![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.lakielove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/01\/Lakeland.jpg?ssl=1\")
\n<\/a>Lakelan<\/em>d terrier\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>(source<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n
Lakeland terriers originate (as their name indicates) from the Lake district in northwest England. They were bred to kill vermin, foxes in particular, since these had their eye on the farmer\u2019s lambs. The Lakeland\u2019s job was to enter the fox\u2019 hole and exterminate its occupants. For this very reason, Lakelands had to be small yet sturdy and strong. Where the head can go, the body can (and will!) follow. However unlikely it may seem, an adult Lakeland can squeeze itself through a cat-door. You know those handy baby\/dog-gates that have a little cut-out for your cat? Not an option if you\u2019re trying to hold back a Lakie!<\/p>\n
Another result of the fact that Lakelands would often be deep underground (and could possibly get stuck there), is their piercing bark. Don\u2019t judge the book by its cover, because these little guys can be LOUD. This is not only handy underground, but also when it\u2019s time for your little pup to sleep in it\u2019s crate downstairs for the first time. No need to purchase a baby-monitor… your Lakeland will have no problem waking you up at 3am to let you know it\u2019s time to go pee-pee!<\/p>\n
Aside from being strong and compact, it was required of the Lakelands to be sociable as well. Because, unlike most other terriers, Lakies weren\u2019t mostly hunting independently. As a matter of fact, they were often used by hunters to run with the hounds in attempts to clear the countryside of four-legged vermin. As a result, Lakeland terriers are great with other dogs. And as Lakies are blind to size (in fact, most terriers are), they will run or play with the largest of the large and the smallest of the small without thinking twice.<\/p>\n
Apart from size and temperament, a Lakie\u2019s coat needed to be of a specific kind as well, Since the weather in the Lake district is fickle and often cold and\/or wet (not too different from the weather here in Vancouver!), Lakelands benefitted from a double coat: a soft, furry undercoat for warmth, covered by a hard, wire coat to stay dry. This is great for the dog, but perhaps not as great for the owner. If you want to keep your Lakeland\u2019s coat looking vibrant and properly groomed (i.e. if you want your Lakeland to look like a Lakeland), a little more effort than the occasional brush-through is required. As for myself, I am quite intrigued by this and eager to learn the tricks or the trade. At the moment, I am working alongside Jaz\u2019s breeder to learn how to hand-strip a Lakeland. It is time-consuming, but very rewarding. I promise to do a separate blog post on this in the future.<\/p>\n
The main thing that has people all confused, I think, is that Lakelands come is such a great variety of colours. There are solid coloured Lakelands (such as Jaz) as well as two-toned ones that have saddle markings. Since Jaz is all red, people think that Jaz is an Irish terrier, because Irish terriers are all one colour (plus, while they can be wheaten, most are in fact red). And although Irish terriers are significantly larger and have much shorter hair than Lakelands, this is easy to overlook since Jaz is still a puppy and her furnishings (viz. the longer hair on the snout and legs) still need time to grow in. As Jaz grows older, I anticipate that less and less people will think she is an Irish terrier.<\/p>\n
It is a also clear why people mistake Jaz for a Welsh terrier. The Lakeland is closest to the Welsh terrier in looks and size. However, Jaz could never be a Welsh terrier, because all Welsh terriers have saddle markings. Apart from her colour, as Jaz grows older, I\u2019m sure\u00a0she will look more and more like a Welsh to people, especially because the Welsh terrier is more popular (and people therefore are more familiar with them).<\/p>\n In the end, of course, all this confusion stems from the fact they are all terriers, and, at one point or another, have shared ancestors. It is interesting to trace back a dog\u2019s pedigree. Take Jaz, for instance. Remember that we visited Alan and Angela Johnston from Oregill Kennels back in May (post<\/a>)? Well, some of their dogs turn out to be Jaz\u2019s ancestors! Because the Lakeland is such a rare breed, their world is very small. Trace the roots of any Lakie and the same kennel names and ancestors will pop up. If you\u2019re interested in this kind of stuff, please visit Jaz\u2019s (human) grandpa\u2019s website, which contains the most extensive online Lakeland pedigree (https:\/\/www.ebbarkj.com<\/a>). Enjoy!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Happy New Year, everyone! Hope you all made it through the holidays and into 2012 in one piece. We sure did; we kept it really low-key and relaxing (except for Jaz, of course!). I figured it was about time I … Continue reading
\n<\/a>Irish terrier<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(source<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n
\n<\/a>Welsh terrier<\/strong> (source<\/a>)<\/em>
\n<\/em><\/p>\n