| This is the original standard set forth by Brian Nuttalls The Patterdale is a working terrier, bred originally to go to ground and kill or bolt vermin. This requires a small, active, game terrier, and must be judged as much. GENERAL APPEARANCE: A sturdy, active little terrier, not too big in the chest, as a working terrier has to be capable of squeezing through very small passages under ground to follow their quarry. Measuring between 11” and 15” at the withers, should present a compact, balanced image, with straight legs. Weight is proportionate to height. BODY: Not too big in the chest. Must be capable of being spanned behind the shoulders by average sized hands. The back should be strong, straight, and in comparison to the height: not too long, but not too short (as in some fox terriers). Too short a back in proportion to height makes them awkward underground. HEAD: Head and muzzle should be strong and powerful. Scars received working quarry should not prejudice a dog’s chance of winning a show. EARS: Ears should be of moderate size, not too big nor too small, with a fold slightly above the skull and folded to the sides of the check. COAT: Smooth to broken coated. Smooth coated dogs should have a dense coat, not fine, like a whippet. A good coat is important to protect them against the wet underground and briars. TAIL: Set high, length in proportion to the body, usually docked to the length of the width of a hand. (It is sometimes necessary to pull the terrier from the earth by it’s sturdy tail). COLOR: Black; red; liver (with a red nose); grizzle; black and tan; bronze (chocolate). DISQUALIFYING FAULTS: Lack of one or both testicles descended fully into the scrotum in male dogs. Extreme viciousness or shyness. UKC STANDARD REVISED AUGUST 2007(Also NPTA Standard) HISTORY The Patterdale Terrier is descended mainly from the black, smooth-coated Fell Terrier which was developed in the harsh environment of Northern England. The Fell Terriers were used to control vermin that were predatory on sheep. They were bred to bolt the quarry out of the den or to dispatch it if it chose to fight. Its characteristics result in an extremely game, ‘tough as nails’ dog. The Patterdale Terrier was recognized by the United Kennel Club on January 1, 1995. GENERAL APPEARANCE A sturdy, tough, active little terrier that presents a compact, balanced image. As a working terrier, it has to be capable of squeezing through very small passages underground to follow its quarry. The Patterdale’s chest should be capable of being spanned behind the shoulders by an average man’s hands with the fingers of both hands touching. Patterdales stand between 10 and 15 inches tall at the withers. This breed is worked far more than it is shown, and breeders are primarily concerned with the practicality of the breed. This terrier must have a strong neck, powerful jaws and teeth, the fortitude to hold its quarry at bay, and the ability to squeeze into tight burrows. He must have great flexibility and endurance. Scars resulting from wounds received while working are considered honorable and are not to be penalized. CHARACTERISTICS The Patterdale is an extremely courageous working terrier, traditionally used to go to ground. Patterdales are extremely willing to work and have a high desire to please. They are very active and have a strong prey drive; and though they should be peaceful with humans, livestock and other dogs, they are not a dog for the average pet owner. They require an owner with a sense of humor and one that understands and can tolerate a real terrier temperament. HEAD The head is strong and powerful, in balance with the size of the dog, and wedge or trapezoidal shaped when viewed from the front. The length of the skull and the muzzle are equal, or with the muzzle slightly shorter than the skull. Jowl and muzzle have good substance. The muzzle should be strong, never appearing snipy or weak. TEETH - A full complement of strong, white teeth meet in a scissor or level bite. Teeth that are broken, or incisors that are lost, due to working, are not to be penalized. EYES – The eyes are set squarely in the skull and fairly wide apart. As an earth-working terrier, it is important that the eyes not protrude or bulge. Eye color should be in harmony with the coat color, but never blue. EARS – The ears are triangular in shape, and small to moderate in size, folding tightly just above the skull. The tips point to the outside corner of the eye. NOSE - Black except in the liver-colored dogs, which have a red nose. NECK The neck is clean, muscular and of moderate length, widening gradually from the nape and blending smoothly into the shoulders. Faults: Ewe neck, neck too short or too thick. FOREQUARTERS The shoulder is long, sloping and well laid back. FORELEGS - The forelegs are strong and straight, with good bone. The elbows are set close to the body but move freely. Pasterns are powerful and flexible. Faults: Bowed legs; fiddle front; down in pasterns; toes turned out; knuckling over or any other misalignment of joints; out at the elbow. BODY In proportion, the body should be square or slightly longer than tall, measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttocks, and from the withers to the ground. The back is of moderate length and level, blending into a muscular, slightly arched loin that has slight to moderate tuck up. The chest should be firm yet flexible, deep to the level of the elbow but moderate in width and oval in shape. SPANNING - Spanning is an important part of the judging process for the Patterdale Terrier. They must be spanned to test for size, compression and flexibility. The Patterdale should be capable of being spanned directly behind the shoulders by an average sized mans hands. When spanning, lift the front legs off the ground or table and gently squeeze the bottom of the chest to be certain that the chest will compress. Faults: Chest too deep or wide, incapable of being spanned or lacking the ability to compress. Body too cobby or barrel shaped, causing lack of