy specimens are atypical and should be penalized. The dog should have sufficient bone and substance, so as to appear sturdy and workmanlike without any suggestion of coarseness. Head: The expression depends on the dog’ s mood of the moment; although typically alert, it may be intense and determined, or gay and even impish. The eyes , moderately small and somewhat oval in outline, are set squarely in the skull, fairly wide apart. In liver or liver and tan dogs, the eyes are dark hazel to warm brown and eye rims are brown. In all other colors, the eyes are warm brown to black and eye rims are dark. The ears are small, V-shaped, their fold just above the top of the skull, the inner edge close to the side of the head, and the flap pointed toward the outside corner of the eye. The skull is flat on top and moderately broad, the cheeks flat and smooth as possible. The stop is barely perceptible. The muzzle is strong with straight nose bridge and good fill-in beneath the eyes. The head is well balanced, rectangular, the length of skull equaling the length of the muzzle when measured from occiput to stop, and from stop to nose tip. The proportions of the head are critical to correct type. An overlong foreface or short, wedge shaped head are atypical and should be penalized. The nose is black. A "winter" nose with faded pigment is permitted, but not desired. Liver colored noses and lips are permissible on liver coated dogs only. A pink or distinctly spotted nose is very undesirable. The lips are dark. Jaws are powerful. The teeth, which are comparatively large, may meet in either a level, edge to edge bite , or a slightly overlapping scissors bite. Specimens with teeth overshot or undershot are to be disqualified. Neck, Topline, Body: The neck is long; refined but strong; clean at the throat; slightly arched, and widening gradually and smoothly into the shoulders. The withers, that point at the back of the neck where neck and body meet, are noticeably higher than the level of the back. The topline , measured from the withers to the tail, is short and level. The body is strong and supple. The

Page 2 of 3

moderately narrow oval chest is deep, extending to the elbows. The ribs are well sprung and moderately rounded off the vertebrae. The Lakeland Terrier is a breed of moderation. A barrel- chested, big-bodied dog or one which is slab-sided and lacking substance is atypical and should be penalized. The loins are taut and short, although they may be slightly longer in bitches. There is moderate tuck-up. The tail is set high on the back. It is customarily docked so that when the dog is set up in show position, the tip of the tail is level with the occiput. In carriage, it is upright and a slight curve toward the head is desirable. Behind the tail is a well-defined, broad pelvic shelf. It is more developed in dogs than in bitches. The tail tightly curled over the back is a fault. Forequarters: The shoulders are well angulated. An imaginary line drawn from the top of the shoulder blade should pass through the elbow. The shoulder blade is long in proportion to the upper arm, which allows for reasonable angulation while maintaining the more upright "terrier front." The musculature of the shoulders is flat and smooth. The elbows are held close to the body, standing or moving. The forelegs are strong, clean and straight when viewed from the front or side. There is no appreciable bend at the pasterns. The feet are round and point forward, the toes compact and strong. The pads are thick and black or dark gray, except in liver colored dogs where they are brown. The nails are strong and may be black or self-colored. Dewclaws are removed. Hindquarters: The thighs are powerful and well muscled. The hind legs are well angulated, but not so much as to affect the balance between front and rear, which allows for smooth efficient movement. The stifles turn neither in nor out. The distance from the hock to the ground is relatively short and the line from the hock to toes is straight when viewed from the side. From the rear the hocks are parallel to each other. Feet same as front. Dewclaws, if any, are removed. Coat: Two-ply or double, the outer coat is hard and wiry in texture, the undercoat is close to the skin and soft and should never overpower the wiry outer coat. The Lakeland is hand stripped to show his outline. (Clipping is inappropriate for the show ring.) The appearance should be neat and workmanlike. The coat on the skull, ears, forechest, shoulders and behind the tail is trimmed short and smooth. The coat on the body is longer (about one-half to one inch) and may be slightly wavy or straight. The furnishings on the legs and foreface are plentiful as opposed to profuse and should be tidy. They are crisp in texture. The legs should appear cylindrical. The face is traditionally trimmed, with the hair left longer over the eyes to give the head a rectangular appearance from all angles, with the eyes covered from above. From the front, the eyes are quite apparent, giving the Lakeland his own unique mischievous expression. Color: The Lakeland Terrier comes in a variety of colors, all of which are equally acceptable. Solid colors include blue, black, liver, red, and wheaten. In saddle marked dogs, the saddle covers the back of the neck, back, sides and up the tail. A saddle may be blue, black, liver, or varying shades of grizzle. The remainder of the dog (head, throat, shoulders, and legs) is a wheaten or golden tan. Grizzle is a blend of red or wheaten intermixed in varying proportions with black, blue or liver.

