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- Patterdale Terrier
- TallulahM's review
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Picture courtesy of Annette Ax.
| Value for Money | 9.2/10  |
|---|---|
| Reviewer Rating | 9.2/10 |
| Overall Rating | 8.7/10  |
By TallulahM on 23rd Jun 2008
| Value for money | 10/10 |
|---|---|
| Overall value | 10/10 |
 TallulahM's recommendation | |
Extremely bright and intelligent with a strong desire to please their human owners. Patterdales respond so well to training but can run amock if left untrained or disobedient behaviour is left unchecked.
They are very strong willed little dogs and need a firm master, if the right training is given they are the most loyal and rewarding pets. They are small and compact, resilient to illness and disease (My 11 year old Patterdale has only ever been to the vet for check ups!), they don't moult much at all, and the smooth coated Patterdale barely retains any scent that is discernible to the human nose, no doggie smells in a Patterdale house!
They are like eternal puppies and never lose their sense of fun, always up for some playtime, they enjoy any interactive games and have endless amounts of energy, they will fetch a ball for hours!
They are fine with children and cats if raised with them. When living with children it is important that the children too establish dominance and know when to say NO and deliver a firm tap on the nose, Patterdales WILL take advantage of or try to dominate small children if allowed... on the upside, your patterdale will sit beneath babie's high chair and hoover up any spillage!
They are primarily working dogs, and for this purpose are second to none. Their instinct is strong, their sense unbeatable and they are the most tenacious and courageous of all small working breeds.
If you are thinking of getting a Patterdale as a Pet, you should not underestimate their working ability. Patterdales have strong working instincts which are difficult, if not impossible, to surpress. That said, my eldest Patterdale lived in a flat and led an urban lifestyle for most of her life, Patterdales can and WILL adapt to urban environments provided they are kept active and well exercised. When walking in rural areas they WILL chase any small animals, and might even dissapear down rabbit or fox holes, it is therefore important to make sure your dog is well trained and responds to your commands before allowing them to roam in fields and parks, unless you are happy to wait around while they pursue their prey.
If you live in rural areas and don't want your Patterdale to roam off, then make sure your land/garden is properly fenced. My eldest Patterdale lived all her life in a city and never hunted, yet upon moving to the countryside at the age of 11 all her instincts had not left her, she often dissappears for hours on end after rabbits and foxes, as I said before, you just can't surpress that instinct. On the upside, these dogs have a lot of sense, and will always come home at dinner time.
They are very strong willed, to the point of being manipulative, do not underestimate their intelligence, if they can outsmart you they will, this is why a firm hand and a strict training regime when young is so important, without it they can be difficult to handle and unruly dogs.
My patterdales now live happily with chickens, geese and ducks, which all roam free range, though there were some casualties in the training process, even with young pups! You CAN train them to live with most animals, but their instinct is to hunt and kill small prey, poultry, rabbits, hamsters etc are all at their mercy and you should expect some fatalities before the dog gets the message, or keep your other animals contained.
If you work a full time job and expect to leave your patterdale at home alone all day, then you can expect trouble, especially in younger dogs. They need a lot of attention and interaction and a lot of exercise.
They are greedy dogs and will eat pretty much anything (and I mean ANYTHING), keep food locked away and watch out for toddlers with biscuits in hand!
As they are so loyal they can be somewhat territorial, they will bark at passerby and may react aggressively to a postman pushing parcels through the door, which they see as trespassing on their territory. Our postman was terrified of our Patterdales despite their small size, and even recognised him on the street when he was in plain clothes! This problem was easily remedied by using a mail box positioned just outside of our properties boundary, the postman now comes and goes in peace.
Due to their hunting instinct it is never advisable to walk your Patterdale near roads without a lead/leash, unless you are confident of your ability to control them following strict training, as they will bolt after a strange cat or other small animal.
Overall, Patterdales are a great family pet if the right training is given.
We have kept Patterdales for many years, with babie's, small children and all manner of other animals. They are lively and funny little dogs with bags of personality and lots of love to give, they are extremely loyal to their family.
They adapt well to most environments so long as they are given plenty of attention and exercise.
You can train them to do almost anything because they love to please.
We have introduced new dogs, cats and other animals to our household at all stages of our Patterdales lives, and whilst they take some getting used to new family members they can and do settle eventually.
I would not recommend a Patterdale to first time dog owners, or anyone who spends a lot of time away from home for all of the reasons given above. If you want a docile house dog, go for a Spaniel, and leave the Patterdales to someone willing to put in a bit more time.
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