flexibility of the back. HINDQUARTERS The hindquarters are strong and muscular. Bone, angulation and musculature match that of the forequarters. HINDLEGS - The stifles are well bent and the hocks are well let down. When the dog is standing, the short, strong rear pasterns are perpendicular to the ground, and when viewed from the rear they are parallel to one another. TAIL The tail is set high but not carried over the back. If docked, only one-quarter to one-third should be removed, as sometimes the tail is the only means of pulling the dog out of a burrow. The tail should be strong but not overly thick. There is no preference between docked or natural. Serious Fault: Gay tail, carried forward over the back. Disqualification: Bob tail. COAT The coat may be smooth or broken. In both coat types, there should be a short, dense undercoat. Very little grooming is required to keep the coat healthy. Smooth - hair is coarse, dense and stiff, falling back in place when lifted. No wave is present. Broken - an intermediate coat, having longer guard hairs than the smooth coat. The guard hairs are coarse and wiry and may be wavy. A broken coated dog may or may not have face furnishings which form a beard, moustache and eyebrows. A correct coat is important for protection against the wet underground and briars. Dogs with damaged coat sections that are due to hunting scars or abrasions should not be penalized in the show ring as long as overall texture can be determined. Serious Fault: Coat in any climate that is soft, long or downy in texture. COLOR Acceptable colors include black, red, liver, grizzle, black and tan, and bronze, either solid or with some white markings on chest and feet. Disqualification: Any patch or spot of white marking on the body or head. Not to be confused with scarring which can cause white hairs to grow in. HEIGHT & WEIGHT The Patterdale Terrier ranges in height from 10 to 15 inches at the withers. Weight should be in proportion to height, with dogs always shown in hard, fit, working condition with no excess fat. GAIT When trotting, the gait is effortless, smooth, powerful, and well-coordinated, showing good but not exaggerated reach and drive. The topline remains level, with only a slight flexing to indicate suppleness. Viewed from any position, legs turn neither in nor out, nor do feet cross or interfere with each other. As speed increases, feet tend to converge toward centerline of balance. Movement faults should be penalized to the extent that they would interfere with the terrier’s ability to work efficiently. DISQUALIFICATIONS Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchid. Viciousness or extreme shyness. Albinism. Bob tail. Any patch or spot of white marking on the body or head. (Not to be confused with scarring which can cause white hairs to grow in.) PTCA Breed Standard GENERAL APPEARANCE The Patterdale Terrier is a tough, active terrier and should give a compact, well balanced image. Height should be between 10" to 15" measured at the shoulders. Weight should be proportionate, presenting neither a "weedy" or "clunky" image. Scars received while working will not be penalized and should be considered a badge of honor. In conformation evaluation, with all things being equal ...a terrier with working scars should be given preference over a terrier with none. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHEST As a working terrier, the Patterdale must be able to follow it's quarry through small tunnels. If the chest is too big, the terrier will not be able to complete it's job efficiently. As a general rule, you should be able to "hand span" the terrier's chest with the fingers of both hands touching. BACK The back should be strong and level, with length in proportion to the dogs height. If the back is too short the terrier may not be flexible enough to move around underground. LEGS The legs should be straight, with good bone. The feet turning neither in or out. The rear should have good angulation, with the hocks turning neither in or out. HEAD AND MUZZLE The head should give the impression of strength and be in proportion to the rest of the body. The muzzle should not appear snippy or too blocky. TEETH The teeth should meet in a sissors bite, however a level bite is acceptable. Undershot or overshot is a fault, and should be considered in the working context. Teeth lost or broken while working will not be penalized. EARS Button ear, with tight fold, and tips of ears meeting the skull at the corner of the eye. NECK The neck should be muscular and proportionate to the head and body. TAIL The tail should be set high on rump. It should not be carried over the back. If you choose to dock, no more than 1/4 should be removed. As an adult, approximately a "palm's width" is preferable, should provide a good "hand-hold". COAT The coat may be "Smooth", "Broken" or "Rough". All types should be dense and coarse. Smooth: Coarse, overall very short, smooth Broken: Coarse, longer hair on body except for head and ears which is smooth. May be some longer whiskering on muzzel and chin. Rough: Coarse, longer hair overall, including face and ears COLOR Colors include: Black, Red, Chocolate, or Black and Tan (There may be some variations in the primary colors. For instance, blacks may have some lighter hairs in the undercoat and red may range from tan to deep red, chocolate may be a very dark or lighter brown and black and tan may have more or less of these colors on each individual dog, but the only registerable colors are those listed above) Chocolate-colored dogs will have a brown nose. (Officially called a "red" nose) Some white on chest and feet is acceptable. HEIGHT AND WEIGHT Height may range from 10 to 15 inches. Weight should be proportionate to the terrier's height. A very muscular dog will weigh more than it looks. You should be able to feel the ribs, but not see them. DISQUALIFICATIONS (1) Cryptorchid (2) Shyness or viciousness Terriers with these disqualifications should not be bred. |
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