Bedlington Terrier

The Bedlington Terrier is a dog that looks as if it may have been deliberately bred as a lady's pet. Its unusual clipping makes it looks like a sweet timid little lamb. But this is a misconception. Americans have described him as the dog with "a lion's heart and a lamb's face". A descendant of the Whippet and the Dandie Iinmont, the Bedlington was raised two hundred years ago by English miners from the village of Bedlington who had anything but drawing room intentions for him. Their companion had not only to hunt fox, badgers, and pheasant, but also, and above all, he had to be a keen adversary of the rat. Down in the mines, rats over nine inches long were common. In 1825, a fourteen year old Bedlington that was decrepit, toothless, and blind, managed to draw a badger out of its lair. The old dog was carried off in triumph by the miners and declared the "model Bedlington". After work, the miners organized real competitions in rat catching, with noisy betting and brawling. On holidays, they turned from rat catching to racing, and because of this, the dog with the lamb's face is still named "the miners racehorse".

Still bred today by miners who mean to keep his primitive gifts of aggressiveness intact, the Bedlington is universally considered a family pet. He is affectionate, devoted, and intelligent. He is not quarrelsome and reacts violently only if provoked.

The Bedlington has a coat of thick, rough hair that is slightly curly. The coat may be gray, blue, liver, or sand with tan markings.