Page 3 of 3

Gait: Movement is straightforward and free, with good reach in front and drive behind. It should be smooth, efficient and ground-covering. Coming and going, the legs should be straight with feet turning neither in nor out; elbows close to the sides in front and hocks straight behind. As the dog moves faster he will tend to converge toward his center of gravity. This should not be confused with close movement. Temperament: The typical Lakeland Terrier is bold, gay and friendly, with a confident, cock- of-the-walk attitude. Shyness, especially shy-sharpness, in the mature specimen is to be heavily penalized. Conversely, the overly aggressive, argumentative dog is not typical and should be strongly discouraged. Disqualifications: Teeth overshot or undershot.

Approved January 15, 1991 Effective February 27, 1991

JUDGING THE LAKELAND TERRIER

By Patricia Rock

T he Lakeland Terrier breed is one of the few terriers that still pro- duce individuals of con- formation and character to do the work the breed was developed to do. As the dogs enter the ring, look for the correct outline for the breed, Th e Lakeland has a long neck and in out- line a large head compared to its overall body size (the Lakeland ideal height is not as tall as the Welsh or the Wire but the strength of the head and jaws is every bit as formidable). Look for a ground- covering stride. E ffi cient running gear is critical to the breed’s purpose. Lakelands were developed to traverse rugged terrain on the way to the hills where they hunt- ed the fox, and they had to make it back home under their own power as well. A mincing, short strided gait is not cor- rect, nor are legs too short for the body. “Terrier front” does not mean “straight shouldered front”! Flexibility in the shoulder is paramount in an earthwork- ing terrier. If every judge of the breeds with a history of working to ground had actually observed terriers at work there would not be so many poorly contructed shoulder assemblies among the ranks of show winners. After you have seen the dogs on the move and assessed outline and sidegait, you will go down the line to look at head and expression. Key points to look for are: Full Muzzle Lakelands should have a broad nose bridge and a noticeably large nose, indi- cating large teeth in powerful jaws. Muzzle should not exceed the length of the skull. Moderately Broad Flat Skull Th e Lakeland does not have a nar- row skull. Th e cheeks should ideally be fl at without noticeable indentation as

the backskull meets the muzzle. Planes are parallel, but there may be noticeably heavier browbone. Do not mistake this heavier bone above the orbit for a down- faced conformation. Small, V4Shaped Ears Folding just above the level of the skull, the inner edge close to the side of the head complement the strength of the head. Th e dog should be able to use the ears and have complete control of them; they shouldn’t fold and then just hang there. Th is is not a breed that must have the ears glued during teething or otherwise “set” (read that surgically altered.) Correct ear leather is of medi- um thickness (not as thick as the Welsh and thicker than the Wire Fox).Eyes are set squarely in the skull, not tilted, not close together, and the dog should look straight at you. Th e expression is not beady eyed or “varminty,” but may vary from intense and determined to amused. Also while you are going down the line you can look at the entries for the characteristic narrow front, and fl at muscle. Lakelands do not have the spring of rib of some other terrier breeds; any opening that will admit a properly con- structed Lakeland head, should be large enough for the dog to squeeze its whole body through (requiring that fl exible shoulder assembly referred to above). On the table you will assess coat qual- ity. Th e coat is double, but the undercoat is removed from the body so the “jacket” will lie close and tight. Undercoat should still be apparent in the furnishings. Th ere is no requirement that the jacket be very short. A rolled coat (multiple layers of hair of di ff ering lengths) should be just as acceptable. Th e key to a proper Lake- land coat is the ability of the dog to work outdoors all day in a drizzling rain and the skin never gets wet. Because of the way the dogs today are groomed and the outcrosses that were made 75-100 years

