Lakeland Terrier

Temperament & personality

Lakelands were bred to run with hounds across the fells and then go to ground after foxes on their own initiative, and that history shows. They are confident, quick-thinking and remarkably self-assured for a dog that stands about 37 cm at the shoulder. Most are cheerful and affectionate at home, greeting family with genuine enthusiasm, but they make their own decisions first and consult you second.

That independence reads as stubbornness in training. A Lakeland learns fast and gets bored faster, so short, varied sessions with food rewards work far better than repetitive drilling. Recall is the weak point for the whole breed. If a squirrel, rabbit or next door's cat appears, generations of hunting instinct take over, so a secure garden and a long line in open spaces are sensible for life.

They tend to do well with older children who respect them, and the breed's sturdiness means they cope with family bustle better than many small dogs. Other pets are a different story. Cats raised with them are usually tolerated, but small furries like rabbits and hamsters are prey in a Lakeland's eyes, and same-sex scraps with other terriers are not unusual. Expect digging. Fencing needs to go down as well as up.

Vaccination schedule

Lakeland puppies follow the standard core schedule. The DHPP combination covers distemper, hepatitis (adenovirus), parvovirus and parainfluenza, given as a series starting at six to eight weeks of age and repeated every three to four weeks until at least sixteen weeks. The final puppy dose matters most, because maternal antibodies can block earlier injections. Rabies vaccination is given from twelve weeks where required by law; in the UK it is only mandatory for travel under the pet passport and animal health certificate rules, but your vet will advise if you plan to take your dog abroad.

A booster at around one year consolidates puppy immunity, after which UK practice is to give parvovirus, distemper and hepatitis every three years and leptospirosis annually. Leptospirosis is worth taking seriously in a Lakeland, since these dogs love ditches, puddles and anywhere rats have been. Kennel cough vaccine is sensible if your dog boards, goes to daycare or attends training classes.

Keep the dates somewhere you can actually find them. keep a written record of each vaccine and set a reminder on your phone before the booster falls due, which is far more reliable than the card at the back of a drawer.

Best food & diet

A 7 to 8 kg adult Lakeland needs roughly 400 to 550 kcal a day depending on how much work he does, which translates to surprisingly small meals. Choose a complete food formulated for small breeds, with a named meat as the first ingredient and a kibble size he can crunch comfortably. Two meals a day suits adults; puppies need three to four smaller meals on a puppy formula until around ten to twelve months. That range is a starting estimate, not a prescription: check your dog's body condition every few weeks and let your vet adjust portions.

Lakelands are active and usually keep a decent waistline, but they are also skilled beggars and treats add up fast on a small frame. A single human digestive biscuit is a meaningful chunk of this dog's daily calories. Keep treats under ten percent of the daily total and use part of the meal ration for training rewards. You should be able to feel ribs easily under a light fat cover.

There is no breed-specific diet requirement, though a food with decent omega-3 levels supports the wiry coat and skin. If your dog is one of the minority with itchy skin or a sensitive gut, talk to your vet before jumping between brands; random diet-hopping makes food trials impossible to interpret later.

Common health problems

The Lakeland is a genuinely hardy breed with a 12 to 15 year lifespan, but a few inherited conditions are worth knowing about. Legg-Calve-Perthes disease affects the hip in young dogs, usually between four and twelve months, when the blood supply to the head of the femur fails and the bone begins to crumble. The first sign is a hindlimb lameness that worsens over weeks. Surgery to remove the damaged femoral head gives most small dogs an excellent outcome, and at this size they compensate remarkably well.

Primary lens luxation is the breed's most important eye problem. The fibers holding the lens in place weaken and the lens can slip out of position, often between three and eight years of age. A fully luxated lens is an emergency because it can cause glaucoma within hours; a suddenly painful, cloudy or red eye needs a vet the same day. A DNA test exists, so ask breeders for results on both parents. As with any older dog, cataracts (a progressive cloudiness of the lens, sometimes operable) can appear with age, so mention any change in the eyes to your vet.

Von Willebrand disease, an inherited bleeding disorder, occurs in Lakelands. Affected dogs lack a protein needed for normal clotting, so a routine spay, dental or even a nail trimmed too short can bleed far more than expected. Many dogs show no signs until they are cut. Ask your vet about testing before any planned surgery, and note the result down so it is on hand for every future procedure.

