Tuffie at one year of age. 13 pounds.

I've never heard of these dogs. Why?
Patterdales fall into that category of dogs which exists outside the bright lights of the show ring set. Many such breeds exist. Alaskan huskies, racing greyhounds, McNab sheepdogs, red setters - all breeds which have a staunch support from those who use them for the purpose for which they were bred. True working dogs - not "working dogs" which have not been drawn into the certain destruction of the show ring. You won't find a Patterdale on the dog breed chart up on your veterinarian's wall; you'll need a very complete dog book to even find reference to him within its pages. The Patterdale is what the Jack Russell terrier was ten years ago before it was sadly swallowed up by the registration greedy American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club. True JRT fanciers resisted - and still refuse to - register or show their dogs, and many true working Jacks remain. Like all breeds which are ensnared in the foul net of "dog shows", the Jack Russell is now being divided into splinter breeds, some called "Parson's", some called "Russell", and all kinds of foolishness. Why? Because some people want to breed malformed (short, dwarfed) dogs and call them JRTs, and some still try and breed dogs worthy to follow Reverend John Russell over the hills in search of fox.

Tuffie emerging from a rabbit warren. Here she is shaking dirk from her coat.

Where do they come from and why were they developed?
Patterdale terriers are often called "Fell" terriers. Fell is the word for the steep, rocky hills of England. Many terrier breeds developed among the rocks and cranies of these various fells and mountains, and all have gone the way of the show ring with the exception of the little Patterdale. Terriers are ancient, and have always been an indispensable part of rural living. Rats and mice can be a real menace to health as well as causing severe property damage with their urine, feces and teeth. Larger "varmints" such as fox and weasels can do harm, even to this day, to any landowner's stock. Terriers are dogs which retain their "jobs" even to this day, unlike so many breeds. While relocation of animals such as fox or coon is preferable, use of dogs to control pest wildlife is far superior to the use of traps or poisons.

A "true" working terrier is "hand spannable", meaning that a man can touch fingers when grasping a full grown terrier around the girth (behind the front elbows). This is because terriers must be small enough to follow a varmint down its rocky hole. Large terriers are at a distinct disadvantage. There coat is tough, either very harsh and wiry or short and hard. Unlike show breeds, the coat of a working terrier never requires clipping or stripping.

My buddies! Colin the Patterdale and Spike the Jack Russell, both rescue
dogs turned into shelters for being terriers. Both here about one year old.

Do they make good pets?
Some do, some don't. The question most Patterdale fanciers will ask is this: why do you want a working terrier? Why not get one of the dozen or more terrier breeds already turned into pet material by the show ring? The question is closely related to the issue of pit bull owners wanting "game-bred" dogs but having no desire to work them. Many people feel that performance bred dogs are somehow better than show bred dogs, and with this agreement I have no quarrel. However, one man's "better" can be another man's "too much". A working border collie, like some "game-bred" pit bulls and working terriers, are amazing animals worthy of respect and awe when their working drive is channeled into appropriate avenues. But how happy are these dogs in "pet homes" where there is no job? They are miserable. The dog owner who feels they must have a "high caliber" dog and yet provides no substantial work for it to do is selfish, and will end up with a frustrated and unhappy dog. Many of the dogs turned into shelters arrive just because of this reason.

Like any breed, Patterdales come in a variety of personalities. In general they are intelligent, loyal yet not sappy, not prone to unswerving obedience, alarm barkers, and not good with small animals. When selecting a rescue dog it is often possible to match a dog to your specific needs if they are reasonable.

Colin, a wonderful rescue patterdale of the "Nuttall" line. He came from a breeder in
Arizona and was turned in to an animal control by his owner for "barking and digging".

Are they a purebred?
Like any true working breed, performance - not appearance - is the standard to which the dogs are bred. There is a little black dog from the Fells which was a originator of the breed, however, it would be unrealistic to refuse to acknowledge that Fell farmers did not breed in any good terrier they could find. Even to this day small amounts of Border terrier, Staffordshire bull and Jack Russell are added in to some bloodlines to improve some point or other. Those hunters who want to "draw" large game such as badgers, raccoons or foxes need Patterdales heavy in Staffie Bull blood. For those who want dogs which can go to ground and bolt or bay smaller prey such as rabbits or woodchucks need a smaller terrier. While there are "pure" strains of Patterdale, "dipping" into other breeds is still done as needed - and that is what keeps the Patterdale a true working dog. Contrary to popular opinion, Patterdales are NOT little pit bulls. Pit bulls are bulldogs, Patterdales are terriers. There is a WORLD of difference in how they tick.

Like most true performance dogs, Patterdales can have a small amount of other
working dogs blended in. The three breeds most often used in outcrosses are
the Border terrier, Staffordshire bull terrier, and Jack Russell terrier.

Some extra cute shots of my Patterdale bitch pup, Tuff.

(L) Tuff in a practice tunnel as a baby, and (R), Tuff in a tunnel as an adult.