ago to get more leg and face hair real working-type coats are no longer seen in the ring. All allowed colors are equally acceptable. Blue coats are particularly tricky as they often are perceived from a distance as being soft, and the entry is discounted as being out of coat. Th e band of color on Lakeland guard hairs is the narrowest of the long-legged wire coated terriers. It is much more di ffi cult to prepare a coat that is even in color than in some of the other breeds, hence the widespread use of colored chalk. Th e furnishings on a saddle marked or red or wheaten Lakeland should be the color of wheat. An occasional red will have deep- er toned furnishings especially when the leg hair is short (that banded characteris- tic—when short only the deeper colored tips of the hair shafts will be visible). Deep mahoghany is de fi nitely not typi- cal for a Lakeland. And day-glo orange is NOT a color mentioned in the standard! Lakeland Terrier temperament should above all be alive to the surroundings, and con fi dent, but not quarrelsome. Th ere are plenty of other attributes to a correct dog, and dog people enjoy argu- ing at length about topics like whether an incorrect shaped foot is more important than moving close, or how much “shelf” to the pelvic structure is enough. As they say, di ff erence of opinion is what makes horse racing interesting. But please remember — all-of-a-piece heads with full muzzles end- ing in a noticeably large nose; moderately broad backskulls; long necks and fl exible shoulder assemblies; fl at muscled forequar- ters without pronounced ribspring behind them; eyes that look squarely at you; mobile ears folding just above the level of the fl at skull; ground covering gait—when these characteristics are allowed to disap- pear from the show ring, you’ve seen your last Lakeland Terrier. Originally published in “Lakeland Terrier Champions” 2007<2011, Camino Books, Inc. Incline Village NV

4 )08 4 *()5 . "(";*/& / 07&.#&3 t

LAKELAND TERRIER COLORS

BY PAT ROCK

L akeland Terriers come in more colors than any other Terrier breed; ten of them! Solid color black, blue, liver, red, and wheaten. Saddle- marked black and tan, blue and tan, liver and tan, black grizzle and tan, and red grizzle (born black and tan, but at maturity the black has receded so much as to be barely or not at all present). Each color is supposed to be valued equally according to the Standard, but like the song says, “Here in the real world…” Some of the colors are much harder to groom for the ring than others, and with blacks it is much harder to assess facial expression. Decades ago, I was attempting to finish the first black

152 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JULY 2022

LAKELAND TERRIER COLORS

LAKELANDS HAVE THE NARROWEST BAND OF COLOR OF ANY OF THE WIRE-COATED, LONG-LEGGED TERRIER BREEDS.

bitch ever in this country. Majors, like now, were scarce as hen’s teeth. With the bitch in top condition, I was hoping for the best when, whaddaya know, the lights went out in the show building and I thought, “No way.” But it was amazing. The handler was wearing a light pink suit, the other (saddle-marked grizzle and tan) dogs might have been wearing camouflage, and that black Lakeland was beauti- fully silhouetted in the gloom. The judge was a retired handler who was very knowledgeable in the breed, and the Lakeland finished that day. It can also be difficult to win with liver and tan Lakelands, especially when they mature to a significant level of grizzle (the progressive infiltration of the saddle with tan hairs). They can then look very similar to red grizzle individuals, but they have a brown nose and eye rims, and generally gold or amber eye color instead of brown, which is quite correct for a liver or liver and tan. No treatise on Lakeland color would be complete without mention of the banded nature of the hair. All the wire-coated Terriers have pale gray hair roots. (This is the reason that clippered dogs of these breeds generally become progres- sively lighter in color.) Lakelands have the narrowest band of color of any of the

wire-coated, long-legged Terrier breeds. This makes their coat more challenging to present for show if you attempt to roll the coat. There is a tendency for it to “open up” and reveal the lighter roots (hence the custom of grooming for the ring with colored chalk). The furnishings can particularly become quite “moth eaten” in appearance without the metic- ulous staging of the hair so that there is absolute

