Grooming your Lakeland Terrier

The Lakeland Terrier is one of the hardest dogs to groom because it has a rough overcoat which must be kept hard and wiry, and a soft undercoat which is to remain soft. This is because the coat is the dog’s protection against the elements and is also one of its key points for showing.

Unlike many other dogs which benefit from being brushed, Lakeland Terriers are better off being hand stripped for their outer coat and then raked for their undercoat. This retains the usefulness of their coat while maintaining their distinctive appearance.

Clipping the Lakeland Terrier

Lakeland Terriers should only be clipped in their belly, genital, and ear areas as anywhere else damages the coat and does nothing about the dead hairs that have to be taken out. Clipping these hairs can even cause discomfort as clipping does not remove the hair shaft and causes itching. Instead, grooming Lakeland Terriers is a matter of painstakingly stripping, hand plucking, and carefully combing out the coat. The beard also has to be combed and often trimmed or plucked in order to retain a tidy appearance.

If you do choose to brush your dog, you’ll want to use a slicker brush and a greyhound comb on the undercoat.  Some owners clip the overcoat despite the attitude that it should be hand plucked in order to be correctly done; if you’re never going to show your dog and you’re careful about clipping, this works well enough, so long as you are mindful of any hair shafts. Combing should be done every other day.

Spot Clean the Beard

On the other hand, bathing should only be done as required. Bathing your Lakeland Terrier dries out the skin and destroys the protective qualities of the coat, making it hazardous to do. Instead, spot clean the beard and face of your dog when necessary and only give your dog a bath if he’s rolled in something offensive.

Like any dog, Lakeland Terrier grooming also requires you to clean your dog’s ears with cotton swab and a cleaning solution to get rid of wax. You also have to clean away the debris that can collect in the corner of your dog’s eyes.  Make sure to brush your dog’s teeth as early as possible to get him used to the sensation, using canine toothpaste and a brush or finger brush. Finally, your dog’s nails will have to be clipped every couple of weeks so that your dog is comfortable and the nails stay healthy.

Attractive when kept Groomed

Lakeland Terriers are very attractive dogs when they are kept well groomed and this requires some time commitment from the owner, especially if you are a die hard and want to do most of the grooming by hand plucking which takes a long time but results in a very fine looking animal. Other owners may find that simply combing and clipping does a well enough job for them. No matter which side you fall on, Lakeland Terrier grooming is trickier than other terriers, so keep this in mind when deciding whether or not to own one.