Bedlington Terrier: description and content of the breed

Graceful and cute dogs of the breed Bedlington Terrier can become a decoration of any home. On the street, such a dog, reminiscent of the exterior of a curly lamb, just will not leave others indifferent. But before you start this rather rare and expensive dog, it is important to familiarize yourself with the features of its nature and content.

The first Bedlington Terriers appeared in the second half of the 18th century, and the city of Rothbury Forest in Northumberland is considered their homeland. At that moment, the breed was called the Rotbury Terrier. The first breeder is considered gypsy hunter James Piper Allen. There is no information about which breeds are the ancestors of the Bedlington, but it is known that the gypsy managed to bring out two varieties: dandy-dinmont terriers and rotbury terriers.

Further, a hunter from the nearby village of Bedlington Joseph Ainsley became interested in the new breed. In the 20s of the XIX century, he began to breed puppies of the Rotbury terriers and later these dogs began to be called Bedlington terriers. In 1867, the breed standard was adopted, and in 1877, connoisseurs of these dogs founded the National Club of breed lovers. In 2010, the standard was last amended.

The breed presented combines in its appearance grace, sophistication and at the same time plasticity and strength. Moreover, despite the powerful body, there is no rudeness and massiveness in this dog. Usually, males are up to 45 cm tall, bitches up to 40.5 cm.Weight is between 8.2-10.4 kg.

It can be assumed that the distant ancestors of the representatives of this breed were greyhounds, since the compositions of these two dogs are quite similar. For example, bedlington has a similar elongated skull, an arch-shaped lower back, a deep chest, a tight stomach.

The eyes of a purebred individual are deep-set, have the shape of a triangle. If the color of the coat is silver-black, then the eyes have a dark shade, in dogs with a silver color with a tan, the eyes are slightly lighter, in brown dogs it is light brown. Ears are triangular with rounded long-haired tips, located low, hanging down along the cheeks.

The tail at the base is thickened, of medium length, narrow at the end and slightly curved. Above on the back, the animal never holds it.

The structure of the hair in these individuals is very unusual: it is thick, does not adhere to the body, curls, especially curls are pronounced on the head. The thicker the undercoat, the silky and paler the coat.

For purebred dogs, colors such as blue, sand, tan blue, brown, tan brown. For breeding and participation in the exhibition animals with black or mottled wool are not allowed, such individuals can only be used as companions.

The color of the dogs of this breed is also interesting because even experienced breeders can never tell with accuracy what color a grown puppy will be. The color of the dog changes in the first two years of life, and its specificity is affected by the time of year, state of health, emotional background, the presence of pregnancy and childbirth. A born puppy always has black or brown hair, which brightens as the dog grows and sometimes becomes almost snow-white with little pigmentation.

These dogs have a very multifaceted character, they combine English self-control and intelligence, but at the same time they are furious hunters. These are independent animals, they are well thought out and easy to learn.

Often these seemingly cute creatures show a fighting character, which they tried to smooth out during the selection process, but the hunting blood still won, and the efforts of the breeders didn’t lead to anything. This self-will can be manifested with illiterate maintenance and improper upbringing, therefore, in many respects the nature of this dog depends on the experience and patience of the owner himself.

The average size of the dog does not prevent her from bravely rushing at a higher and more powerful opponent. Often this is expressed when meeting an enemy who, in the opinion of the dog, threatens its owner. This is a self-sufficient animal that knows its worth. Courage, poise, quick-wittedness, loyalty - all these features characterize the Bedlington Terrier.

Among the positive characteristics, it is worth noting the patient attitude towards children, both to small and to adolescents. Such a dog is suitable for families with children, and if in childhood the dog will steadfastly bear all children's pranks, then as the small owner grows up he will gradually become an active participant in all children's games. This dog will not tolerate a rude and obsessive attitude from an adult.

These animals are patient and curious to strangers, however their insight and sensitivity often allow them to see the guest through and through, therefore, Bedlington will be incredulous and hostile to a person who, in the dog’s opinion, can harm the owner. These dogs are also rather restrained to other pets, but they always show themselves as leaders and can be jealous of the owner.

These dogs love to spend time in nature, which again is due to the hunting instinct. Active games, swimming, digging holes, running after rodents and birds are Bedlington's favorite pastimes.

Despite a mobile lifestyle and an eternal desire to delve into the earth, these are pretty neat animals. For example, in pursuit of prey in rainy weather, the dog will always jump over puddles whenever possible. This neatness and neatness is also manifested in the house, for example, representatives of this breed are rarely seen spoiling things in the absence of the owner.

Bedlingtons are funny, active, playful, can fiddle with toys for a long time, especially like balls, but this proud dog will not share their toys with other pets.

The most important criterion in the content of bedlington is proper walking. This part is given special attention. The walk should be long and full, the dog should run in full, while these dogs rarely run away from the owner, who pulled them off the leash.

It is important to let the dog pour out its irrepressible energy during sports games, for example, agility, freestyle, coursing and frisbee. If the animal manages to completely use up its energy, then its content is allowed even in small-sized housing.

It is recommended to often change the place of walking, as these dogs love new experiences. You can introduce them to new people and dogs, take them out into the countryside, and take them to noisy places.

It is possible to lower the animal from the leash during a walk only in proven places, for example, in a country house outside the city or on a special dog site. A dog down in the city can get into a fight with a male dog or start haunting city rodents, which are often poisoned. In cold weather, these dogs feel more comfortable than in hot weather.. It is allowed to take them with you on a morning run, on a hike, on a bike ride.