154 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JULY 2022

LAKELAND TERRIER COLORS

going to be chalked black. The dilute blue coat often (but not always) has texture better described as crisp rather than wiry, and with the banded nature of the leg furnishing hairs, achieving even color in a solid blue requires meticulous plucking—hair by hair. A properly put-down blue or blue and tan is a work of art! My closing thought is, “Doesn’t my breed at least deserve its own color chalk?” The Lakeland Standard calls for “wheaten or golden tan” head, throat, shoulders, and legs on saddle-marked individuals. Nowhere is there a mention of “Day-Glo” orange. Thankfully, fewer “Cheeto” -colored Lakelands are seen in the ring these days. It bears repeating: All allowed colors are equally acceptable. Nowhere in the Standard does it say “the best-groomed dog should win.” Conformation shows are intended to be just that: comparison of breeding stock to the written “standard of perfection.” Rarely are you going to see an entry in the classes where the individuals are so identical in conformation that perfection of grooming needs to be considered. All allowed colors are equally acceptable.

gradation of the length of the hair, producing even color- ation. Again, encouraging the use of the colored chalk. This is against AKC rules, but sadly, I attended a seminar put on by AKC where one of the presenters brought in an Airedale that had been colored on one side only to show the judges the difference. The AKC representative, when questioned about the no color rule, said, “It’s your ring, you can allow what you want.” Blue and tan saddle-marked Lakelands are rarely seen. There are a few, but in the ring their saddle is most likely

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pat Rock of Providence Forge, Virginia, breeds and shows AKC Lakeland Terriers. She is a member in good standing with the United States Lakeland Terrier Club and the American Working Terrier Association, and is an American Kennel Club licensed judge for Earthdog Tests. Pat has been recognized as a Breeder of Merit Platinum in the American Kennel Club’s Breeder of Merit Program for Lakeland Terriers. Pat has had a passion for genetics and animal breeding since she was a child. (How many other kids did their school science project on coat color genetics in puppies?) Growing up with Pointers and Setters, and always at least one Terrier that her dad kept as a squirrel dog, she bred her first litter in 1961, studying the performance records of potential stud dogs through the pages of The American Field weekly, and shipping that first English Setter bitch in a rented crate on a train via Railway Express to be bred.

Getting involved with conformation showing was the fault of her husband. While they were still teens, he took her to her first dog show, knowing that she loved dogs and because it was a cheap date. After they were married and his job had them moving frequently, it just wasn’t possible to breed anything the size of Pointers. So, she turned to the Lakeland Terrier, having fallen in love with the look of them at that first dog show. Twenty twenty-one marks her 50th year showing Lakelands. Pat has bred over 100 show champions, five MACH Lakelands (one of them attaining MACH5), and a high percentage of all AKC Earthdog titles earned by Lakelands are Hollybriar owned or bred. Pat has been a member of the United States Lakeland Terrier Club since the early 1970s, has served terms on the Board, including President, has chaired the Health Committee, brought about the club’s first Breed Health Survey, has written columns for the AKC Gazette for many decades, and was instrumental in the enrollment of the breed in the UCDavis Canine Genetic Diversity Project, an ongoing endeavor to preserve as much genetic diversity in the gene pool as possible for the preservation of the breed into the future. Pat is active in Judge’s Education, has chaired the first and second Lakiepalooza events, and is looking forward to continuing to be active in promoting the breed she loves so much.

156 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JULY 2022

THE UNIQUE LAKELAND TERRIER HEAD, EARS & EXPRESSION

BY PAT ROCK

E veryone has heard the old saw that if you viewed dogs with just their heads hanging over a fence you should be able to recognize each breed, even if you couldn’t see the color or markings. Noth- ing could be more true about the long-legged Terrier breeds. Face it, given how low entries are in Lakelands, and how rare the oppor- tunities are for attendance at breed-specific seminars or ringside mentoring, precious few newly approved judges have had the opportunity to get up close and personal with more than a handful of Lakelands. Studying profile pictures and a few heavily campaigned specials can’t provide the compari- sons for this breed that may be obtained by attending a single (for example) specialty for Golden Retrievers. The Lakeland Terrier headpiece is unique. Of course, not every indi- vidual shown or finished will possess the ideal head, ears, and expression. There is the whole dog to consider. Achieving a Lakeland that approaches the ideal does not occur merely by “breeding the best to the best.” The earth-working Terriers definitely illustrate the principle of “form follows function.” You must breed an animal with big jaws, small size, max- imum substance, maximum flexibility—can you visualize the difficulty of achieving these opposing characteristics? These are not characteristics that can be fixed in a gene pool, but must be perpetually selected for. A short back (meaning short loin, good length of ribcage), besides being aesthetically pleasing, is another form-follows-function trait—stamina. A long, reachy neck, arched well into head, does not naturally accom- pany a short back and must always be selected for in every generation.

