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Bedlington Terrier

The breeds · terrier

AKC Terrier · UKC Terrier · FCI standard 9

Bedlington Terrier.

FCI 9: utilization Terrier, Group 3 Section 1 (large and medium-sized terriers), without working trial; 'originally his role was to catch rabbits for the family pot, and a sporting dog he still remains'. UKC: considered the gamest terrier and best vermin killer by the local miners who developed it; a keen hunter. RKC: an excellent dispatcher of vermin from rabbit to fox; RKC page lists it as not a vulnerable native breed..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

13.7YRMedian lifespan13.4 to 14, measured on real dogs.
17 / 16INHeightdogs 16.5, bitches 15.5. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
17–23LBWeight, all linesbreed 17 to 23 lb.
1HRSExercise, every dayRKC: exercise up to 1 hour per day; size small; home: small house. AKC page: energy level 4 of 5, mental stimulation needs 3 of 5. AKC standard: 'noteworthy for endurance'; also gallops at great speed.. The constraint most homes get wrong.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 16.5 in (15 to 17.5) · bitches 15.5 in (15 to 17.5)

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1967

AKC and UKC print the same limits. Low and high also span the AKC page band (15 to 17.5 in, both sexes), per show every source; center is the standard's preferred height.

Weight

17 to 23 lb

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1967

Span of AKC/UKC and FCI.

Coat

AKC: very distinctive mixture of hard and soft hair standing well out from the skin, crisp but not wiry, tending to curl especially on head and face; colors blue, sandy, liver, each with or without tan; topknot lighter than the body. UKC: wool-like, never wiry, tending to twist. FCI 9: thick and linty, not wiry, distinct tendency to twist. RKC: does not shed.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1967

AKC, UKC and FCI agree.

Shedding

Shedding 1 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Heat tolerance

4 of 5 · AKC: distinctive mix of hard and soft hair standing well out from the skin, crisp, tending to curl; not over 1 in on the body in show trim. FCI 9: thick and linty, standing out from the skin, not wiry.

DerivedAKC breed standard, 1967

Derived from a short-trimmed, light-framed dog with a single-type linty coat (=4). No measured data.

How long they live, and what they cost

Measured on real dogs, with the sample and the spread. Never a guess.

Median lifespan

13.7 years (13.4 to 14)

MeasuredMcMillan KM, 2024

UK dogs, Dogs Trust table, accessed Oct 8 2026.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

RKC: exercise up to 1 hour per day; size small; home: small house. AKC page: energy level 4 of 5, mental stimulation needs 3 of 5. AKC standard: 'noteworthy for endurance'; also gallops at great speed.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band 'up to 1 hour' mapped to 60 minutes. The AKC energy band (4 of 5) is shown as text, not mapped; it reads higher than the RKC band.

Energy

4 of 5

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Grooming load

2 of 5 · RKC: grooming once a week; coat length medium; does not shed. AKC standard: in show trim the body coat must not exceed 1 in, legs slightly longer. AKC page: coat grooming frequency 3 of 5, shedding 1 of 5.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC 'once a week' mapped to 2. Show trim is clipping/scissoring; the RKC band reflects the pet coat.

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

FCI 9: utilization Terrier, Group 3 Section 1 (large and medium-sized terriers), without working trial; 'originally his role was to catch rabbits for the family pot, and a sporting dog he still remains'. UKC: considered the gamest terrier and best vermin killer by the local miners who developed it; a keen hunter. RKC: an excellent dispatcher of vermin from rabbit to fox; RKC page lists it as not a vulnerable native breed.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 9, 2026

FCI, UKC and RKC wording.

Primary game

UKC: vermin. RKC: vermin from rabbit to fox. FCI 9: rabbits. Wikipedia: valued by Rothbury workers for foxes, hares and badgers; an otter hunter kept Bedlingtons; rabbit coursing and racing; 'house-dog, gun-dog, rat-dog, badger-dog, or, if needed, bolt a fox'.

Breed clubUnited Kennel Club

Registries state vermin, rabbit and fox; Wikipedia is editorial.

Also used on

Wikipedia: rabbit coursing and racing dogs until the Whippet displaced them in that role; badger work (inexperienced terriers were often badly injured by attacking the badger); an otter hunter kept them; later dog agility and the show ring. Crossed with Whippets to produce a lurcher with 'extra guts, pep and fire'.

EditorialWikipedia

Editorial; the old sources it quotes were not read.

Search pattern

AKC: 'noteworthy for endurance, Bedlingtons also gallop at great speed, as their body outline clearly shows.' UKC: body style shows him capable of galloping for sustained periods. FCI 9: capable of galloping at high speed. Wikipedia: because of the Whippet in the lineage, a tendency to bolt; bark described as hound-like; sharp and plucky.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1967

Speed is stated by AKC, UKC and FCI; the Whippet blood and the tendency to bolt are Wikipedia only. UKC history notes the breed was crossed with several terrier types and then the Whippet. No source states single or pack work.

Field trial standard

FCI 9: Group 3 Terriers, Section 1, 'without working trial'. No earthdog or field-test rules read.

Breed clubFCI-Standard N° 9, 2026

FCI classification only.

Water work

Wikipedia: as quick in water as on land; swimming speed said to rival the Newfoundland's. No registry source states water work.

EditorialWikipedia

Single editorial source quoting an old text; not read at the original.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Most common disorders

BTCA recommends screening every Bedlington for copper toxicosis, patellar luxation and an ACVO eye exam at 12 months or older. Wikipedia: UK 2004 survey leading causes of death were old age 23%, urologic 15% and hepatic 12.5% (copper toxicosis the leading hepatic cause); living-dog owner reports led by reproductive, heart murmur and eye problems (epiphora, retinal dysplasia, cataracts); high incidence of kidney problems.

Breed clubBedlington Terrier Club of America, 2026

BTCA is the breed club; the UK survey figures are Wikipedia's account of the cited survey, not read at the source.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 4; Mental Stimulation Needs 3; Trainability Level 3; Barking Level 3; Watchdog/Protective Nature 4; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 3; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 1; Coat Grooming Frequency 3; Drooling Level 1; Affectionate With Family 3; Playfulness Level 3; Adaptability Level 3.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 8 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Bedlington, Rothbury Terrier

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