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Lakeland Terrier

The Lakeland Terrier is from the English Lake District, bred to run with foxhound packs and kill fox that attacked hill-farm sheep.

Calculate Lakeland Terrier age
Lifespan14.2 yrrange 13–15
SizeSmallTerrier Group
Weight17–17 lb7.7–7.7 kg
Senior at8 yrgeriatric at 12

Gallery (3)

About

About the Lakeland Terrier

The Lakeland Terrier is from the English Lake District, bred to run with foxhound packs and kill fox that attacked hill-farm sheep. The breed shares ancestry with the Welsh and Border Terriers; AKC recognition dates to 1934.

Aging

How Lakeland Terriers age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 14.2 years (n=1,669) — among the longest-lived terriers. Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease and primary lens luxation are the defining inherited concerns; CHIC eye-screening is standard; epilepsy secondary.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 14.2 yr · range 13–15Senior careSenior at 8 · geriatric at 12Common health issues3 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
17–17 lb(7.7–7.7 kg)
Height
14.5–15 in(36.8–38.1 cm)
Coat type
Wire
Colors
BlackBlack & TanBlueBlue & TanGrizzle & TanLiverRedRed GrizzleWheatenLiver & TanBrindleGrizzle
Temperament

Temperament

How Lakeland Terriers tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

boldfriendlyconfidentquick
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~1 yr

    Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease

    Description and veterinary guidance for Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from Breed-club documented; tracked on OFA screens..

  • Moderatetypical onset ~5 yr

    Primary Lens Luxation

    Description and veterinary guidance for Primary Lens Luxation land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from Breed-club eye screening; DNA-testable..

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

Lakeland Terriers are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.