Great view of big nose. but due to angle of head the ears aren’t showing well.

Good example of variation possible between dog and bitch, and acceptable differences in level of fold of ears. Lakelands do not need to be “cookie cutter” in appearance, but if the population drifts too far in one direction or the other in regard to any trait, judges need to make note and reward the ideal before the extreme becomes the norm.

Correct Head, Ears, Expression

158 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JULY 2022

THE UNIQUE LAKELAND TERRIER HEAD, EARS & EXPRESSION

Form-follows-function: flexibility underground. Flexibil- ity in the shoulder assembly is paramount, both for jump- ing (underground ledges in the lair of the fox) and navigat- ing narrow spaces. The Terrier that can get a throat-hold takes much less punishment from the fox than biting at the head. It is possible to study side-on pictures and side gait to get a fair idea of these aspects of conformation. If you real- ly want to understand Lakeland breed type, though, you must spend time looking at them face-on. The number one characteristic: a big nose. A large nose indicates large teeth and jaws. You want maximum biting power, but they don’t have an opportunity to bite the quarry if their skull is too big to fit in the fox’s den. Therefore, the correct Lakeland skull will have flat cheeks, and the skull is about as long as the muzzle. The muzzle should never exceed the length of the backskull. Muscles obey the laws of physics; the farther they are stretched between origin and insertion the weaker their power will be unless they are bulked up, which in this case defeats the purpose of getting into tight spaces. The backskull should be square; width the same as length from stop to occiput. Skull should be flat on top, with good fill for attachment of muscles. Properly placed ears accentuate the powerful headpiece. They should be triangular, fold just above the level of the skull, the inner edge held close to the skull, with the tip not extending below the corner of the eye. As long as the ear canal is typi- cally covered, ear size and placement will serve the work- ing Terrier just as well if there is even some variation. The combination of eyes that look straight ahead and are less “varminty” than some other Terrier breeds, set in the strong headpiece with flat skull and big nose, and those correctly placed (and mobile) ears make the unique and endearing face of a Lakeland.

Very good head, ears, expression, with big nose.

160 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, JULY 2022

THE LAKELAND TERRIER By Pat Rock

I t’s not just form that follows function in an animal; char- acter, too, is shaped in the crucible that forms a working or sporting breed of dog. Th e Lakeland Terrier is much more than one of an array of long-legged wire coated terrier breeds exhibited in the Ter- rier Group at shows around the globe. Th e fascination for those of us devoted to the breed is much more about what is going on in his devious mind than about his smart good looks. Consideration of the breed’s history and development explains their make and shape but also illumi- nates the virtues and foibles of Lakeland Terrier personality. Lake District farmers raised sheep. Foxes came down from the hills sur- rounding the farmland preying on the spring lambs to feed their kits. Out of sheer economic necessity groups of farm- ers sought to control the fox population. Doing so entailed long treks on foot for dog and man up into the mountainous terrain where the foxes had their dens. Hounds were used to follow the trail, but terriers were required to extract or kill the fox. A terrier up on leg was neces- sary because the foxes sought out ledges

carried in saddle bags and used to merely bolt the fox so the hounds could have another run. More often than not the ter- rier had to kill the fox underground. Fox- es in the fells might weigh upwards of 20 pounds; killing one unaided was quite a feat. At the end of the day the terriers had Kimberton All-Terrier Agility Trial Report Dazzle earned 3 Masters JWW legs with 2 +(' )%+ ' ,"#* )% +,* +,'*%!+(,"4*+,)%'%!,(/*+ her TimeM2MBeatM3 title with 8 points. She earned (-%+'4'#+""*+,*,'* Bronze title. Cooper earned 1 Q in Excellent ,'*/#,"4*+,)%*# 4'*'"#+ (.#,#,%'/+*,#* *(&!#%#,0

