Would a terrier be suitable for me. Which breed for me?

Hi At the moment I have a British inuit and 2 lurchers.
I the next couple of years I would love to get a little dog to do agility with.
I am really loving the patterdale/fell terrier.
I have a very active life but also have 4 children who have obviously grown up with dogs and know how to behave and respect them.
Can they be happy in a pet home with out being worked I am hoping so.
Is there a difference between dogs and bitches temprement wise?
Can anyone one recommend breeders so I can read up and do a bit of research.
I just really want a little dog that has a brain and eager to learn full of energy and fun.
Or who you suggest a different small breed to fill this.

Only you yourself know if you have the time to commit to another dog.

I have a Westie who I do agility with. I started competing with her last year and so for we have had many clear rounds, a few 1sts, a 2nd and a 4th. As far as I can remember! She loves it. My mongrel, on the other hand, would rather just play with a ball and be cuddled!

Obviously Westies are not now considered as working dogs, they have not worked for decades (vermin), as far as I'm aware. They are just companion animals now.

They have such spirit, are keen and eager to learn and pick things up pretty quickly. They are very cheeky, but in a good way!

I see many PRTs and JRTs doing agility brilliantly though, they are probably more suited to agility than Westies. I only know of three Westies who compete in agilty! Two are up here in Scotland and one is down south.

Patterdales are very hard work, going by what I've seen and been told by Patterdale owners. They are great dogs if the work is put in.

Hope this helps.

Hi Thanks
Yes I do have the time as all children are in school and the two lurchers are now 13 so slowed down alot. I have time on my hands as am lucky enough to be able to stay home whilst my husband works. Glad to hear they are good at agility. I really wanted to do it with my BI but he really is thick as two short planks. I love him he is great but just does not have a brain.
My grand parents always had westies they are great dogs.

If you are talking about a working lakie, Fell type then you must understand they are very much a working terrier. They do not on many occasions make good pets due to their frustration and intolerance of "normal " life, they are not however as bad as a Patterdale for the most part.

I know a few people that have problems with them with other dogs as they are fairly sharp, but saying that I know others that have very good tempered ones too.

I cannot recommend any breeders to you as the ones I know would not sell to a pet home, they are usually given to working homes. Im not sure they would be tolerant of the type of training you want to do, i.e agility either. This is based on my experience in the last 18yrs or so of working Terriers, as I said I do know of a lot that do make good pets but in my experience they are few and far between. You could look at the show bred Lakie, they are much more pet like.

my friend has two paterdales , they are FAB at agility, really good , fast , drivey!

My sister looked at getting a Patterdale for a while, but after lots of research she decided against one as a pet - they really are a working terrier - although there will no doubt be some that fit okay into a pet home, I think most prefer a working home.

Have you considered a show bred Border Terrier? My sis went for a BT in the end and couldn't be happier. A lady I used to know had three BTs that were fabulous at agility.

My first dog (mine not family) was a patterdale and he was a fab dog, very clever and always on the go but was a pleasure to train and live with. My one regret is that I never tried agility with him 'cause he would have been great at it.
I got him the wrong way with absolutely no research and from a working home but it worked out well. I cant say if he was typical of the breed though

We have 2 Patterdales at our training club. The older one is about 15 months and a cracking little bitch. She picks things up really quickly and has a lovely personality.

I could imagine her doing agility and loving it. At the moment she happily goes hill climbing with her owners.

This is my first experience of the breed, and I am most impressed. Delightful little dogs.

i have 2 jrts and a prt and they are all good at agility they love it all of mine are great with other dogs, children of all ages and cant wait to get out for there fun time as its called they are also very happy to stay at home and lay around if needed a good all round dog i think. good luck with what every you get hun but pics are always needed...lol i have male and female and they are as good as each other. good luck

Not exactly a pet home though is it, if you are training most week days & competing at weekends.

I think if you are looking into competing "seriously" then you are going to need a dog with some drive.

Probaley abit much if you are going to do training once a week & a show a month or something.

