Breed Standard for the Lakeland Terrier

General appearance: Smart, workmanlike, well balanced and compact.

Characteristics: Gay, fearless demeanour, keen of expression, quick of movement, on the tiptoe of expectation.

Temperament: Bold, friendly and self-confident.

Head & Skull: Well balanced. Skull flat and refined. Jaws powerful and muzzle broad but not too long. Length of head from stop to tip of nose not exceeding that from occiput to stop. Nose black, except in liver coated dogs when the nose will be liver.

Eyes: Dark or hazel, slanting eyes undesirable.

Ears: Moderatly small, V shaped and carried alertly, set neither too high or too low on head.

Mouth: Teeth even with perfect, regular scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck: Reachy, slightly arched, free from throatiness.

Forequarters: Shoulders well laid back, forelegs straight, well boned.

Body: Chest reasonable narrow, back strong, moderately short and well coupled.

Hindquarters: Strong and muscular, thighs strong and powerful with turned stifles. Hocks low to the ground and straight. Feet small, compact, round and well padded.

Tail: Previously customarly docked. Well set on, carried gaily but not over back or curled.

Gait/Movement: Fore and hind legs carried straight forward and parallel. Elbows move peripendicular to the body. Working free of sides, stifles turning neither in or out. Good drive coming from well flexing hindquarters.

Coat: Dense, harsh and weather resisting with good undercoat.

Colour: Black and tan, blue and tan, red, wheaten, red grizzle, liver, blue or black. Small tips of white on chest and feet undesirable but permissible.

Size: Average weight: Dogs 8 kgs (17 lbs), bitches 7 kgs (15 lbs). Height not exceeding 37 cms (14,5 inches) at shoulder.

Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.