466 The Dog Book 



dog's body, but that is what is aimed at in the BedHngton, hence the faking 

 and the attending disrepute into which the breed has fallen abroad. 



We rather doubt whether the fault should not be laid at the doors 

 of unqualified judges who took it for granted that the Bedlington is a wire- 

 haired dog, whereas he is not, but a dog of mixed coat of soft or woolly 

 feel, thickly shot with a wiry coat not any longer than the soft coat which in 

 many breeds would have been a thick pily undercoat. The extremely clever 

 judges of Yorkshire and the South, who evolve from their inner conscious- 

 ness requirements of dogs they know little about, decided that this double 

 coat must be all wrong, they had never seen it before, and as it was not right 

 in other terriers it could not be right in this breed. The result was that 

 to win under these wearers of the doggy ermine half the coat had to be taken 

 out. Finally this became the" custom to such an extent that no dog could 

 be shown with a chance of winning unless his coat was more or less tampered 

 with. 



One very natural result of such a condition of affairs must have been 

 that it mattered very little what kind of coat a dog might have that one 

 thought of breeding to, for the progeny would have to be prepared for the 

 ring anyway; also it was impossible to tell what kind of coat a dog had 

 naturally, and even if he had a really good coat it would be supposed that 

 it had been improved. We think that of late there has been some improve- 

 ment with regard to showing dogs more naturally, but as we have said with 

 respect to some other breeds, a dog that is not popular in his own country 

 or in England is not likely to succeed here, especially when there are so 

 many kinds possessing attractions already before the public. 



That the Bedlington has claims we readily admit, for in the way of 

 gameness none ranks higher. We sent a commission to England some 

 years ago for a fox terrier, thoroughly game, and one from Mr. Carrick's 

 kennel was sent, a son of Tom Firr, with the message that if he was not 

 game enough no fox terrier would do, and the buyer would have to get a 

 bull terrier or a Bedlington. That is their strongest claim, for while they 

 have decided symmetry in body and legs, yet the topknot and the peculiar 

 ears make them somewhat of an oddity. They are also rather quiet 

 dogs except when roused, and need knowing well before they can be 

 appreciated. 



Pedigrees have been traced farther back in the Bedlingtons than in 

 any breed of terriers, in fact than in any breed of dogs except greyhounds 



