Little is known on the Patterdale Shepherd mostly due to the rarity of the Patterdale Terrier parent breed in the United States. Owners of Patterdale Shepherds or those who wish to learn more about the hybrid before adoption should review the histories of both parent dogs and be sure of which bloodlines they are adopting since the Patterdale may reference other Terrier breeds as well. The Patterdale Terrier is an earth dog developed in northern England from the Fell Terrier. The modern-day Lakeland Terrier previously went by the Patterdale Terrier but has since dropped the historic name. Patterdales, Lakelands, Fells, and Cumberland Terriers share close bloodlines but can vary significantly in appearance. The modern-day Patterdale Terrier is a small dog with either a smooth or rough outer coat and a short, dense undercoat. The primary role of the Patterdale Terrier is vermin hunter, and this dog is a tenacious Terrier. While Patterdale Terriers exist in the United States, the American Kennel Club does not recognize the breed. However, the United Kennel Club recognized the Patterdale in 1995 and provides breed standards. The German Shepard is an extremely popular dog today. As its name suggests, the Germany Shepherd first developed in Germany but only at the turn of the 20th Century. Caption Max von Stephanitz wanted a superior breed for herding and purchased the wolf-like German Shepherd in 1899. However, Industrialization marginalized farming in Germany and Stephanitz was able to convince the German government to use the German Shepherd for police and military work. The German Shepherd excelled at guarding and protection and played an important role for the Red Cross in World War I. The German Shepherd was already in the United States by the time WWI broke out, but the breed's popularity did not take off until after the war. The popularity may be in part due to the number of German Shepherds taken home by Allied forces, and particularly one German Shepherd rescued in France by a U.S. Corporal. The U.S. Corporal took the young German Shepherd home to Los Angelos where the dog would go on to star in many feature films as the famous Rin Tin Tin. The American Kennel Club first recognized the German Shepherd in 1908 but changed its name to the Alsatian Wolf Dog during WWI. The original name of German Shepherd was restored in 1931, but the British Kennel Club did not restore the original name until 1977.
