# Patterdales as pets?? Anyone got one?



## CazD (24 March 2012)

Tell me everything about Patterdales.  I'm looking for a companion for our cairn terrier and the local dog rescue has a Patterdale or it may be a patterdale X.  Its a stray and they have no info on it apart from it seems friendly and isnt snappy.  They dont think it has been a working dog - its about 4 years old.  Do Patterdales make good pets - I've tried googling them but get conflicting information.  I've kept cairns for 25 years so have reasonable terrier experience although cairns are remarkably easy LOl.


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## Devonshire dumpling (24 March 2012)

Nope lol!  Have had one for 17 years, perfect temperment.... VERY VERY hard dogs, will kill anything that moves, perfect with other dog and kids, but would i trust it with the little furries, then NO!

Very very difficult to train, they basically stick the V's up to you, I would never have another.

Know plenty of patterdales and all same as ours, lovely dogs, but hard!  They are often used by the hunts.


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## CazD (24 March 2012)

Devonshire dumpling said:



			perfect temperment.... VERY VERY hard dogs, will kill anything that moves, perfect with other dog and kids, but would i trust it with the little furries, then NO!

Very very difficult to train, .
		
Click to expand...

Thank you.  This was what the first website I found said.  The second website contradicted every word.  My current rescue cairn is a bit like this so maybe a second dog the same wouldnt be a good idea.


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## SplashofSoy (24 March 2012)

Difficult to train and seem to be popular and over bred so most not very well bred so temprements can be quite dodgy. Love my working terriers, have a lakeland, but patterdales/black fells would be last on that list.


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## SplashofSoy (24 March 2012)

Although there are always exceptions so its worth having a look as at 4 its personality should be established pretty well for you to judge.


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## winterhorses2 (24 March 2012)

Well my Patterdale bitch is a saint and does as she is told, my PatterdalexLakeland bitch forget it lol, she a law unto herself.


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## spike123 (24 March 2012)

we have one that started as a yard dog and very rapidly became a pet. He is perhaps an exception to the rule. As a pup there is no way anyone would have wanted to take him home as he had so much energy and was quite wayward but as he matured he became a lovely dog. He is obedient,still has a fair bit of energy and walks for miles each day,spends all day on the yard and then goes to a home at night. He hates the cold and wet though and will sulk. He much prefers being an indoor dog. His only bad trait is that he barks and nips at strangers coming onto the yard,although I guess that isn't such a bad thing


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## springtime13 (24 March 2012)

We've got a patterdale. He was a stray when we got him, had been running free on the streets of Barnsley and had gone through 4 homes. He was only a year old at the time. He was really hard work, with common patterdale issues. Growling/ snapping if he didn't want to be told "no", super high prey drive - so cats etc are not safe around him, recall issues. He is now much better but I wouldn't have another one. A local game keeper, who works terriers and lurchers got it spot on when he told me they get you into trouble. Our boy is a smooth coated one, and many say they are more challenging than the rough coats. IMO, they are better when they have a job to do and many will never be happy sitting on the sofa most of the day.


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## springtime13 (24 March 2012)

This website is a good resource for anyone considering a patterdale. 

http://www.patterdaleterrierrescue.co.uk/


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## Devonshire dumpling (24 March 2012)

Yes forgot to add I have a smooth one ... he also loves the heat, very fine skinned, think TB horse! X


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## YasandCrystal (24 March 2012)

Very difficult to train. Mine is now 3 years old and his brain has only ust engaged, but his ears don't always. He is very loving and loyal to the family but a complete yob with strange dogs (he was castrated young too!!). We had a rough coated bitch previously and I must say she was much much easier.

I love him to bits but would I have another - NO! A gamekeeper told me that they were originally bred to hunt badgers - so no wonder how feisty they are. Like JRs on speed!

Here is our feisty boy


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## springtime13 (24 March 2012)

devonshire dumpling - yes we often think our ours as TB coated. He hates the rain and the cold and has a coat for winter nights (even though he lives indoors and sleeps in the spare bedroom). Being cold makes him extra grumpy  I forgot to add, it's the barking that is driving us mad at the moment. He barks if anyone walks past the house, beeps their horn, if there is a cat in any of the neighbours garden. A couple of nights ago, he took a hedgehog on at 11 O'clock at night. That needed a lot of barking. We have the patterdale terrier book by Sean Frain. It really helped us to understand our boy, a great resource for anyone interested in the breed. IMO, if you understand that they were bred to go down fox holes in terrain where it was often too rocky to dig out the fox, and then dispatch the fox, you can understand why they are so tenacious and independent.


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## springtime13 (24 March 2012)

yasandcrystal, we should form a patterdale terrier support group! Your boy, looks so like ours (similar serial killer stare) and seems almost as naughty


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## Hairy Old Cob (24 March 2012)

The Patterdale Ratterdale is only a sub type of the Working Strain Lakeland Fell Terrier, but I would personally have a Black and Tan Lakeland everytime Having kept and Worked Lakelands for 26 years althogh they are benefit dependant as they are not allowed to work


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## pony11 (24 March 2012)

hi i got one absolute nightmare would not have another very affectionate but can turn like a light switch the prey instinct is very strong and she will run after anything fast moving and will not back down when challenged by another dog. However a police dog handler suggested to take her for agility lessons as even tho she was exercised out hacking the same time as the horses mental stimulation was needed. Her behaviour is now much better and we have won agility rossettes !! I find the trick is to catch her eye at the same time she spots a jogger, cyclist etc if i do that she is under control.


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## Devonshire dumpling (24 March 2012)

Lol we call ours the little black B%"£$"££.. he answers to that... sums him up.  

This is my 17 yr old, as you can see we couldn't get him to walk to heal and still has to wear a halti as still pulls like a train!  note the dirty feet from digging mole hills!






And doing what he does best, curled up warm and snoozing!






And playing with a young dog!


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## jrp204 (25 March 2012)

We had a patt x Lakeland, he was the most loveable,sweet dog in the house. Outside he was a total nightmare would try to kill anything,if you let him off the lead he would be gone, after rabbits anything, he disappeared one day and got into a pheasant release pen and killed 100. He went through the electric fence too. Before I get shot down he was on our own farm. My daughters boyfriend bought him for her when she was at uni, totally inappropriate. We said we wouldn't have him so she rehomed him to a working home. Phew!


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## threeponies (25 March 2012)

We have an almost 2 year old rough coated Patterdale bitch, she is reasonably well-behaved, has a good recall but sometimes needs a whistle to break her concentration and is overall a great wee dog.  She is safe with our cats, but will chase cats outside.  We have done some agility with her and next to try is flyball, she is a very active dog and is a nightmare in the house if she isn't walked for a good hour every day!


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## CalllyH (26 March 2012)

Oh my Lordy he's so cute I love the way they describe him as 'special needs.' http://rescueremedies.myfastforum.org/Micky_JRT_small_DOB_08_Maidstone_pound_about4172.html

Slightly off topic but he's on the patter dale rescue site


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## Dobiegirl (26 March 2012)

Poor little guy, what a terrible life he must have had before being rescued, hope he dosnt have to wait too long for that special home.


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