Bedlington Terrier Dog Breed

Posted by Jeanne on November 24, 2008

Bedlington Terriers are among the gamest and speediest of all terriers. They have few equals as rough sporting dogs and companions. They are unsurpassed ratters, and are of great utility in hunting vermin. Although they can go to ground, they are a bit too large for this purpose.

• Skull – Narrow, but deep and rounded; high at occiputs, and covered with a nice silky tuft or top-knot.
• Jaw – Long, tapering, sharp and muscular; as little stop as possible between the eyes, so as to form nearly a line from the nose-end along the jaw of the skull to the occiput. The lips close fitting and no flew.
• Eyes – Should be small and well sunk in head. The Blues should have a dark eye; the Blue-and-Tans, ditto, with amber shades; Livers, Sandies, and so on, a light brown eye.
• Nose – Large, well-angled. Blues and Blue-and-Tans should have black noses; Livers and Sandies flesh-colored.
• Teeth – Level or pincer-jawed.
• Ears – Moderately large, well formed, flat to the cheek, thinly covered and tipped with fine silky hair. They should be filbert-shaped.
• Leys – Of moderate length, not wide apart, straight and square set, and with good-sized feet, which are rather long.
• Tail – Thick at root, tapering to point, slightly feathered on lower side, 9 inches to n inches long, and scimitar-shaped.
• Neck and Shoulders – Neck long, deep at base, rising well from shoulders, which should be flat.
• Body – Long and well proportioned, flat ribbed and deep, not wide in chest, slightly arched back, well-ribbed up, with light quarters.
• Coat – Hard, with close bottom, and not lying flat to sides.
• Color – Dark-blue, blue-and-tan, liver, liver-and-tan, sandy, sandy-and-tan.
• Height – About 15 or 16 inches.
• Weight – Dogs about 24 pounds; bitches about 22 pounds.
• General Appearance – He is a light made-up lathy dog, but not shelly.