Jelly
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Jelly, a black Patterdale (or Fell) Terrier
The Patterdale Terrier is a breed “type” of dog descended from the Northern terrier breeds of the early 18th century. Bred in Patterdale, Lake District.
The origins of the breed can be traced back to the cross breeding of The Old English Terrier (the original black terrier) and the Northumberland Pit Terrier (now extinct) and later to the Lake District, specifically to Ullswater Hunt master Joe Bowman, an early Border Terrier breeder. where he used the best Red Fell terriers and the best local hunting terriers available to him, so that he could continue his efforts to refine the breed even further. The breed did not gain notability until Cyril Breay, a schoolmaster and huntsman, refined them even further, using the best dogs of northern England. It is believed that all current Patterdale Terriers descend from dogs bred by Breay.
The Patterdale Terrier is more of a “type” rather than a “breed”, being the result of a culmination of working terrier breeds indigenous to the United Kingdom.
Patterdale Terrier Type dogs were bred by poachers across northern England. As well as others, for the hunting and dispatch of the red fox in the rocky fells around the Lake District, North West and North East of England where a traditional digging dog was not always of great use. Patterdale Terriers have also been used for illegal badger baiting in the UK.
The Patterdale was developed in the harsh environment in the north of England, an area unsuitable for arable farming and mostly too hilly for cattle. Sheep farming is the predominant farming activity on these hills. Since the fox is perceived by farmers as being predatory with respect to sheep and small farm animals, terriers are used for predator control. Unlike the dirt dens found in the hunt country of the south, the rocky dens found in the north do not allow much digging. As a consequence, the terrier needs to be able to bolt the fox from the rock crevice or dispatch it where it is found.
The use of “hard” dogs to hunt foxes in this way was made illegal in England and Wales by the Hunting Act 2004, as it runs counter to the code of practice under the Act.
The Patterdale made its way to the United States, where it is used for groundhog, raccoon, fox and nutria with great success. Patterdale Terriers, considered highly adaptable, excel worldwide not just at hunting a wide array of quarry, but in a number of canine sports, such as dog agility and terrier racing. In the US, the Patterdale Terrier was recognised by the United Kennel Club on January 1, 1995, but remains unrecognized by the American Kennel Club.
