Lakeland Terrier

Feed your Lakeland Terrier a high-quality, age-appropriate diet, whether commercially made or home-prepared under your veterinarian's supervision. Match the food to the dog's life stage, whether puppy, adult, or senior, and keep clean, fresh water available at all times.

Meal frequency changes as a Lakeland grows:

• Puppies do well on frequent small meals, four or five a day, which helps guard against the low blood sugar that small-breed puppies can develop.
• Adults need only two or three meals a day to stay satisfied.

Some Lakelands gain weight easily, so watch calorie intake and reduce portions if the scale climbs. Treats count too, including dental chews, and in a small dog they add up fast, so keep them under 10% of daily calories. Use the food label as a starting point and work with your vet to meet your dog's needs.

Puzzle feeders and lick mats turn one meal into a challenge for a busy terrier brain. A healthy Lakeland on a balanced diet that meets established nutritional standards should not need supplements, so talk to your vet before adding any.

The Lakeland has a harsh double coat that can be maintained by hand-stripping. Pluckers are hard to find, so many owners clip instead, which fades the color and softens the texture into loose curls.

The dead hairs stay caught in the coat rather than dropping, which makes the Lakeland a non-shedding breed and a good fit for people sensitive to dander. Brush weekly to lift those loose hairs and prevent matting.

Bathe your Lakeland with a dog shampoo at least once a month to keep dirt and debris off the skin. Clip or hand-strip two or three times a year to clear excess dead hair. Both methods produce a healthy coat, though clippers leave a softer, bushier look than hand-stripping.

The upright, triangular ears rarely need special attention, but ear infections remain possible, so ask your vet about routine ear cleaning if you have concerns. The eyes need no special care either. If you notice discharge or redness, talk to your vet.

Raised well, the Lakeland is not a hyperactive breed, but it still needs real physical and mental work. A long daily walk or brisk jog, plus regular chances to run in a securely fenced area, keeps one fit in body and mind.

As one longtime breeder puts it, Lakelands can get enough physical exercise in a two-story house, but mentally they need to run hard to grow up sane. Walks on a short lead are not enough. All-out running on a 20 or 30 foot line, done regularly, seems necessary.

Many Lakelands take to dog sports, including earthdog trials, retrieving, agility, tracking, and flyball. Hiking and swimming suit them too. Bred to chase and dig after foxes, a bored Lakeland will excavate gardens and tunnel under fences, so active play keeps them out of trouble, and unsupervised yard time is not advised.

Lakelands vocalize often to flag changes around them, and their high-pitched bark may not suit an apartment. Training can curb it but will not erase it, so expect some noise.

Start the Lakeland early with socialization and a good basic puppy class, choosing the class and trainer with care. One longtime breeder advises avoiding instructors who do not understand the terrier mind.

Lakelands are quick learners who bore fast, so make the right thing easy, the wrong thing hard, and reward good choices. They do not thrive on repetition, so vary the sessions and keep rewards coming to hold their interest. Though determined, they respond well to reward-based methods. You can trade a tasty treat for something they should not have picked up, for instance.

Lakelands are eager to please and enjoy games and active outings. They may be wary of strangers at first but can accept new people once familiar with them.

Like all terriers, they do well with older, responsible children, and dog-child interactions should always be supervised. They can get along with other dogs, but introduce them to cats and small animals with caution, since the fox-hunting prey drive remains.