and crevasses. Th e form of a successful terrier had to balance a fine line between being narrow enough to enter the rocky dens and possessing jaws and body of su ffi cient strength to engage the fox. For Lake District farmers this was not sport but pest control. Th ese were not dogs Lakelands competing in the Kimberton, PA All Terrier Agility the week preceding Montgomery 2013. (Left to Right) Bonnie Murphy & Murphy’s *0 4'(*2*# 4'3 #%%-*)"0(%%0*#* 11% 11% 2 11%3 ,,# &)%% (%%0*#* *&+#% 2#$#3*0#'* /#,"(%%0*#* *0 '*2 *03 (%%0*#* %% #* 2 (()*3

t4 )08 4 *()5 . "(";*/& / 07&.#&3

to travel miles back home. It has been said that the real test of the terriers was the trip back down out of the mountains in the miserable weather typical of the area. During the development of the breed there was only one overriding principle: get ’er done! It mattered little what the dogs looked like or what color they were. Any dog that was sought for breeding had the following characteristics (in no particular order): 1) stamina, 2) courage, 3) judgement, 4) strength, 5) flexibility, 6) weather resisting coat, 7) tenacity and 8) addiction to adrenaline. Stamina was important all the way around. A successful working terrier in the fells had to be structurally sound to endure the distance travelled in a day’s hunt. On top of that, while engaged with quarry underground a dog had to be able to withstand punishment and yet keep fighting. Th e courage of terriers is legend- ary. No Marquess of Queensberry rules for these combatants! I have hunted with bird dogs and spaniels and rabbit dogs since I was a child. I have been awed by the intensity of their drive to find game, but earthworking terriers are light years more intense and determined. Th e ancestors of the Lakeland Terrier however would not be characterized as “courageous to a fault.” Th e overly bold would end up dead; therefore in no posi- tion to contribute to the gene pool. Judg- ment is one of the traits that contributes to the character of the Lakeland. Th ey are well able to assess the mettle of their oppo- nent and the limitations of the space they

are working in in order to avoid damage and seek an advantage. Properly raised in the company of other dogs a Lakeland can learn to “go along to get along.” Th e terri- ers were not hunted in packs, but they did accompany a pack of hounds and might reasonably be expected to tolerate anoth- er terrier or a few when the farmers got together to hunt the fox. Breeding for strength was a balanc- ing act; obviously bigger dogs would be stronger. But the size of the fox’s earth determined the maximum size of the ter- rier; the average diameter of a fox den in the Lake District is 6 inches. Flexibility was called for as well, and these two vir- tues did more to shape the form of the Lakeland Terrier than any others. Th e jaws needed to be as large and punish- ing as possible, which meant that they could not be over long, and the back skull could not be too narrow. To achieve flex- ibility the neck needed to be fairly long, and the shoulders not bulky. Th e shoulder assembly needed to be strong and sinewy, for at times it might be possible to draw the quarry from the earth to be then dis- patched by the hunters. Th e ribs needed to be well-sprung for heart and lung room, but decidedly more oval than round, once again to get the biggest possible dog in the small, narrow dens. Herein lies the key to breed type: the biggest, strongest, most flexible dog still small enough to seek the fox in his den. A weather-resisting coat was abso- lutely necessary due to the long day and long distance covered by the hunts.

A 15-17 pound terrier doesn’t have a lot of body mass. Cold rain will lead to hypothermia if the rain penetrates the coat. For this reason Lakelands have con- siderably more undercoat than many of the other terriers. Th e undercoat acts as a thermal blanket so the dog’s body heat can be maintained in a layer around the dog, provided there is a tight wiry jacket which allows the rain to run o ff . Tenacity is another character trait absolutely essential in a working terrier. It might take hours to dig down to a terrier that has cornered a varmint. In the case of the Fells, the rock might prevent digging and the dog was on his own. Th e follow- ing is quoted from Th e Lakeland Terrier by Sean Frain: “It was during the 1930s …in rather dramatic circumstances. Tommy Rob- insons was hunting his pack of Lunes- dale Foxhounds in the Bishopdale area and they ran a fox to ground at a bad spot, a large rock earth that was rather a stronghold for foxes. Breay entered two of his bitches into the earth and, after killing their fox, they became trapped to ground. Digging com- menced and, after a long grueling ses- sion on the exposed fells, one of the bitches, Barker, was reached and got out safely, but it looked bad for the other terrier, so bad, in fact that after a few days, Cyril had given up any hope of reaching her. It was then that Wal- ter Parkin turned up at the scene and told Breay that he knew a chap who might be able to help. Cyril agreed that

