GENERAL APPEARANCE
Shoulder height: approx. 41cm (16”).
Colour: Blue, blue/tan, liver or sandy.
Coat: Thick and linty with twisted hair standing away from the body.
Gait: A distinctive light mincing springy trot with a slight roll with speed.
Looking rather like shorn lambs in their trimmed state, Bedlingtons are graceful and lithe dogs. Their trimmed heads are covered with profuse topknots and in profile have a curved Roman nosed appearance. The heads are carried high on long necks which run into well arched backs and well angulated long hindlegs. The lowset tapering tails are scimitar shaped and should never be carried high. The elbows are wider apart than the feet when standing, the latter being long and hare shaped.
CHARACTERISTICS AND CARE
These dogs thrive on companionship and games with their owners. Their grace and speed make them unique in the terrier group and irrespective of their lamblike appearance, Bedlingtons display plenty of courage and speed. Free of doggy odours, they do however require regular grooming and periodic trimming to retain a neat appearance.
HISTORY
While the origin of this breed is rather obscure, the progenitors of the modern Bedlington were greatly valued by the nomadic gypsies. Early in the 18th century in England, these dogs were known as Rothbury or Northumberland Terriers and are believed to have incorporated crosses from both Otter Hounds and Dandie Dinmont Terriers. In later years, in order to increase the speed, breeders in the Northumberland town of Bedlington introduced some Whippet bloodlines. It was this last infusion that created the distinctive breed type that we know today. So besides fulfilling their original roles of rat and badger hunting, the wager loving gypsies now had a dog that could race as well.