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Description

The head of the Patterdale 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 are 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. 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. 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. The nose is black except in the liver-colored dogs, which have a red nose. The neck is clean, muscular and of moderate length, widening gradually from the nape and blending smoothly into the shoulders. The shoulder is long, sloping and well laid back. 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. 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 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. The hindquarters are strong and muscular. Bone, angulation and musculature match that of the forequarters. 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. 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. 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. Acceptable colors include black, red, liver, grizzle, black and tan, and bronze, either solid or with some white markings on chest and feet.

Temperament

Height, Weight

Health Problems

Living Conditions

Exercise

Life Expectancy

Grooming

Origin

Group

Recognition

CKC = Continental Kennel Club
NKC = National Kennel Club
APRI = American Pet Registry Inc.
ACR = American Canine Registry

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