Should you get a Bedlington Terrier?

Bedlington Terriers. No doubt they’re cute but they’re also really stubborn. They have a mind of their own and when they don’t want to do something they just simply don’t. When you ask for their paw, they simply look at you and ask “Why? What’s in it for me?”.

Philosophical Bertie

Bedlington Terriers are an English breed, originally bred to go down in the mines and hunt for rodents. You can easily tell this by their hunting instinct. Let’s just say that cats seem to be their worst enemy! Bertie even broke his leg, when he was puppy, in his chase for a cat (it took about nine months to heal and was rather disastrous).

What’s funny however is that although cats are an issue since Bertie grew up with guinea pigs, rodents weren’t so much of a problem. He would even lick them clean and we were never afraid of him being near them.

This divided personality is what defines Bedlington Terriers. They think for themselves and this can be a bit of a challenge. If you want a dog that is easily trainable and will listen to you 24/7 then don’t get a Bedlington. But if you want a breed that (from my experience) is good with children, is funny and loves to go walks but also equally loves to be lazy and cuddly then this is the breed for you.

There is never a dull moment when there is a Bedlington around, but they can be quite destructive and bark quite a lot. They can also be quite territorial (especially over chew toys) so do mindful of this.

Overall a Bedlington Terrier is a commitment but one that gives you more positives than negatives. They have a big personality but that is what makes them so unique. They’re an unusual breed but when you get them you become obsessed. Made obvious through the many Bedlington Terrier Facebook groups there are.