Lakeland Terrier dog breed originated in the early nineteenth century in Cumberland, and was developed by the farmers, using a couple of hounds, as a working terrier to destroy the foxes found raiding the sheepfolds and was known and bred for the qualities of gameness, courage and endurance.
General Appearance: The Lakeland Terrier is a small, workmanlike dog of square, sturdy build and gay, friendly, self-confident demeanor. He stands on his toes as if ready to go, and he moves lithe and graceful, with a straight- ahead, free stride of good length. His head is rectangular in contour, ears V-shaped, and wiry coat finished off with fairly long furnishings on muzzle and legs.
Lakeland Terriers
Lakeland Terrier Temperament: The typical Lakeland Terrier is bold, gay and friendly with a self-confident cock-of-the-walk attitude. Shyness, especially shy-sharpness in the mature specimen, is to be heavily penalized.
Size: The ideal height of the mature Dog is 14-1/2 inches (37 cm) from the withers to the ground, with up to a 1/2 inch deviation permissible. Bitches may measure as much as 1 inch (3 cm) less than Dogs. The weight of the well-balanced, mature specimen in hard, show condition, averages approximately 17 lb. (8 kg), those of other heights proportionately more or less.
Size: is to be considered of lesser importance than other qualities; that is, when judging dogs of equal merit, the one nearest to the ideal size is to be preferred. Symmetry and proportion, however, are paramount in the appraisal since all qualities together must be considered in visualizing the ideal.
Coat and Colour: Two-ply or double, the outer is hard and wiry in texture, the undercoat soft. Furnishings on muzzle and legs are plentiful as opposed to profuse.
The colour may be blue, black, liver, black and tan, blue and tan, red, red grizzle, grizzle and tan, or wheaten. Tan, as desirable in the Lakeland Terrier, is light wheaten or straw colour, with rich-red or mahogany-tan to be penalized. Otherwise, Lakeland Terrier colors as specified are equally acceptable. Dark-saddled specimens (whether black grizzle or blue) are nearly solid black at birth with tan points on muzzle and feet. The black recedes and usually turns greyish or grizzle at maturity, while the tan also lightens.
Head: Well balanced, rectangular, the length of skull equalling the length of the muzzle when measured from occiput to stop and from stop to nose tip. The skull is flat on top and moderately broad, the cheeks almost straight-sided, and the stop barely perceptible. Muzzle is broad with straight nose bridge and good fill-in beneath the eyes. Nose is black, except that liver-coloured noses shall be permissible on liver-coated dogs. Mouth: jaws are powerful. The teeth, which are comparatively large, may meet in either a level, edge-to-edge bite, or slightly overlapping scissors bite. Specimens with teeth overshot or undershot are to be disqualified. Eyes moderately small and somewhat oval in outline, are set squarely in the skull, fairly wide apart, their normally dark colour may be a warm brown or black. The expression depends upon the dog’s mood of the moment. Although typically alert, it may be intense and determined, or gay and even impish. Ears are small, V-shaped, their fold just above the top of the skull, the inner edge close to the cheeks, and the flap pointed down.
Neck: Reachy and of good length, refined but strong, clean at the throat, slightly arched and widening gradually into the shoulders. The withers, that point at the back of the neck where neck and body meet, are noticeably higher than the level of the back.
Forequarters: Shoulder blades are sloping, that is, well laid back; their musculature lean and almost flat in outline. Upper and Lower Arm: forelegs are strongly boned, clean and absolutely straight as viewed from the front or side, devoid of appreciable bend at the pasterns. Feet are small, round, the toes compact and well padded, the nails strong. Dewclaws may be removed.
Body: In overall length-to-height proportion, the dog is approximately square. The back is short and level in topline. Chest moderately narrow, deep: it extends to elbows which are held close to the body. The ribs are well sprung and moderately round. Loins taut and short, although they may be a trifle longer in bitches than in dogs. Croup and Abdomen: quarters are strong, broad and muscular.
Hindquarters: Hip Bone and Upper Thigh: hind legs are strong and sturdy. Lower Thigh long and nicely angulated at the stifles and the hocks. Hocks are well let down, with the bone from hock to toes straight and parallel to each other. Feet small, round (as in forefeet), toes compact and well padded.
Tail: Set high on the body, the tail is customarily docked so that when the dog is set up in show position, the tip of the docked tail is on an approximate level with the skull. In carriage it is gay or upright, although a slight curve in the direction of the head is considered desirable. The tail curled over the back is faulty.
Gait: Movement, straight and free, with good length of stride. Paddling, moving close and toeing-in are faulty.
Faults: Shyness, shy-sharpness; soft outer coat, no undercoat; rich-red Lakeland Terriers or mahogany-tan colored; lack of balance between skull and muzzle; nose other than black (except in liver-coated dogs); weak jaws; very large or light eyes; poorly placed ears, too short neck, throatiness; steep shoulders, over muscled; weak bone in forelegs, down at pasterns, splay feet; roached or soft back, out at elbows, too wide in front; lack of angulation in hindquarters, cow-hocks, feet turning in; low tail-set, tail curled over back: paddling, moving close, toeing-inches
Disqualifications: The front teeth overshot or undershot.
