Bedlington Terrier – Rabbit Hunter in Sheep’s Clothing

Bedlingtons used to be called Rothbury Terriers and are not to be confused with Poodles. The fat terriers are among the oldest terrier breeds. They may look like little lambs, but they have a lot of panache and a very active hunting instinct. If you want to buy a Bedlington puppy, you should bring assertiveness and patience with you.

External Characteristics of the Bedlington Terrier – Sheep with Fangs

Indeed, the cover photo of the Bedlington’s FCI breed standard depicts the dog as a wolf in sheep’s clothing: triangular eyes framed in black give his thickly haired face a serious expression. The head shape appears very high and long due to the dense curls. The ideal height at the withers for males and females is 41 cm, males may be slightly larger and bitches slightly smaller. They weigh between 8 and 10 kilograms.

Bedlingtons from head to tail: terriers with many special features

• The head is narrow and without a stop – a straight line runs from the occiput to the tip of the nose. The upper half of the head is covered with a long tuft that looks teased. The long and powerful muzzle tapers towards the tip. The lips are tight and close-fitting, and the hair here does not grow as long as on the head.
• The nostrils are large and well embedded in the sponge. Only black noses are acceptable for blue coat colors. Sandys and livers always wear brown noses.
• Ideally, the eyes should appear triangular, with long and pointed corners on the outside. The lid is black and the color of the iris must match the coat.
• The lop ears are set low and are hazelnut-shaped. They are rather thin and covered with short, velvety hair. Long, white fringes grow at the tips – together with the tuft, this results in a real star hairstyle that grows naturally.
• The long neck holds the head high and proud, tapering slightly towards the top. He goes without dewlap in the muscular and very flexible body. Above the arched loin is the highest point of the backline. The belly is well drawn up and the ribs are deep.
• The forehand is straight, the hind legs are bent at the knee joint with the heels set low. They have long hare feet with strong pads in front and behind. The legs are often longer-haired than the body and stand out through tan lightening.
• The tail, covered with short hair, is never carried over the back and is set low. It is very wide at the base and tapers in a graceful curve. A slightly tucked tail is not a sign of shyness or fear.

Coat and colors of the Bedlington – the dog with the light corkscrew curls

The Bedlington Terrier’s curls stand out well from the body but are not wiry, but rather silky. Ideally, they should be very small and curled in a corkscrew shape. The tuft is white or almost white in all colors. Overall, the fur should always appear light to whitish and only show a slight tinge:

Desired colors inbreeding

Blue

• Blue Bedlington Terriers are born almost black and lighten a lot as they grow.
• The curls on the legs, the tuft, and the tips of the ears are white, the rest of the body is cloudy gray in adult animals.
• The iris is very dark in blue Bedlingtons.
• Blue-and-tan colors can hardly be distinguished from blue colors. Only in puppies do the loan marks on the paws, on the stomach, and on the muzzle stand out clearly. The eye color is slightly lighter (amber) with tan coloration.

Sandy or Liver

• Sand colors tend to have a yellowish cast; Liver is colored rather pink to brown. As with the Blue Terrier, the coat color lightens significantly as it grows, and white curls stand out on the head and legs.
• Sandy and tan coloring is undesirable inbreeding, but occurs in many dogs and is almost indistinguishable from the solid sand or liver color in adulthood.
• The eyes are hazel and the nose is brown. In both colors the eyelids are black.

Terriers with a Long History

Bedlingtons are among the first terriers to be recognized and bred as an independent breed by the FCI. The breed probably originated as a gypsy dog ​​- they accompanied Roma groups and thus spread throughout the country. Originally known as Rothbury Terriers, they were kept by hill farmers in the north of England and were particularly favored by the Lord of Rothbury. The name Bedlington Terrier comes from the first show dogs in Bedlington in 1870.

Close and distant relatives of the breed

• Dandie Dinmont Terriers are close relatives and direct descendants of the Bedlingtons. The two breeds are the only lop-eared earth dogs.
• Kerry-Blue Terriers and Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers also share ancestry with the Bedlington.
• Greyhounds and Otterhounds are believed to have helped create the breed.
• The so-called Lurcher is a mix between a Bedlington Terrier and a sighthound.

A hunter with many tasks

• Bedlingtons were bred for rat and rabbit hunting; independently tracked down and effectively killed the small game.
• The Bedlington Terrier Young Piper became famous in his native England. He excelled at badger hunting and saved a toddler from an attacking pig.
• They were used for coursing and dog racing before greyhounds came into fashion.
• According to some sources, they were also used in dog fighting arenas because of their fearlessness in battle.
• From the beginning, the extraordinary little lambs were popular show dogs, which used to be heavily groomed and sometimes colored to further emphasize the breed characteristics.