Bedlington Terrier

History

Created in England, the Bedlington Terrier first took the name of the district by the England border; Rothbury Terrier. This breed is magnificent at hunting small wild animals such rodents, hares and foxes. It is believed that the Bedlington Terrier was created along the bloodlines of the Otterhounds and Dandie Demont Terriers.

Appearance

This breed is a small sized breed, with males and females both measuring between 15-17 inches in height and 19-24 pounds in weight. Built small and thin with a tightly curled coat, this breed is often compared to the appearance of a tiny lamb! Their head is very triangular in shaped, forming directly into a short scissor bite. Their two, small, triangular ears fall softly against their face. Their front legs are very straight and thin to the ground, while towards their hind legs, their body arches prior to their hind legs, that stretch out back. Their small tail is thick at the top and narrows down to the tip; facing the ground when relaxed. This breed is available in blue, tan, liver, sand, and combinations of these colors. Tan markings may be present in their coats on various parts of their body. This breed has two small almond shaped eyes commonly in dark brown or black.

Temperament

Please note that this breed enjoys barking. They are not meant for everyone. Though their appearance isn't like other Terriers, the Bedlington Terrier is not any different. This breed requires a lot of physical and mental exercise daily. Without this, they will develop anxiety and frustration, taking it out in negative or destructive ways. In general, this breed is a wonderful companion to add to any family. Great with children it is raised along side with, and loving and affectionate with his and her family members. This breed needs early socialization when it comes to strangers or friends, in order to maintain friendliness and acceptance. This breed is okay with other dogs, however supervision is a must during any play times. When no one is able to be in the same room with them, it is recommended they are separated, as well as trigger objects like beds and toys be separate to eliminate any possible conflicts. This breed is an average listener when it comes to training, however some owners note that they can be stubborn at times. This breed is incredibly fast with running, so a proper and secure fenced in area, large enough for their well being, is a must! Not recommended for homes with any small animals or cats.

Grooming

This breed requires more maintenance than others. It is recommended that their coat is clipped every 4-6 weeks to prevent matting and other issues. This breed does not shed. Their ears need to be "plucked" as well. Discuss with your veterinarian the proper requirements for their coat and schedule a visit with their recommended groomer to learn more.

Special Notes

Reminder: this breed enjoys barking. Not meant for an apartment. This breed is known for living over 15 years of age. Owners have reported healthy Bedlington Terriers close and into their 20's. Please fully educate yourself about the Bedlington Terrier prior to adding one to your family to ensure you are able to provide life long physical and financial care. Due to their natural instinct to hunt small prey, it is highly recommended that you install a safe and secure fence for them to roam freely within, prior to bringing him or her home, to ensure everyone's safety and well being. Again, this breed is incredibly fast with running. All dogs originate from wolves (Canis Lupus). Each breed of dog was originally created by mixing different breeds together in an effort to bring forth certain characteristics. Once a breeder has created acceptable “breed characteristics” within their bloodline and these “breed characteristics” have shown to be reliably reproduced in the offspring for three (3) generations, the bloodline may be upgraded from the category of “foundation stock” to “pure-bred”. The same “pure-bred” breed standards vary from different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders. Dog DNA testing companies can have accurate results for a specific bloodline of a small colony of dogs. However, there are tens of thousands of different bloodlines in the world which have not yet been tested for marker baseline results by Dog DNA testing companies as of 2017. For this reason Dog DNA testing companies do not guarantee the 100% accuracy of their breed lineage results and will also show different marker results for the same pure-bred breed in different continents, countries, territories, regions, breed clubs, and canine pure-breed registries depending on the goals of their breeders.