Have been looking for a pup for a while & have today been offered a Patterdale pup, which I know little about having been brought up with Springers...  I have done a fair amount of research today on the breed, but still have a few concerns about taking a Patterdale on:  My kids are 4 & 5yrs + I have a 16 yr old cat...  admittedly the cat sleeps all day long in one room in the house - but:

a) can I get around what seems to be the Patterdale trait & not have a puppy/cat fight on my hands
b) will the Patterdale be Ok with my young Hoodlums?

Any advice from a Patterdale owner will be much appreciated, obviously I want to be sensible about this & make sure I end up with the right dog & the dog I end up with, doesn't end up being irresponsibley rehomed because I made the wrong choice......

many thanks.

Hi.....our business partner got a patterdale 3 years ago, his kids were then 2 years & 8 years. The pup was great with them & loved all the rough & tumble games, supervised of course. They also have a pedigree cat who is spayed & goes outside, she too became best buddies with the pup. They have recently added a parson jack russell female to the family, she is as crazy & fun as the patterdale......lol  

Many thanks - this pup is a lovely little chap & I really would love to bring him home (have til Fri to decide!) - but always a worry with kids/cats etc etc!  Obv researched into it today & all I can find says not to house with non-canines & can be a bit too much for little kids!  Hence me trying to find out from someone "in the know" as opposed to a website!

My friend's patterdale is very snappy and will snap at children. My friend keeps him away from kids now and will tell them no if they ask to come up and stroke him. To be fair he was not raised with children and I don't think socialised with them much. I also know someone else who has a patterdale and she has grown up with children but did once bite a visiting child several years ago (not sure how bad - I don't think it required medical treatment!).

They are also both dog aggressive (my friend's took a chunk out of my Dobermann's nose and he will have a go at anything small or big) but I'm not sure whether that is a general breed trait or just these two particular dogs. Very fiesty and strong willed little characters. Not something I would take on (although I say that based only on my experience of these 2), and I've had 3 Dobermanns! :-D.

Well done for doing your research, not going into this without thinking :-)
  If this was a rescue, obvioulsy it would be different. Dont get me wrong i'm all for rescue animals, but more of a risk when you dont know an animals background and have children.I think as the patterdale is a pup, then you have the opportunity to socialise it well, get it used to the cat/children in a well controlled environment. Good luck.x

What has this pat been bred for?

If this is from a working bred terrier litter, then unless you are going to work it, walk way.

Patterdales are becoming very popular lately, and I am seeing a lot in rescue because people dont realise they are little psychopaths especially if working bred (and most are as that is why they exist).

If you are not a die hard nutter terrier fan then this quite likely isnt the dog for you.

We have a terrier cross ( was listed as a Patterdale on his vaccination card and as a cross on his rescue details) from a rescue and have to say he is real hard work. He is so much better than when we first had him 5 months or so ago but it is a long uphill climb :) He is so easily distracted by anything that moves, and amazingly quick, has taken a fair while to get even the general gist of basic commands and is very high energy. Our other dog is a GR who is very laid back, well mannered and eager to please so this may have coloured my judgement but I think our "terrier career" will be a one off :)

Patterdales are lovely dogs, but & a d*mn big but they need loads of socialisation as a puppy & also lots of training. They can be if all this is done sociable dogs, but if not they can be holy terrors with other dogs(they are bred of course to kill foxes-at least that is what I read in a book about patterdales written by a patterdale expert)

The pup doesn't come from a working background - both parents were family pets.  I wouldn't be considering taking him on if he was any older (he's only 7 weeks at the moment) - sorta relying on being able to "condition" him into our way of life around the kids & the cat etc.  Spoken to an owner yesterday who's never had any major problems other than usual pup-stuff that comes with any breed, & she also has younger kids around.

Still a bit dubious tho..... & can't make my mind up!

Many thanks for all the advice so far. 

>The pup doesn't come from a working background - both parents were family pets.

How about his grandparents and great-grandparents? All the generations of encouraging 'sharpness' (what a wonderful euphemism that is!) won't be eliminated in a single generation.

I have a patterdaleX, she was a rescue & she adores children! I wouldn't part with her, but she was hard work for the 1st year. She was quite demanding & never slept in after 6.00 in the morning. Now at 4 yrs old, she doesn't get out of her basket when we get up, she always has a lie in. I think all terriers are like this though, the children thing depends not on the breed, but the temperament. She is a little madam with my other dog Zak, she is also very snappy with other dogs. This has definitely got worse since she was spayed. She actually prefers only to say hello to dogs which she chooses, she does not like other dogs approaching her. But with us & children & our cat she is a pussy cat, she takes toys & titbits very gently. If you could find one with Tilly's temperament you wouldn't go far wrong. She was about 8 months when we got her, her love of people & children is very apparent, she wags her tail & just wants fuss. We can do absolutely anything with her, cut her nails, clip her, take toys, bones etc off her, she has never, ever snapped or growled & I don't honestly think she ever will. I hope you find a lovely puppy & one that will be a good friend for your children.

Hi

A friend has a patterdale, He is a lovely dog (bit yappy for me). But he loves the kids, and they love him.

He is also very good with other dogs, unsure about the cat thing though. In my experience a young dog, will grow with a cat.

And older cats love having the upper hand with dogs, showing them who is top dog. (smiley). I have lost my smiley's

Just a kwik post to say many thanks to all who gave advice to mine last week.....  Weighed up the pros & cons & now have Charlie, 8 weeks old on Saturday.  He abs adores the kids, they luv him & have been superb with him.... even the 16 yr old cat has sat next to him, although they're not best o buddies just yet....   In less than a week, wouldn't be without him!

thats a lovely post - congratulations

Maxine

Aah congratualations!!! Well done for thinking about it and making a well informed decision. Keep us posted with news of your new addition  :-)