Patterdale Terrier Training

Lets not beat around the bush — Patterdale terrier training is tough! They are a feisty breed with a strong chase instinct and highly scent driven. Patterdale terrier training should not be taken lightly — it takes a lot of patience and trust building.

Of course the earlier that you can start training your patterdale terrier, the better. Many people who are training working dogs or looking for a family pet start training from pups at around 12 weeks. However, if you are adopting an adult dog, patterdale training is even more of a challenge!

Patterdale Training First Steps — Obedience

Patterdale terriers are bold, confident dogs. Typical of most terriers they have bags of energy, with a feistiness which comes their origins hunting foxes and rodents. But while they’re packed full of personality, they can be quite stubborn with a mind motivated by food. Therefore, it’s crucial to be firm and confident when dealing with Patterdale terriers. They need to know you’re the boss!

Basic Obedience

An obedient Patterdale is a pleasure, but fail to lay down the law, and your dog may assume they’re the alpha in charge. Ideally, Patterdales should begin training following eight weeks old.

Begin by setting simple house rules. These differ depending on each households’ requirements, but can include: not jumping up without being invited, not being allowed on furniture, or not biting furniture. Be consistent with your rules, and always enforce them.

Next, you’ll want to teach your dog some simple commands. When they are young or first come to live with you, start by doing the basic commands of sit, down, stay and leave. You can combine the command with the hand signal which gets an instant response eventually, and which is great if your Patterdale terrier ever goes blind.

Heel — walk to the heel of the lead

Recall — come back to you when called.

Down — lays down on command.

Sit — your dog will sit down on command

Come — your dog will come to you and sit down

It’s essential your Patterdale can follow commands. When at a busy road, your dog must obey when told to stop. If friends or family come round, they must leave them alone when commanded. Confidence in your dog will lead to satisfaction for both parties, creating a…