Bedlington Terrier
It looks like a lamb and was bred to fight and to kill vermin, which is the whole joke of the breed. Fast enough to course a rabbit, and it never quits.
Photo by Petful.com, CC BY 2.0
Overview
The Bedlington Terrier looks like a lamb and was bred by Northumberland miners to kill vermin and to fight, which is an unusually large gap between appearance and purpose. The arched back, the tasselled ears and the crisp curly coat are all breed standard, and underneath is a fast, hard terrier.
It is built like a sighthound as much as a terrier, with the speed to match, and it was used for coursing as well as ratting.
Temperament
Affectionate and mild in the house and entirely different outdoors. Bedlingtons are gentle with their families, good with children and quiet indoors.
Outside they are fast, driven and serious about small animals. They can be dog aggressive, particularly with the same sex, and the fighting history is not entirely historical in some lines. Early socialisation matters.
Care and grooming
The crisp curly coat does not shed much and needs professional trimming every six to eight weeks plus brushing twice a week.
Copper toxicosis is the breed's defining health problem: an inherited disorder in which copper accumulates in the liver and eventually causes failure. It has a DNA test and no Bedlington should be bought without one for both parents.
Living and exercise
An hour a day with a chance to run in a secure space. They are much faster than they look.
They suit flats reasonably well given the exercise, since they are calm indoors. Eleven to sixteen years is a good span for the breed.
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