According to the owners of the Bedlington, these animals do not fade. But this is not entirely true, just the hair of these dogs is almost invisible on the home carpet. Therefore, the dog is recommended to comb out a couple of times a week. Twice during the summer, the pet needs a haircut, in winter, wool can be cut less often.

If Bedlington is exhibitor, then It is important to trust a haircut only to a professional groomer. This procedure is performed differently for each part of the body. So, for an exhibition specimen, the length of the hair should not exceed 2.5 cm, while the maximum length of hairs can be on the head and body.

When cutting the muzzle, the hair is trimmed in the area of ​​the ears, at the tips of the groomer leaves brushes in the shape of rhombuses, and the tail is made smooth. In this case, each individual species of haircut is selected individually, not only the structure of the body, but even the sex and age of the animal is taken into account.

In the summer, representatives of this breed usually have the shortest possible haircut. Bedlingtons do not like heat and in a loose "coat" will feel more comfortable. If the animal does not take part in the exhibition, then you can completely refuse to cut, but the specific wool will become an eternal carrier of street debris, snowballs, over time it will fall off, it will look very messy and can become a source of skin problems.

Representatives of this breed do not need regular bathing, it is enough to conduct bath procedures 3-4 times a year or before the exhibition. Each month, the claws are trimmed to the pet and the hair between the fingers and the pads is removed. If the hairs are not removed, then on this site during the walk pebbles, chewing gum will get stuck, tangles will form.

The owner must pay special attention to the health of the dog. In general, these animals have good health, but, like most thoroughbred individuals, they are prone to some hereditary and genetic diseases. The following diseases are considered the most common.

• Copper toxicosis. With this disease, copper accumulates in the body. In recent years, DNA studies have allowed the screening of sick individuals and carriers and avoiding the appearance of unhealthy offspring.

• Dislocation of the patella. It can be either a congenital malformation or an acquired one. Sometimes it may not be accompanied by symptoms, but more often diagnosed by examining the causes of canine lameness. In especially severe stages, surgery is possible.

• Renal hypoplasia Represents abnormal development of the kidneys. In this case, the animal constantly feels thirst and, as a result, often urinates. So renal failure manifests itself.

• Retinal dysplasia. Congenital malformation. It is diagnosed at the age of 7-12 weeks. Especially does not affect the quality of life of the dog and rarely leads to loss of vision, however, sick individuals are eliminated during breeding.

To avoid other dangerous diseases, viruses and infections, the owner must vaccinate the dog every year and treat it from parasites. It is also important to initially choose a healthy puppy. When buying a four-legged friend, carefully study all the information and reviews about the breeder and carefully read the list of documents provided.

As already noted, copper toxicosis often affects dogs of this breed, so it is important to be careful about feeding the pet. Dry pedigree is usually recommended for purebred dogs, but bedlington is an exception. In this case, it is better to give preference to natural food.

The basis of the diet should be beef, chicken, offal, a couple of times a week it is permissible to give sea fish. Do not forget about carbohydrates, for example, rice, millet, buckwheat, red vegetables will be useful for the canine organism.

Sausages, sweets, potatoes, food from the table should be excluded from the menu. An adult animal needs two meals a day without snacking. Knowing the peculiarity of the body of the representatives of this breed to accumulate copper, it is important to regularly take tests to make sure that the proposed type of feeding is suitable for a particular dog.

If the owner still prefers the finished dry food, then this must certainly be a premium or super premium product. In this case, the owner must consult with a veterinarian.

Raising a puppy should begin in early childhood. Despite their intelligence, quick wits and high intelligence, the training of these dogs is not so simple, because, in addition to this, they are stubborn, and sometimes they are aggressive.

If there are cats or other pets in the house, then the puppy should be introduced to the four-legged neighbor from the first days of his appearance in the new family. Then the dog will not perceive the other animal as a prey or rival.

During training, the owner should not show weakness, but in no case should be rude or cruel. Seeing that the owner is angry, the dog will be very worried about this, and his frustrated face will melt the heart of the owner. But this is precisely the big mistake of the owner.

Having noticed the weak spot of a loved one, the dog will take advantage of this and eventually turn into an uncontrollable animal. Therefore, during classes, the owner should be firm, consistent, but not rude and not soft.

When raising a puppy you need to stock up on goodies. Also, these dogs, which quickly become attached to the owner, respond well to affection. These techniques will be needed, for example, in accustoming a new family member to the diaper.

If a puppy is brought up in a private house, then it is worth it from childhood to wean him from the habit of digging holes in the area. Also at a young age, puppies like to bark loudly, which often causes dissatisfaction with the owners and their neighbors.It is also important to wean from this manner of canine cub from childhood. Can help in this situation special toysthat you need to leave a new pet in the absence of the owner.

The puppy brought to the house must immediately learn that the owner is a person. Basic team training starts at the age of 2-3 months. You can train your dog in a playful way. The first lessons take place in a couple of minutes, gradually the time of classes increases.

In order for a hunting dog kept in apartment conditions to completely spend its energy, you can offer it some kind of sport. For example, bedlingtons are often used in agility. During this game, the animal fully implements its hunting skills and therefore learns this sport easily.

The following video will tell about the breed Bedlington Terrier.