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Bedlington Terrier: Breed Characteristics, Care & Exercise Needs

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About Bedlington Terrier

Country of Origin, History of Bedlington Terriers

The Bedlington Terrier breed originated in the United Kingdom. The name Rothbury Terrier was given to the breed after the district of Rothbury on the English border. The gypsy nail makers who had settled in Rothbury had prized the breed as a hunter of various games. Thus the name Rothbury had become associated with the particular Terriers.

In around 1825 a Rothbury dog had been mated to a Bedlington bitch. This resulted in the creation of the Bedlington Terrier breed. The Otterhound and Dandie Dinmont Terrier are other breeds that could have possibly contributed towards the making of this breed.

Miners of Bedlington used the dog as a vermin hunter and also utilized it as a fighting dog in the pits. Again, hunters used the dog for retrieving work. The dogs were accustomed to rodent hunting underground. They also worked with foxhounds. First exhibited in 1877 as a separate breed and recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1948 the Bedlington Terrier has now found its position as a good apartment dog as also as an attentive and barking watchdog.

Bedlington Terrier Tools

Breed Selector Tool - is the Bedlington Terrier the right breed for you?

Is the Bedlington Terrier the right breed for you and your family?

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Check Your Bedlington Terrier's Learning Style

Are you aware dogs also have a learning style that can greatly affect their ability to housetrain as well as be trained correctly. Evaluate your Bedlington Terrier's learning style and personality using our free Learning Style tool so that you are better able to provide him with the proper Bedlington Terrier training methods.

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Bedlington Terrier Calorie Calculator

Do you know how many calories your Bedlington Terrier needs every day and how many cups of food you should be giving it every day? Click here to use our Bedlington Terrier Calorie Calculator.

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Description

The dog has a wedge shaped head, arched back and curly coat. There is no stop on the head and it descends in an unbroken line from crown to nose. The eyes are small and deep set and have a sparkle in them. Its body shape is unusual for a terrier and is more akin to those of Greyhounds or Whippets thus enabling it to gallop at great speed. The front legs of the dogs are straight and have a construction quite different from those of the quick hounds. Its feet are hare-like. The dog has a pointed tail.

Coat

The Bedlington Terrier dog has got non-shedding fur with wooly texture thus making it look like a lamb. The dog has a thick double coat. This is a mixture of soft and harsher hairs. The color of the coat may be blue, sandy or liver or even some solid color and may have tan markings. The colors/marks turn paler as the dog grows older.

Height

Male dogs have heights ranging between 16'' and 17''
Bitches have heights ranging between 15'' and 16''.

Weight: 18-23 pounds.

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Bedlington Terrier Personality Traits

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Temperament of the Breed

These qualify as do-all dogs. They can accomplish nearly everything that is expected of them. The Bedlington Terrier dogs of the day are companionable and affectionate creatures. They are playful and cheerful and friendly with children. They receive strangers well too. If trained from an early age then they can befriend cats and other household pet animals too. It is however advisable to keep the dog away from other dogs that have a dominating nature.

The dogs are loyal, lively, energetic and courageous. They can run very fast and are enthusiastic diggers. They also like barking.

Living Conditions

The dog can be kept in apartments provided it gets sufficient exercise. The Bedlington Terrier, like other terriers, is very energetic and gets bored up and starts behaving mischievously if not given opportunities for expending their energy.

Bedlington Terrier Activity Level

Exercise

The dog needs to be taken for long and vigorous walks at least once a day. Aerobic play sessions may also be set for them to provide them additional exercise and also to keep them happy and contented. Bedlington Terrier dogs are well suited for agility.

Grooming

The coats of the dog do not shed but tend to curl. Hence it needs a weekly combing and professional grooming every 3-4 months to ensure that the coat is kept in good shape. Every six weeks or so specialized clipping of the coat hair is to be done and the coat is thinned and clipped close to the head and body. This accentuates the shape of the dog and keeps it healthy. The ears are also to be shaved closely leaving a tassel on the tips. The dog is to be brushed and combed regularly and the pluck inside its ears cleaned. The dog should not be washed too frequently lest the coat become lank.

The hair on the legs can be left slightly longer. It is best if a professional person is entrusted with the task of grooming the dog. Otherwise, the dog owner needs to follow some set of instructions obtained from such person and carry out the grooming procedures by himself/herself.

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Free Bedlington Terrier Training Secrets

Free Course on Bedlington Terrier Training & Obedience
Stop All Bad Behavior, Excessive Barking and Biting

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Health and Care

Common health issues among Bedlington Terrier dogs relate to reproductive problems, heart murmur, hereditary kidney diseases, PRA, thyroid problems and eye problems like epiphora and cataract. Copper Storage Disease or Copper Toxicosis, an inherited autosomal recessive disease, is a serious inherited liver problem that affects some 5 percent of the dogs. This is characterized by accumulation of excess copper in the liver. A liver biopsy confirms the disease.

Life Expectancy: 17 years and longer.

National Breed Clubs

Breed Club: http://www.bedlingtonamerica.com

Rescue Link: http://www.bedlingtonamerica.com/rescue/index.htm

Group: Terrier Group.

AKC Popularity Ranking: 141

Also Known As: Rothbury Terrier, Rodbery Terrier

Train Your Bedlington Terrier To Listen To You

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Sign up for our Free Bedlington Terrier Mini Course to have a housebroken, obedient dog that happily comes to you every time you call.

You'll learn new commands to obedience-train your dog as well as how to housebreak your dog in 6 days or less.

You'll also learn how to eliminate bad habits like barking, nipping or biting, jumping, or pulling on the leash.Here's just s small fraction of what else you'll learn in the course:

  • How to lead and think like a pack dog - the new psychology.

  • 3 dangerous mistakes that most Bedlington Terrier owners make when they are trying to potty train their dogs.

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  • How to obedience train your Bedlington Terrier to permanently end behavioral problems like Jumping, Aggression, Pulling on Leash.

  • A surprisingly easy way to teach your dog cool new tricks.

  • How to improve your dog's lifespan and keep it from getting overly heavy with a healthy and nutritious diet.

  • Getting Pro help fast - how to get access to our expert trainers when you need them most.

  • One hidden psychological trigger that all Bedlington Terriers have... that practically allows you to "analyze" and "control" your dog's every action.

  • Priority access to the free online seminars conducted by our training experts.

Whereas other dog training related web sites and books offer generic information for dogs in general, ours is the ONLY web site that offers Bedlington Terrier information specifically, from a renowned panel of experts - because as you probably know, Bedlington Terriers have their own special training requirements that other dogs don't have.

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Our Dog Experts

The Bedlington Terrier training information you will read here was developed by a panel of renowned dog training experts whose combined wisdom represents nearly 100 years of specialist experience training dogs.

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