Another friend of mine did abit of ag with her BTs as a aside to their obedience, they were good too,
Not as mad as the paterdales though!

My sister does agility with her border terrier and she really enjoys it, picks things up so quickly and whizzes round the course shes the type of dog that never gets worn out even after a couple of hrs out chasing balls give her a quick rest and shes ready to go again, but shes very calm in the house doesnt have a high prey drive(she lives with three cats) and is great with kids.

You will find that Patterdales with the correct temperament will be a nightmre as a pets, they are a prime working Terrier.

Borders do make excellent agility dogs, we have a few agility champions and agility warrent winners etc in the breed, a friend of mine in Cornwall has much success with hers.

I would not suggest a Border because of their prey drive, plus the fact the OP never mentioned them. The OP seems to want a Terrier without the terrier, and Im not sure any of the high drive breeds would suit her with what she has in mind.

I am not reall sure what I want which is why I am asking here lol.
At the moment I am going on looks alone. I know thats wrong but you have to start some where.
I am open to advice on what you would think best.
Whatever dog I get will be out most of the day with me atfer I drop the children off I spend the rest of the day outside until I collect them.

Then I would ring up breeders of breeds you are interested in and visit them. If you had said you were interested in a Border, Id of given you the low down, but you did say Patterdale or Fell Terrier which are working Terriers, and IMO not suited to pet life as a whole. As I said, I know a fair few breeders, but they would not sell to pet home. You will find a Patt will dissappear far more quickly if allowed to, their prey drive is very intense, if you are out all day Id be worried as to if you were able to watch the dog at all times, as they are the type that will shoot off in a seconds notice.

If you are interested in Borders you are welcome to visit mine if you are close at any time, I would also suggest a trip to crufts and discover dogs and if in favour of a Patt or Fell, visit Terrier shows and game fairs, you will get a fair idea of what they are like then.

If you want any help on Borders, just let me know.

I do like borders but my husband does not.
Not that it matters really as It would be my dog not his.
During the day I am at the yard with horses so the dogs are with us me and my friend have 7 between us and they all have a play around but don't run off. I never thought that would be a problem so thats something else to think about.
Is there a big diffrence in borders as some I have seen are huge and some nice and compact. What should they be like?
Do they need alot of coat maintenance I am not really into the shaggy dog look.

Thank you
Kathryn

well as your husband doesnt like Borders I wouldnt get one, as I assume it will live with you both and may cause some friction which wouldnt be fair on the dog or the humans.

Borders do not have a size, they have an "ideal weight" but it does vary. They should be racy not square and compact. Their body's should be "deep, narrow and fairly long"

Their coat will require stripping at least twice a year, it will grow untill they look like a burst matress, then you strip it out. If you dont like shaggy dogs, Borders are not for you. Of course a Patt/Fell will also grow this way if its that type of coat, obviously the smooths wont though.

A good friend of mine has a patterdale and we too take our dogs up to the stable yard and spend most of the day there. Tilly the patterdale is a nightmare. She is constantly running off hunting, turns a deaf ear most of the time and is very quick to try and start a dog fight :-( I'm not saying she's a bad dog, but I am saying that she isn't stimulated enough and would be much better off as a working dog. She is not allowed into their house as she will kill and shred anything she finds, she will wee all over the floor etc. She has to live in a kennel in their garden, as if she is free in the garden she will find or make a hole to get out. Many times they have considered rehoming her to a working home, and to be honest I think it would be the best thing for her. As it is now she is constantly getting into trouble, bless her.

So from my very limited experience with 1 patterdale, I would say they, or at least she, doesn't make a good family pet and she sadly never will

Patt's aren't easy, you get one which wants to work then it will..whether in a pet home or not, then you end up with a very loose cannon of a dog. And also, boy are they argumentative little sods with other dogs!

LOl well your all doing a good job in putting me off.

Terriers come in all shapes and sizes with varying termprements maybe you just need to find the right one for you, do a bit of reading and meet as many as possible.