Allergies & skin

Lakelands are often listed among the low-allergen breeds because their wiry coat drops very little hair, and a well-maintained Lakeland does spread less dander around the house than most dogs. Honestly, though, no dog is truly hypoallergenic. Allergens live in skin flakes, saliva and urine, not in the hair itself, so an allergic person can still react to a Lakeland. If allergies are a concern, spend proper time with the breed before committing.

The dogs themselves have fairly robust skin, but terriers as a group are over-represented for atopic dermatitis, an allergic reaction to environmental triggers like pollens and dust mites. Watch for paw chewing, face rubbing, recurring ear infections and pink-stained fur from licking, usually starting between one and three years of age. Flea allergy is the other classic itch, and a single bite can set a sensitive dog off for weeks.

Coat care and skin health are linked in this breed. Hand-stripping keeps the follicles healthy and the harsh texture intact, while a clipped coat traps more dead undercoat and can get slightly greasier, so clipped dogs benefit from more frequent brushing and the occasional bath. Any itch that lasts more than a fortnight, or keeps coming back, deserves a vet visit rather than another shampoo.

Flea, tick & worm prevention

A dog bred to push through bracken and go down holes will meet parasites, so year-round prevention is not optional for a Lakeland. Use a vet-recommended flea and tick product, whether a monthly spot-on, a chewable tablet or a long-acting collar, and crucially pick the product band that matches your dog's actual weight. Most small-dog bands run to 10 kg, which covers a 7 to 8 kg Lakeland, but weigh the dog rather than guessing, especially during the first year while he is still growing.

Ticks matter for this breed because Lakelands work exactly the habitat ticks love: bracken, long grass and sheep country. Check ears, armpits, groin and between the toes after country walks, and remove any tick with a twisting tick hook rather than pulling. In the UK, Lyme disease is the main tick-borne risk.

Worm on a schedule your vet sets, typically every three months for adults with a product covering roundworms and tapeworms. UK owners should ask specifically about lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum), which dogs pick up from slugs and snails and which can cause fatal bleeding; not all standard wormers cover it, and a digging, foraging terrier is a prime candidate. Puppies need worming every two weeks until twelve weeks, then monthly to six months. Keep a written record of each treatment and set a reminder before the next dose is due.

Medications & dosing

Almost every veterinary drug is dosed in milligrams per kilogram, and at 7 to 8 kg a Lakeland has a very narrow margin for error. A dose that would be a rounding error in a Labrador can be a serious overdose here. Never split medication between pets by eye, never give a dose because 'that's what the last dog had', and always confirm your dog's current weight before starting anything new.

Never give human painkillers. Ibuprofen is toxic to dogs at doses well within a single human tablet, and paracetamol has a narrow safety window that is easy to breach in a dog this size. If your Lakeland is sore after a hard day on the fells, ring the vet; dog-specific anti-inflammatories are cheap, effective and actually safe when dosed correctly.

One breed-specific note: because von Willebrand disease occurs in Lakelands, tell any vet treating your dog about the breed risk before surgery or drugs that affect clotting. Keep a written medication list, including strength, dose and time given, so nothing is doubled up when more than one person feeds the dog.

Grooming & coat care

The Lakeland wears a weatherproof double coat: a soft insulating undercoat beneath a harsh, wiry outer jacket that sheds water and shrugs off thorns. It drops very little hair around the house, which is the good news. The trade-off is that dead coat does not fall out on its own and has to be removed by hand, so this is a low-shedding but medium-to-high maintenance breed.

Hand-stripping, pulling the dead outer hairs out at the root, keeps the coat hard-textured, richly colored and genuinely weatherproof. A full strip every three to four months, or a rolling strip of small amounts more often, is the traditional routine, and most owners use a professional groomer who knows wire coats. Clipping is the practical alternative for pet dogs: cheaper and quicker, but the coat gradually turns softer, fluffier and paler, and it picks up dirt more readily.

Between grooms, brush two or three times a week with a slicker and a comb, paying attention to the beard and leg furnishings, which trap food and mud. The beard benefits from a rinse after meals. Add nail trims every few weeks, weekly ear checks and daily tooth brushing if you can manage it, and you have the whole routine. Start all of it in puppyhood, because a Lakeland who has decided grooming is negotiable is hard to talk round later.

How the Lakeland Terrier compares

Deciding between similar breeds? Here is the Lakeland Terrier next to Border Terrier and Cairn Terrier.

Frequently asked questions