...the PATTERDALE terrier STANDARDS...

...Solid,smooth and jet black is the typical patterdale terrier. Such a dark gladiator of a dog is a joy to see, but despite what some might tell us, the patterdale can be thrown in practically any colour. From certain lines the litter can be multi coloured from sandy ginger to black and every shade in between. In the UK at the moment it appears that the patterdale terrier is the next "IN THING", but I hope this fad peters out for such publicity and popularity will eventually lead to the demiseof the patterdales working ability.

...For many decades the terriers have been bred from worker to worker, with the dogs not up to scratch culled.This method of improvement had given us the patterdale of today as we know it, with many excellent strains that are game. Gameness and working ability are the numberone priority for the genuine terrier owner.

...The trouble when a breed/type becomes popular, is that the prices that are asked for such an animal are often hugely inflated and poor specimens are passed off as genuine workers thus allowing a sub-standard dog carries it genes into the next generation. To a true working terrier bloodlines are everything, but the money men care little for such pedigrees; in fact they dont even understand the relevance of such history. Indeed it is well documented that false pedigrees are banded around in order to sell pups to the highest bidder. Could you ever imagine these money men ever culling a terrier because it is a coward and non-worker, NO WAY! They would probably breed off it, sell the puppies for 250 pounds a shot than sell the adult as an "EXPERIENCED WORKER".

...In the end, it is the breed that looses out. Breeding smaller and smaller to satisfy the overseas market is again, at a detriment to the real working patterdale terrier.
A real terrier must be big enough to endure the rigorous of a days hunting and working the earths. It may need to use its strength to push its fox into stop end.
Some small, snipey headed terriers would be of little use to the true terrier man.
...Those terrier owners that go out and dig to their dogs week in, week out often shun the shows, clubs and money side of things.

THEY DO NOT NEED A ROSETTE TO TELL THEM WHAT TO KEEP IN THEIR KENNEL, THEIR JUDGED BY THEIR QUARRY!
The value of a true patterdale cannot be realized by spanning or how it walks across the ring, but only by the amount of hours it puts in under the turf!
Lets hope the patterdale terriers popularity isnt its undoing...

 

I would have to say this standard should hold true to all working types,,,

and when the type becomes a breed is usaualy at the types peak,,,

and the very first one that is shown for looks is the beginning of the working types downward slope,,,

its up to the men that test their dogs repeatedly through work to be the ones that carry the next generation...


I think this must have been written in the early ninties,,,
as breeding bigger for overseas markets followed suit,,,
all though these terriers have a purpose other than going to ground,,,
a true terrier type can span a foxhole and has the courage to not back out a badger sette,,,
so keeping terrier true to the type regardless of the breed is a necessity for longevity...

I like the bigger pats with the bully blood and really admire how hard a jagd terrier can be,,,
the plummer terriers have served their purpose also,,,
but a true terrier in the earth is like putting chocolate chips in our cookies,,,
how could some of us ever go with out???

to each their own but I prefer a dog that is true to its type not breed,,, forget the rest...

 

If I would have known i could post a link as opposed to type this story I would have...
I relayed it from an old bulldog magazine and found it here with the pics to boot...
http://www.thehuntinglife.com/patterdale-terrier/