4 )08 4 *()5 . "(";*/& / 07&.#&3 t

this chap could come and see what he could do, but still had no hope of see- ing his game bitch again. The weather had turned very nasty by this time and snow blizzards plagued the dig- gers, chilling them to the bone and dampening morale until gloom and pessimism reigned. Things looked bleak indeed. “ Th e outgoing and cheerful Frank Buck soon turned up, along with a few quarrymen, lightening the tense atmo- sphere and creating a more optimistic one, with Buck immediately com- mencing operations , setting explosives in certain places and blasting the hard rock until, finally, and after several days, the terrier bitch was freed from what was about to become her grave. She had endured unbelievably freezing and di ffi cult conditions, but was nev- ertheless in relatively good shape. Buck was impressed, Th is was known as a bad earth and the bitch had worked wonderfully well and had survived conditions that would see o ff less hardy earthdogs. Breay o ff ered Frank money for h is e ff orts, but he refused, asking for a puppy out of the bitch instead.” If Lakelands were humans, they would be into sky diving, mountain climbing, car racing—the typical pursuits of adrena- line junkies. Th eir nervous systems are hair trigger, their flight-or-fight response lightning fast. Th ey have a combination of finely honed survival skills, and the ability and willingness to disregard danger. What does all this history mean to the modern Lakeland fancier? Th e early fanciers organized Th e Lakeland Terrier Association in England in 1921. Th e first Lakeland Terrier exhibited was at an agri- cultural show in 1928. Of note is that dogs were o ff ered through the LTA a challenge cup for any dog earning a working certifi- cate with one of the fell packs. Th is indi- cates that work was of paramount impor- tance to breeders. It is very helpful in a breed to examine the evolution of the breed standards. While size has not changed appreciably over the years (thankfully), the early breeders made clear their inten- tion of keeping the dogs of a size to do the work they were developed for. Height was

not to exceed 15 inches, and dogs were to weigh 17 pounds or less, bitches 16 pounds or less. Th e Lakeland was recognized by AKC in 1934. While the numbers have remained small, the quality is remarkable. And the personality that is typical of this breed that underwent such selective forces is intriguing, exasperating, admirable, puzzling and frustrating all in turn. Noted terrier trainer Pat Muller says, “ Th e best things about a breed are also the worst things.” So very true of Lakelands. Th ey are wicked smart, but may use their intelligence for nefarious purposes, espe- cially when bored or frustrated. A large dose of obsessive-compulsive genes are invariably present (for the ability to con- tinue a behavior for hours if necessary, a requirement for earthwork). Absent a job to do, Lakelands may amuse them- selves with compulsive behaviors that are self-rewarding. Such behaviors are simi- lar in origin to head-banging toddlers in cribs—they figure out that the repetitive behavior releases endorphins (feel-good brain chemicals). Favorite games might be stainless-steel pan hockey (skittering the pan along concrete especially—the sound can be heard for half a mile) or pulling vines o ff of fences, or licking fence posts or toys, or biting the spray from the garden hose. One of the most endearing traits of the breed is their optimism; they think the world is wonderful and every day brings new thrills. Th is trait makes them wonderful hunting dogs and Agil- ity competitors and show dogs. But the flip side of the coin is that, for example, turning over the trash can is instantly rewarding (all those smells and textures!) so that any expressed disapproval on your part just can’t trump the adrenaline rush from the naughty behavior. Th e pup with the potential to grow up to be a top Agility contender or top ranked showdog is the same pup that in the wrong hands might end up surren- dered to a shelter for behavioral prob- lems. Actually there was a BIS winning top ranked Lakeland back in the 80s that had not once but twice been given to a shelter before she was adopted by a show fancier!

Photo courtesy of Juanda Anderson.

Photo courtesy of Sue Thurlow.

4 )08 4 *()5 . "(";*/& / 07&.#&3 t

WWW.SHOWSIGHTMAGAZINE.COM

Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18

showsightmagazine.com