The Patterdale Terrier, although it appears small, is a stocky, powerful animal. Two varieties of coats appear in the Patterdale Terrier, the smooth and the broken. The smooth-coated variety has a thick coat and may have whiskers on the muzzle. The broken-coated variety has a wiry coat, which is of moderate length. In both varieties, the majority of dogs have a black coat although red and brown appear as well.
Some white markings are possible on the chest and feet.
Patterdale Terriers have strong looking heads with moderately sized ears. The Patterdale Terrier's tail is usually docked to about six inches. The Patterdale Terrier originated in Yorkshire, England. The Patterdale Terrier will often go underground into holes to flush out game, often hunting game as much as four times its weight. Today's Patterdale Terrier is still an active dog usually used for hunting.