Bedlington Terrier: description and content of the breed

Graceful and cute dogs breed Bledlington Terrier can be a decoration for any home. On the street, such a dog, resembling 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 get acquainted with the peculiarities of its nature and content.

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

Then a hunter from the nearest village of Bedlington, Joseph Ainsley, became interested in the new breed. In the 20s of the XIX century, he began to breed rotter terrier puppies and later these dogs began to be called the 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 has been amended.

The presented breed combines in its appearance grace, refinement and at the same time plasticity and strength. At the same time, despite the powerful body, there is no coarseness and massiveness in this dog. Usually males have a height of 45 cm, females - up to 40.5 cm. Weight is in the range of 8.2-10.4 kg.

It can be assumed that the distant ancestors of the representatives of this breed were greyhounds, since the builds of these two dogs are quite similar. For example, the bedlington has a similar elongated skull, an arch in the form of an arch, a deep chest, and a pursed stomach.

The eyes of a purebred specimen 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 silver coloring and tan, the eyes are slightly lighter, in brown dogs - light brown. The ears are triangular with rounded long-haired tips, low, hanging down along the cheeks.

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

The structure of the wool in these individuals is very unusual: it is thick, it does not fit the body, it is curly-faced, especially the curls are pronounced on the head. The thicker the undercoat, the more silky and pale the coat.

For purebred dogs, colors such as blue, sandy, blue with tan, brown, brown with tan Animals with black-haired or speckled wool are not allowed to breed and participate in the exhibition, such individuals can only be used as companions.

The color of the dogs of the presented breed is interesting also by the fact that even experienced breeders can never say exactly what color the grown puppy will be. The color of the dog changes in the first two years of life, and its specificity is influenced by time of year, state of health, emotional background, pregnancy and childbirth. Born puppy always has black or brown wool, which grows brighter as the dog grows and sometimes becomes almost snow-white with a slight pigmentation.

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

Often these seemingly cute creatures manifest a fighting spirit, which they tried to smooth over during the selection process, but the hunting blood still won, and the breeders' attempts didn’t lead to anything. This self-will can manifest itself with illiterate maintenance and improper upbringing, so in many ways the character of this dog depends on the experience and patience of the owner.

The average size of the dog does not prevent her bravely rush to a higher and more powerful opponent. Often this is expressed when meeting with the enemy, who, according to the dog, threatens its owner. This is a self-sufficient animal that knows its worth. Courage, poise, intelligence, loyalty - all these features characterize the bedlington terrier.

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

To strangers, these animals are patient, curious, but their insight and sensitivity often allow guests to see “through”, therefore the person who is thought to cause harm to the owner, the bedlington will be incredulous and may show hostility. These dogs are also quite reserved with other pets, but always show themselves to be leaders and can be jealous of the owner.

These dogs love to spend time in nature, which is again due to the hunting instinct. Active games, swimming, digging holes, running after rodents and birds - favorite activities of bedlington.

Despite the lively lifestyle and the eternal desire to delve into the ground, these are quite clean animals. For example, pursuing prey in rainy weather, the dog will always jump over puddles whenever possible. This accuracy and tidiness manifests itself in the house, for example, representatives of this breed are rarely noticed for damage to things in the absence of the owner.

Bedlingtons are fun, active, playful, they can mess around for a long time with toys, especially love balls, but this proud dog won't share their other pets with other pets.

The most important criterion in the maintenance of bedlington - the correct range. This part is given special attention. The walk should be long and complete, the dog should run into plenty, and these dogs rarely run away from the owner, who pulled them off the leash.

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

It is recommended to frequently change the place of walking, as these dogs love new impressions. You can acquaint them with new people and dogs, take them out to nature, and take them to noisy places.

It is possible to lower an animal from a leash during a walk only in checked places, for example, in a country house outside the city or on a special dog platform.The dog, lowered in the city, can get involved in a fight with a met dog or begin to pursue urban rodents, which are often poisoned. In cold weather, these dogs feel more comfortable than in heat. Allowed to take them with you for a morning jog, hiking, cycling.

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

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

When mowing the muzzle, the hair is cut in the ear zone, the groomer leaves the rhombus-shaped tassels at the tips, and the tail is made smooth. In this case, each individual type of haircut is selected individually, takes into account not only the structure of the body, but even the sex and age of the animal.

In the summertime, the shortest haircut is usually performed for representatives of this breed. Bedlingtons do not like heat and in a loose “coat” they will feel more comfortable. If the animal does not take part in the exhibition, then you can completely give up the haircut, but the specific wool will become the eternal carrier of street garbage, snowballs, with time it will pile up, will look very sloppy and may become a source of skin problems.

Representatives of this breed do not need regular bathing, It is enough to carry out bath procedures 3-4 times a year or before the exhibition. Each month, the pet is clipped into claws and eliminates hair between fingers and pads. If the hairs are not removed, then on this area in the process of walking will be stuck pebbles, chewing gum, forming mats.

The owner should pay special attention to the health of the dog. In general, these animals have good health, but, like most pedigree 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 rejection of sick individuals and carriers and to avoid the emergence of unhealthy offspring.

• Dislocation of the patella. It can be either congenital or acquired. Sometimes it may not be accompanied by symptoms, but more often diagnosed when examining the causes of canine lameness. With particularly severe stages, surgery is possible.

• Renal hypoplasia. It is an abnormal development of the kidneys. In this case, the animal constantly feels thirst and, as a result, often urinates. This is how renal failure manifests itself.

• Retinal dysplasia. Congenital defect. 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, but sick individuals are eliminated when breeding.

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

As already noted, copper toxicosis often affects dogs of a given breed, so it is important to be attentive to pet feeding. Usually, dry ready food is 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 is permissible to give sea fish. Do not forget about carbohydrates, for example, rice, millet, buckwheat, and red vegetables will be beneficial to a dog's body.

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

If the owner still prefers ready-made dry food, then it should certainly be a premium or super premium product. In this case, the owner must consult with a veterinary specialist.

Raising a puppy should begin in early childhood. Despite the intelligence, intelligence and high intelligence, the training of these dogs is not so simple, because, in addition to this, they have stubbornness, and sometimes show aggressiveness.

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 its appearance in the new family. Then the dog will not perceive the other animal as prey or rival.

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

Noticing the weak point of a loved one, the dog will use it and eventually turn into an uncontrollable animal. Therefore, during classes, the host must be firm, consistent, but not coarse and not soft.

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

If the 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 plot. Also, at a younger age, puppies love to bark loudly, which often becomes the cause of discontent of the owners and their neighbors. It is also important to wean the infant cub from this manner. Can help in this situation special toys, which need to leave a new pet in the absence of the owner.

The puppy brought to the house should immediately learn that the owner is a human here. Basic team training starts at 2–3 months of age. You can train your dog in the form of a game. The first lessons are held in a couple of minutes, gradually the time of study increases.

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

The following video will tell you about the breed of bedlington terrier.