CHAPTER XXVI 

 THE BEDLINGTON 



THE Bedlington is one of the least known of the 

 terrier family, and his warmest admirers cannot claim 

 for him that he is popular. Yet he has many 

 admirable qualities which recommend him to our 

 regard. He is quite unlike most other dogs. He 

 is good at vermin, most intelligent and tractable, 

 with all the companionable qualities that we could 

 desire. An old authority says of him that "he is 

 wiry, enduring, and in courage equal to the Bull- 

 dog, encountering otter, fox, or badger with the 

 greatest determination." His hard outer coat with 

 the soft under coat enable him to stand any weather. 

 Why is it, then, that we do not see hundreds of 

 Bedlingtons where we now see one? Probably the 

 reason may be found in the following very significant 

 sentence written to me by a most experienced breeder. 

 He says : "I have never seen a Bedlington that 

 had the slightest chance of winning unless it was 

 trimmed. They grow long hair all over them like 

 a Sheepdog out of coat. This is, no doubt, what 

 prevents them becoming more popular.-' Here, 

 doubtless, we have the explanation. The average 

 man is disappointed to find the smart-looking terrier 

 which he has bought growing an enormously long 

 woolly coat, which naturally destroys all shapeliness 



Book of the Dog. JQ 129 



