# lakeland/patterdale terrier aggressive



## Colinzor (Jul 4, 2012)

Hi guys. Bit of a long one so bare with me...

I have a lakeland/patterdale terrier (looks like a patterdale but colour of a lakeland.

She is 8 years old her breed is supposed to be a working dog but i keep her as a house dog had her since she was around 8 weeks old. Her mother (full patterdale) was kept as a hunting dog for foxes and such i dont really know i think its cruel.

She is very smart and intelligent and recently i have been walking her alot more but i think its about time i have tackled her agression problem towards other dogs. 

She is only a small dog but has been in lots of fights with dogs her own size and dogs who are massive compared to her. I would like to tackle this problem because when walking her or if im out in the street with her she will go to other dogs to sniff them and what i assume to dominate them or something? 

When she goes for a fight weather she is on the leash or not she will not listen to me i have to pull her off or tug her along this is why i dont get to let her off much because once she runs i cant catch her usually. 

There is a female jack russel in my street and they are mortal enemies everytime they fight its quite scary i have to pull her apart and she cries when she cant get at it and trys to get away from me so she can fight it.

The last time they fought there was blood and everything (not my dogs blood) and earlier today it ran past my house and they tryed to get at one another through the fence the jack russel got its nose under the gate and they started biting on another my dog came out with blood i assume from the jack russel as her gums or teeth werent bleeding.

i dont know how to stop her from fighting she wont listen to me when she wants to get at another dog. i have recently started training her to walk on heel as i am trying to take control as the pack leader. 

i am aware i have had her for 8 years and im only doing this now but she is very well behaved only i want to tackle the walking at heel and her aggression towards other dogs. other times she will listen to me no problem.

sorry for the really long post, hope u can help thanks alot if u need any other info just ask 

cheers


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## Blondey (Jul 4, 2012)

I too had the same breed of dog who we sadly lost last year he was 16. When his coat needed trimming he looked like a lion with a red mane and acted like one with other dogs no matter how large. He was just the same as yours, he would fight any dog he set eyes on and nothing would stop him. Cats never bothered him in the slightest. I had him to dog obedience but it made no difference whatsoever. The strange thing was he was only ever like this if he was on familiar ground. If he was at the vets, the boarding kennels or anywhere that was not his territory he was as good as gold. We never broke him of it. With everything else he was the most gentle and obedient dog you could imagine. Sorry I couldn't be of any more help to you


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## Colinzor (Jul 4, 2012)

Thanks for the reply, haha sounds exactly like my dog.

she will fight almost anything just like you said yours did, She is also very territorial but this does not stop at her territory, she is fine with alot of dogs usually i just pull her on and she leaves it she might look back but forget about it but some dogs she will just go for and not care about sniffing. 

It may be a protection thing against me? somtimes she goes out alone for the toilet and she doesnt fight the dogs but if i am there she will become wary or protective or something?


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## strawberry555 (Feb 18, 2013)

All forms of dog aggresion can usually be solved with safe exposure.This should start as young as possible.By intoducing your dog to other dogs,animal,people and expecially children or anything that may grab your dogs attention e.g a big umbrella you should get them used to. By introducing these things to them they will feel more comfortable and have such an urge to go interagate them/it. In saying that I have a 7 yrs old Patterdale from a ratting dog family. She is very smart and I have taught a huge range of tricks like: sit,stay,paw(left right,using my hand or foot),lie down,up (jump up onto my lamp or to go upstairs ect.),play dead,role over,speak,jump through my arms and recently I have been working on the 'Stick em up BANG!' trick.Anyway she does them all really well and can do them outside in a park or whatever but when there is another dog I still have to put her on the lead because she runs up to say hello and some owners think that she is going to be aggressive also she seems to see smaller dogs like rats sometimes so I just have to cautous of other peoples dogs.I have been trying to train her not to with a huge amount of effort and patience but unfortunatly the dogs a have very strong instinct that is usually not willing to go away. It is purly there nature. Hopefully though since you have your dog at a very young age he or she may well be willing to be taught otherwise.Good Luck :thumbsup:


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## naggingcowbag (May 8, 2014)

Hi there , I also have a Patterdale , Bobby is 2 years old . He also doesn't like other dogs and it drives me mad when other owners let their dogs come up to him to say 'hello' . I always keep him on a lead as if he sees a rabbit he is gone ! Yesterday whilst walking my dogs (both on leads) 2 dogs came running up to my dogs , Monty didn't bother (part Patterdale) but Bobby went crazy ! At first the two owners were laughing as I must have looked a sight trying to hold my two dogs whilst the two loose dogs were running araound my two . I ended up tripping over Bobbys lead and he leached forward and bit one of the dogs , he really meant to do harm and the two men were punching and kicking my Bobby . It really was a horrible situation to be in and I was really upset .Yes of course I feel sorry for the dog that got bitten but if it had been on a lead it wouldn't have happened :-(


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## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

It does sound like those owners didn't help the situation at all!

