Bedlington Terrier

The Bedlington Terrier is an attractive, hardy little dog that resembles a shorn Iamb. It is a dog whose dainty appearance and love of children belies its first-rate watchdog qualities. It is also a breed that trains easily, and a number have been used successfully in obedience competitions.

Origin and history

It is possible that the Greyhound or Whippet played some part in the origin of the Bedlington Terrie_ and the soft topknot gives strength to the suggestion that it may share common ancestry with the Dandie Dinmont Terrier. Certainly a strain of similar terriers existed with tinkers in Rothbury Forest, Northumberland, in the eighteenth century; and in 1820 a Mr J. Howe came to Bedington, Northumberland, with a bitch named 'Phoebe'. This bitch was given to a man called Joseph Ainsley, who mated 'Phoebe' to a dog named 'Old Piper', producing 'Young Piper', the first dog with the new name 'Bedlington' Terrier. From that time, 1825, a systematic breeding of the Bedlington began. The breed was shown in the ring during the 1860s and the first Bedlington Terrier Club was formed in 1875.

Bedlington Terrier Puppies

• Adores children
• Always keeps its figure
• Good family pet
• Well behaved

Take heed

• Formidable fighter if provoked

Size

Height should be about 16in (40.5cm) at the shoulder, allowing slight variation below in the case of a bitch and above in the case of a dog. Weight should be 18-231b (82-10Akg).

Exercise

The Bedlington, like most terriers, is a lively, inquisitive breed and will enjoy an off-the-Iead run or energetic ball game. it will, however, adapt very happily to apartment life as long as it is given regular, adequate walks.

Bedlington Terrier Information

General appearance
A graceful, lithe, muscular dog, with no sign of either weakness or coarseness.

Colour
Blue, blue and tan, liver or sandy. Darker pigment to be encouraged.

Head and skull
Skull narrow, but deep and rounded; covered with a profuse silky topknot that should be nearly white. Jaw long and tapering. There must be no stop.

Tail
Of moderate length, thick at the root, tapering to a point and gracefully curved. Should be set on low, and must never be carried over the back.

Feet
Long hare feet with thick and well-closed-up pads.

Bedlington Terrier Feeding & Grooming

Grooming

This breed's coat does not shed, which makes it a boon for the house proud. The dead hairs stay in the coat until they are combed out.

The Bedlington should be trimmed regularly (otherwise the coat will become tangly) and given a good brushing frequently with a fairly stiff brush. Do not bath the animal too often or this may weaken its coat. Hair should be removed from inside the dog's ears fairly regularly, which can be done quite simply by pulling the hair with finger and thumb or a pair of tweezers.

Feeding

Recommended would be 9-130z (255-369g) of a branded, meaty product with biscuit added in equal part by volume, or 1112 cupfuls of a dry food, complete diet, mixed in the proportion of 1 cup of feed to '/2 cup of hot or cold water.

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