What to feed a Patterdale Terrier
A Patterdale Terrier is a small dog with a big engine. Bred to go to ground after foxes and rats, they carry more muscle for their size than their compact frame suggests, and most stay genuinely active well into their teens. That combination — small body, high drive — is the main thing to feed for: a complete food dense enough in energy and protein to fuel a dog that rarely sits still, in a portion sized for a dog that usually weighs somewhere between 4.5kg and 6kg fully grown.
Small body, working-dog appetite
Patterdales sit in an odd spot nutritionally. They are small enough to qualify for a small-breed food by size, but many live and work like a much bigger dog — digging, running fields, ratting — and that level of activity burns through calories fast. A food built purely around lapdog portion sizes can leave a genuinely active Patterdale looking ribby and running out of steam by mid-afternoon.
The practical answer is usually a complete food with a moderately high energy content, fed in the portion on the pack for the dog's actual weight and activity level rather than a generic 'small dog' guideline, and adjusted up or down as you watch their body condition over a few weeks.
Puppies grow fast and finish early
Patterdale puppies reach most of their adult size well before their first birthday, so a puppy-specific food that supports that growth without pushing it too fast matters more in the first six to nine months than it does for a slower-maturing large breed. Look for a complete puppy food sized for small breeds, with feeding guides based on your puppy's current weight rather than their eventual adult weight.
Once they've settled at their adult size, usually somewhere around ten to twelve months, a switch to an adult complete food is the normal next step. Do it gradually over a week or so, mixing the new food in with the old, rather than swapping overnight.
Working versus pet-only
A Patterdale that spends its days digging, ratting or working alongside its owner needs meaningfully more food than one whose exercise is a couple of walks a day, and a working or high-activity formula — built for exactly that higher energy demand — is worth considering if that describes your dog.
For a Patterdale that is mostly a companion with regular but ordinary exercise, a standard adult complete food is usually plenty, and it is worth keeping half an eye on their waistline: this is a breed that will happily eat more than it needs if you let it.
What to watch for
Patterdales are not known for a long list of food sensitivities, but any terrier can develop one, and the usual signs — itchy skin, sore ears, loose stools that do not settle — are worth a chat with your vet rather than a guess at a new food.
Treats add up quickly on a dog this small. Training treats broken into pea-sized pieces, or a portion of their daily food kept back and used as rewards, keeps a food-motivated terrier engaged without quietly doubling their daily calories.
Foods that suit this breed
Everything below is in stock with us, priced with delivery worked out, and packed and posted by hand in the UK.
Forthglade Cold Pressed Natural Turkey
Cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs from 2 months, soft enough to mix with water for young pups
£45.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Salmon
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for dogs, built on fresh and dried salmon
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Duck
Cold-pressed grain-free duck food with fruit and botanicals, in two bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Chicken
Cold-pressed grain-free chicken food with fruit and botanicals, in three bag sizes
From£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Turkey
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% turkey, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Chicken
A grain-free complete dry food for adult dogs, lightly baked and built on 50% chicken
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Small Dog Turkey
Cold-pressed grain-free dry food for small dogs and puppies, built on turkey
£16.99
Forthglade Complete Meal Lightly Baked Lamb
A lightly baked complete dry food, 50% lamb, for adult dogs of any breed
From£12.49
Forthglade Cold Pressed Grain Free Turkey
Grain-free cold-pressed turkey kibble for dogs, gentle on sensitive stomachs
£69.69
Harringtons Puppy Turkey & Rice
Complete turkey puppy food with 30% protein and feeding bands by adult weight
£6.49
Harringtons Adult Dog Turkey Veg
Complete dry food for adult dogs with turkey, chicken and salmon oil, 21% protein
From£3.39
Harringtons Adult Dog Salmon & Potato
Complete salmon and potato dry dog food with 21% protein in a 1.7KG bag
£6.25
Common questions
- How much should I feed a Patterdale Terrier?
- Start with the amount on the food's feeding guide for your dog's current weight, split across two meals a day for an adult. Check their body condition every couple of weeks — you should be able to feel their ribs without pressing hard — and adjust the portion up or down from there rather than sticking rigidly to the guide.
- Do Patterdale Terriers need a working dog food?
- Only if they are genuinely working or very highly active. A Patterdale that digs, runs fields or works most days will usually do better on a higher-energy formula built for that output. A Patterdale whose exercise is a couple of normal walks a day is usually fine on a standard adult complete food.
- When should I switch a Patterdale puppy to adult food?
- Most Patterdales are close to their adult size by around ten to twelve months, which is when a switch to an adult complete food is typical. Make the change gradually over about a week, mixing increasing amounts of the new food in with the old rather than swapping in one go.
- Are Patterdale Terriers prone to weight gain?
- They can be, mainly because they are food-motivated and often work hard for treats during training. Keeping treats small, factoring them into the day's total food rather than adding them on top, and checking body condition regularly helps keep a Patterdale at a healthy weight.
Related
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.