Patterdale Terrier

On Thursday 6th January, I purchased a Patterdale Terrier, from Kyle in Rhyader. A lovely black/brown bitch, very dark chocolate in colour. What with spring around the corner I'm now, finally, bound to build aviaries for my parrots and lorikeets, and with aviaries come rats. I don't like rats, boy do I have a phobia about rats, I can honestly remember where I was when I saw everyone of them.

Research has shown me, that if you want a good dog to control vermin, then a Patterdales your boy. Whilst they don't come with a pedigree, you only have to look at a dog to see what it is, and the parents seem to give a clue as well.

Whilst they don't have pedigrees with the Patterdales, they do have types or lines. There are the old, famous Middleton and Nuttall lines, and more recently and in my case both parents come from the Nick Stevens lines.

Brought her home that night, fed her a little, and put her in her own crate, away from my other dogs, but in the same room. I then prepared for a sleepless night of howling and crying. Not the case, she slept all night and had to be awoken the following morning for breakfast. She's been weaned onto dry foods, and am not going to stray from that, I'm feeding her Beta Puppy, normally two, but maybe three times a day (she wont eat anymore). I do give her the odd boiled egg, especially for breakfast and some toast, and a few other treats, but mainly dried food.

One problem I had on purchasing the puppy, was that she had a docked tail, not that it bothers me anyway, but having explained the problem to the Vet, she was fine, and she had her first injection on Friday 14th January, I did before, and since walked her, I'm careful where she goes, but can't keep her in for that long, cruel. All my dogs have been treated this way and all are strong and healthy. Maybe suffice to add I live in a rural area, and try to walk my dogs away from the beaten paths, forestry roads etc.

Now trying to socialise her with parrots, get her used to being around them, especially when she starts working rats, got some traps out, but only half hearted attempts to catch them, I will train her to rat, and that's for a future date.

Now contemplating a second Patterdale, as I really love them, to go along with my existing Patterdale, my Sealyham Terrier and Lucas Terrier, more about them later as well.

Have read a lot about puppy inoculations, and from what I can gather, there's no need for more than one inoculation, boosters are just a way for vets to sting you for money, I know face a dilemma, to give boosters or not.