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
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