It can be possible to resolve problems like this, but you have two problems: 1. Terriers were bred to have temperaments like the ones described throughout the thread, especially Patterdales and Fell terriers. They have no genetic desire to 'get along' with other dogs, although many do. 2. You have two dogs, which makes things a lot harder because probably they have a much stronger bond than you and either of them individually, which makes any retraining plan a lot harder.

I think for now you should train Bobby to accept a muzzle, so this can never happen again - for Bobby's sake as much as the other dogs, so he's protected from idiots. Dogs are allowed off lead in this country, so it's not unlikely that it will happen again if you walk them in areas it's allowed. 

In the long term you could look for a behavioural trainer who can give you a training plan to help Bobby control himself a bit more, but it's unlikely you will ever stop him wanting to fight because it's in the Patterdale nature to attack vermin and fight larger prey like foxes and badgers, so he might well enjoy fighting.

I own a Patterdale cross as well, and he's fine with most dogs, but wants to fight my older terrier. We're just getting there with training and self control, and building a stronger bond with both of them.

Good luck!


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## naggingcowbag (May 8, 2014)

Hello again , thank you so much for your advice . I have wanted to put Bobby in a muzzle for a while but my hubby is very against the idea :-( I do some times wonder if Bobby thinks he is protecting me as I am the main dog walker in the family ( I do 99% of the walks) and where I go is quite remote . Bobby is brill with our other dog Monty and is ok with one of our neighbours dogs but HATES their other dog . I think I will look online and see where my nearest dog training centre is , I will let you know how I get on , once again thank you for your reply


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## naggingcowbag (May 8, 2014)

Attempting to upload a couple of photos of my boys


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## naggingcowbag (May 8, 2014)

Bobby posing for the camera


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## naggingcowbag (May 8, 2014)

Monty the big old softie


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## Colinzor (Jul 4, 2012)

Lovely terriers there.

My Tiny is 11 now, (called her tiny as she was the runt of the litter).

I generally get no problems with her now as i see the other dogs coming before she does so i just put her on the lead and keep her close.

the other day i was walking her a girl had a spaniel very hyper active come bouncing over and i had her on the lead kind of keeping her into me the lady said dont worry he wont bite him, i said no its her lol and she said oh sorry her, but what i ment was she will bite him.

was fine until he came closer and she just give him a bit of a warning snap and the lady was like ooh haha ! and called it away.

usually she is fine with other dogs as long as they dont come near her unless its a dog she doesnt like which then i cant catch her if she runs.

some advice works for me if they start fighting run over and just grab your dog but be careful not to be bit, has worked for me in the past.


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## GingerRogers (Sep 13, 2012)

Colinzor said:


> Lovely terriers there.
> 
> My Tiny is 11 now, (called her tiny as she was the runt of the litter).
> 
> ...


Sorry I see you are new poster but um thats not advice, thats appallingly bad care of your dog putting both it and other peoples at risk. And letting him practice it again and again will not make life any easier :incazzato:

Naggingcow bag your Bobby is adorable, he looks exactly like my friends patterdalexjrt. So wise looking, love him!

I think you are sensible to look into training, I dont think any one can really advise you on here not when he has been practicing it for so long and you honestly admit you dont really know where to start.

Make *absolutely 100% sure *that whoever you go to practices force free positive training, not just saying they do but actually does, so many talk the talk but then suggest adversives like pebble bottles and water sprays etc

I promise you your little terrier will not react well to forced handling  even if it appears to be there will be a storm brewing.

If you are on facebook there is a group called reactive dogs which has some very helpful knowledgeable people (and some pillocks of course)

Other than that management until you get some help, if you feel you would be happier muzzling him and you do most of the walks then do so but introduce the muzzle very carefully this video explains a little about how to do so 




Try to walk away from other people and dogs as much as possible and unlike the OP quoted (I am sure you dont but worth reinforcing ) DO NOT let your dog off lead where he can get to and attack others :incazzato:

Where abouts are you?


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## naggingcowbag (May 8, 2014)

Hi GingerRoberts , at the moment I am struggling to find a local dog class for Bobby , we live in a small village in Leciestershire and most classes seem to be miles away and Bobby doesn't travel too well . I am working on his car traveling though , have started to take him out more in the car . When I take him on walks I never let him off the lead and try to avoid other dogs at all costs ! He doesn't have a problem with dogs on a lead , it is when they are loose and come running up to him that he reacts . If a dog does come running up to us if I can I will change direction or move myself and my dogs completely out of the way . It would just be so nice to go for a stress free walk now and then . Best wishes from Karen


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