THE BEDLIXGTON TERRIER. 



365 



legg}^ which, if not checked, will spoil the 

 type of the breed. It is, therefore, very 

 important that size should be more studied 

 by judges than is at present the case. 

 The faults referred to arc doubtless the 



MR. HAROLD WARNES CH. MISS OLIVER 

 BY MEG DICK 



result of breeding for exceptionally long 

 heads, which seem to be the craze just now, 

 and, of course, one cannot get e.xtra long 

 heads without proportionately long bodies 

 and large size. If it were possible to do so, 

 then the dog would become a mere carica- 

 ture. 



Judges should take into consideration the 

 purposes for which the Bedlington is in- 

 tended, and ask themselves the question. 

 Could such and such a dog draw a badger or 

 bolt a fox ? If t!iis were done, the outsizcd 

 dog of 18 to 19 inches higli, and of about 

 28 to 30 lb. in weight, would be excluded 

 from the prize list, and soon disappear from 

 the show bench. 



As a sporting terrier the Bedlington holds 

 a position in the first rank. He is very 

 fast and enduring, and exceedingly pertina- 

 cious, and is equally at home on land and 

 in water. He will work an otter, draw a 

 badger, or bolt a fox, and he has no superior 

 at killing rats and all kinds of vermin. 

 He has an exceptionally fine nose, and makes 

 a very useful dog for rough shooting, being 

 easily taught to retrieve. If he has any 

 fault at all, it is that he is of too jealous a 

 disposition, which renders it almost im- 

 possible to work him with other dogs, as 

 he wants all the fun to himself, and if he 

 cannot get it he will fight for it. But by 



himself he is perfect. As a companion he 

 is peculiarly affectionate and faithful, and 

 remarkabl}^ intelligent ; he makes a capital 

 house-dog, is a good guard and is very safe 

 with children. 



With all these good qualities to his credit, 

 one naturally asks, How is it that he is not 

 more popular ? The answer is that he is 

 not sufficiently well known, and the reason 

 for this is that at our leading shows there 

 have in recent years been so few benched. 

 1 think that the trimming necessary to put 

 him down in the form which is at present the 

 fashion amongst Bedlington fanciers is the 

 principal cause of his want of popularity as 

 an exhibition dog. It is useless to show 

 an untrimmed Bedlington with any hope of 

 getting into the prize money, and so long 

 as that is the case I am afraid we shall not 

 make much headway. The breed requires 

 to get into more hands than it now is. 

 A stand against excessive trimming could 

 then be successfully made, and if it became 

 the fashion to show the dogs as Nature and 

 not as the barber makes them, then, and 

 then only, would they take their proper 

 and prominent place in the show ring. 



In spite of all these difficulties the Bed- 

 lington has held his head up, and a marked 



MR. HAROLD WARNES" CRANLEY BLUE BOY 

 BY SILVERSMITH CH. MISS OLIVER 



increase in the numbers exhibited has 

 recently been apparent. For instance, at 

 the National Terrier Show at Westminster 

 in 1907 there were eighteen benched, and at 



