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PATTERDALE TERRIER |
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Avid terrier
people in Yorkshire and the lake districts to this day breed strictly
working stock, often generally referred to as fell terriers. As is common
with working dogs, they show physical variation, since mating is based
only on working qualities and gameness. But one distinct type that emerged
is the Patterdale Terrier, named for a village in Cumbria.
These dogs are
particularly hard and tenacious. "Many [Foxhound] masters would not
thank you for attempting to bolt his [sic] fox with a hard bitten
Patterdale, for the dog is more likely to get hold and have a go, possibly
kill the fox rather than allow him to bolt. . ." thus
spoiling the hunt with the hounds. The fells of the north country, with
the protection afforded foxes in borrans, rock tips, mines and
scree, created the need for a hard terrier able to scramble over the terrain
and fearless enough to go to ground. The Patterdale filled—and still fills—that
need.
Dan Russell
of Shooting Times and Country Magazine relates the following story
of having run a fox to ground in a rough place: "Turning to his terrier,
Fury, Joe said 'Thee and me's bin good pals, but t'times come when we
mun part, for if tha gaas in here ah'll nivver see thee agen.' In went
Fury and soon there were sounds of a terrific battle underground. The
fox refused to bolt and after a while Fury came out, badly bitten from
ear to ear. The dog was sent to the nearest farm for treatment and tools
were sent for. At the end of three hours digging an entrance was made
into the borran and there, inside, were ah1 the signs of an
Homeric struggle and in the corner, piled on top of each other, were three
big foxes."
Further testament to the high
esteem in which Patterdales are held is evidenced in the following exchange
reported by Nigel Hinch-cliffe: "A Welshman once rang me and asked
to buy a black terrier, preferably one fully working. When asked what
kind of work, I was told (a bit of ratting on the allotments
and the occasional rabbiting in Pembrokeshire.' I declined him, advising
him to buy locally, for buying a 'black-un* for such work was like buying
a Rolls Royce in which to deliver milk." The first
Patterdales were brought to the USA in 1978. This dog is a laid-back
terrier, not as yappy as some, who enjoys "curling up by the heat
duct" in the house. Modern owners say he can be kenneled with two
or three other terriers, as long as he has enough work and hunting to
keep him exercised and content. If stale or bored, he may pick fights
with a kennel mate.
They are game
and tough when hunting, and hunters often take three or four dogs with
them on a jaunt. In the States, these dogs hunt "anything with
fur"—woodchuck (groundhog), fox, coon or even badger. An American
Patterdale, aptly named "Rocky," a flyweight at 13 pounds,
recently drew a 34-pound badger!
An owner says
his Patterdales are sensible dogs. When they first enter a burrow, they'll
bark and fuss, trying to incite the quarry to bolt. If the prey refuses
to budge, only then will the terrier go in for a hold.
The Patterdale has a bit thicker and cheekier head than many of our modern show terriers, suggesting a hint of the Bull Terrier. This may have been what they looked like originally, or this look might have come from a later cross.
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