In the lake district of northern England, the northern counties of Cumberland, Northumberland and Westmoreland, there was a need for a sturdy worker. A rough, broken-coated terriertype appeared, that was to be the ancestor of the Bedlington terrier, the Dandie Dinmont terrier, the Border terrier and the Lakeland terrier. These terriers were practical workers, not for a showy kind of hunting, like making the prey bolt, but used by farmers to get rid of vermin and pests, i.e. kill them. They were taken on hunting parties, not with the famous packs of hounds, but just with a couple of other dogs, to kill foxes, but also other large adversaries like otters. At home they guarded the sheep and lamb, where they were a never tiring patrol with a license to kill.

They were very brave and followed their quarry for long distances under the ground. So there are many stories to tell, like In 1871, Lord Lonsdale had a Lakeland that crawled 23 feet under rock after an otter. In order to extricate the dog, it was necessary to undertake extensive blasting operations. The dog was taken out, still in fine fettle, three days later. Some were recorded to have been taken out alive after 10-12 days. Others were not so lucky.

The Lakeland was the variety of the broken-coated terrier to be found mostly in Cumberland, whereas the Bedlington is more attributed to the neighboring Northumberland county, but you can image that when there is no UKC or AKC keeping a strict record of dogs, there was a certain mixture of types. After all, all the breeders were interested in was a good working dog. At the early times the Lakeland terrier was called (amongst others) Patterdale, Fell, Cumberland and Westmoreland terrier. A close relative still exists, the Patterdale terrier, who is not registered by the AKC, but is strictly a working dog.

The Cumberland district is very beautiful, studded with lakes, very rocky and is host to a very large type of fox. So apart from going underground a Lakeland also needed enough length of leg to keep up with his fast adversary, jumping over rocks, and being able to squeeze into (and out off) small places. It is said that where a Lakeland head fits through, the whole Lakeland fits through.

Lakeland and other terriers were never treated the way for example German Shepards were treated: pups that didn't work out as hunting dogs were never destroyed, but kept as familypets. Being good with children and able to learn to respect other animals (how difficult for a hunter! But of course you can't have them kill the lamb you're trying to protect) has always been an important trait in Lakelands, still to be found in abundance. They love children and are a certain match for their endless energy. It has been said that the Lakeland is the most active of all terriers.

Apart from being these worderful workers and familydogs, they also grew out to be particularly beautiful and are a valued showbreed (that doesn't affect their working abilities at all!), so in 1921 they got the name Lakeland terriers, the standard was drawn up at that time, and shortly afterward the breed was made eligible for registration in the stud book of the Kennel Club (England). In 1934 America followed suit and the Lakeland Terrier was accepted for registration in the AKC Stud Book.