The Bedlington Terrier

The Bedlington Terrier is a dog that can trace its history all the way back to one famous dog that was named "Old Flint" which was born all the way back in 1782. As the breed began to develop, it became known as the Rothbury terrier, the name was from a company of nail-makers that had settled in Rothbury. It is thought that the Bedlington Terrier had its part in the making of the Kerry Blue Terrier in Ireland.

These were dogs that could do just about everything, they were excellent hunters and were known to fight to the death when asked to; they were known to be dogs that could get the job done.

The Bedlington Terrier is a dog that comes from England where he was bred not only to hunt, but also to fight. The Bedlington Terrier is a dog that is calm (unlike other terriers) and even though he was once a fighting dog, nowadays he is known for his calm nature and good manners, however, that does not mean that he lays around and mopes all day, this is an energetic breed that is very athletic and agile. The Bedlington Terrier is the kind of dog that needs to have a good secure area to play in because if he doesn’t, he will surly find a way out! They will not try to get out because they are bad dogs, they are just curious about the outside world and they want to go and explore. This is a good watchdog that will bark at people who "dare trespass" your property.

Although he is intelligent, affectionate and even though he is polite with younger children, it is the older ones that he prefers to have around. With an attitude that can be a little afraid to just reserved, the Bedlington Terrier should be slowly introduced to strangers, we might say the dog simply prefers the owners but eventually he will learn to trust the other friends too.

They do get along nicely with other house animals up until the point where that house animal makes a break for it and then the temptation is too much to resist and the dog will most likely give chase. These are dogs that are known not only for their intelligence but also for their stubborn streak…this makes them difficult to train and a couple other things that they like to pass the time with is barking and digging, making them a dog that is recommended for the more experienced dog person.

After all that talk about the personality of the Bedlington terrier, let’s take a look at the overall appearance of the dog. This is a dog that can be considered small to medium with a weight of around 17-23 pounds and their height can be anywhere from 15-18 inches at the shoulder. The colors of the coat are blue, liver and sandy, the coat itself is made up of a mix of soft and coarser hairs making it curly and a little stiff to the touch; there is almost no shedding with this dog which makes him a good candidate for those who suffer from allergies. When this dog is clipped, he looks kind of like a lamb but there are owners that just let the coat grow long.

The coat of the Bedlington Terrier is a coat hat does need to be brushed at least once a week, and every few months it is recommended that the dog gets at least trimmed to prevent the shagginess from getting to be too much to handle. It is important to make sure that the dog’s ears are kept clean and dry to prevent any infection form getting a foothold.

The health span on this animal is really around 12-17 years (if you take care of him) and the different health problems that can occur are allergies, cataracts and other things.

If you are looking for a puppy, take the time and get a puppy that comes from a good breeder because the health risks will be considerably lower and the dog will be well socialized and confident. Try to avoid puppy mills and pet shops as places to get the puppy because these dogs have been ill bred and ill raised and will most likely be a lot of trouble in the future! It is worth it to pay a little extra and get a good dog!