Border Terrier vs. Lakeland Terrier: Which Breed Suits You?

Sharing a home with a terrier can be a lot of fun. They are active, energetic characters by nature and love to be kept busy both mentally and physically which naturally rubs off on their owners. If you are looking for a smaller terrier and one that boasts a lovely personality, you would not go far wrong in choosing either a Border Terrier or a Lakeland Terrier, both of which are fun-loving and loyal dogs to have around.

Border Terrier origins

Border Terriers as their name suggests are native to the Scottish borders where they have always been highly prized working dogs, family pets and companions too.

Lakeland Terrier origins

Lakeland Terriers too are named after a region of England where they were first bred and again, these little dogs have always been highly prized when it comes to working terriers, family pets and companions.

Temperament

Both Borders and Lakelands are energetic, fun-loving terriers that are never happier than when they are doing something. Both breeds are well suited to people who lead active outdoor lives and who like have a busy, active terrier at their side. They both have strong prey drives thanks to the terrier in them which is something that should never be forgotten when out on walks where dogs can be safely let off their leads. Borders and Lakelands form strong ties with their families and don't particularly like it when they are left on their own for too long, although a Border is slightly more tolerant of spending time of their own than the Lakeland.

Care and maintenance

Border Terriers have close-lying, short, coarse top coats with dense undercoats as such they are low maintenance on the grooming front. Some owners like to have their pets hand stripped a few times a year which makes it easier to stay on top of any loose and shed hair.

Lakeland Terriers on the other hand benefit from being regularly groomed otherwise their coats tend to get matted and tangled. Special attention should be paid to their faces thanks to the longer hair on their muzzles which is especially true after a dog has eaten because food can get stuck in the hair. They too benefit from being hand stripped several times a year which helps keep their coats looking tidy.

Shedding

Lakeland Terriers shed slightly less than Border Terriers, but both breeds are considered low shedders. With this said, like other breeds they tend to shed more hair in the spring and then again in the autumn when dogs typically leave more hair around as new coats grow through.

Training

Both the Border and the Lakeland Terrier are known to be highly intelligent little dogs, but it's worth bearing in mind that they have high prey drives thanks to the terrier in them. Borders can be a little wilful at times especially if they have spotted something in the distance that takes their fancy. They are renowned for being expert escape artists too. They love taking part in agility and other canine sports and are easy to train thanks to them being so quick witted and eager to please.

Lakelands on the other hand are known to have a short attention span when it comes to staying focussed on what's being asked of them. They too can be stubborn when the mood takes them which makes them a little harder to train than their Border counterparts.

Neither breeds respond well to harsh training methods, but both answer well to positive reinforcement. Borders are the better choice for first time owners who have the time to spend with a canine companion. Lakelands need more in the way of training and are better suited to people who are familiar with their particular needs.

Exercise

As previously mentioned, being terriers the Border and Lakeland like to be kept busy both physically and mentally for them to be truly happy dogs. They both need to be given a good 60 minutes a day with Lakelands being happy to trot alongside a horse for hours when asked to thanks to the fact they have so much stamina.

Children and Pets

Border Terriers are generally good around children they have grown up with as are Lakeland Terriers also love being a family environment and being involved in everything that goes on around them.

Being terriers, care should be taken when either a Border or a Lakeland meets any animals or pets they don't already know. With this said, if they have grown up with cats in the home, they generally get on well together. It would be a mistake to trust either of these terriers around smaller pets though.

Border Terrier coat

The Border Terrier as a dense, short, coarse top coat with a close and dense undercoat. They also have extraordinarily thick skin.

Lakeland Terrier coat

The Lakeland Terrier also has a double coat which consists of a harsh, dense top coat and a dense, thick undercoat.

Border Terrier colours

Border Terriers come in a variety of colours, but less than a Lakeland. The breed colours are as follows:

• Red
• Wheaten
• Grizzle and tan
• Blue and tan

Lakeland Terrier colours

Lakeland Terriers as previously mentioned, come in more colours than their Border counterparts. Their breed colours are as follows:

• Black
• Black and tan
• Blue
• Blue and tan
• Liver
• Red
• Red grizzle
• Wheaten

Border Terrier health

Border Terriers are robust little dogs and they don't often get ill. With this said. the breed is known to suffer from certain hereditary health issues which includes hip dysplasia. Other conditions that affect the breed are as follows:

• Hip dysplasia
• Perthes disease
• Juvenile cataracts
• Progressive retinal atrophy
• Canine Epileptoid Cramping Syndrome (CECS)
• Seizures
• Various heart diseases

Lakeland Terrier health

Lakeland Terriers are also healthy little dogs, in fact they are thought to be one of the healthiest terriers around. The only condition that seems to affect the breed the most are cataracts.

Border Terrier life expectancy

The average life span of a Border Terrier is between 12 to 14 years when properly cared for and fed an appropriate diet to suit their ages.

Lakeland Terrier life expectancy

The average life span of a Lakeland Terrier is between 9 and 15 years when properly cared for and fed an appropriate good quality diet to suit their ages.