History

From Bedlington in England, the Bedlington Terrier (also known as the Rothbury Terrier, Rodbery Terrier or Rothbury’s Lamb) was bred as a ratter as well as for other hunting duties.  

Appearance and Personality

The Bedlington is a small dog who is around 38 to 42 cm tall and weighs around 7 to 10.5kg, with females generally being smaller than males. Their colours are tan, sandy, blue, liver and mixtures of these colours and their life expectancy is around 11 to 16 years.

Bedlington are intelligent, active and have an independent streak. They are well suited to a household of experienced dog people who have plenty of time for training and exercise. They can do well at agility and other sports. They like to be the centre of attention and don’t always like to be around other animals, so early socialisation and training with other dogs, people and animals is important to ensure good manners later in life. Exercise caution when introducing a Bedlington Terrier to other small animals, as they may still retain some prey drive and can be aggressive towards small animals. They may be a better choice for families with older or no children than very little children. Bedlington Terriers can adapt to apartment living if they are given lots of exercise, entertainment, and attention as boredom and loneliness can result in destructive behaviour. They can be quite protective and can be good watchdogs, but barking may not be wanted by apartment dwellers.

Bedlington terriers have what is known as a “corked” coat which is woolly and does not shed. This means regular trips to the groomers are essential every 6-8 weeks. Make sure your Bedlington Terrier is on flea control and tick control if you are in a tick prone area, all year round.

Common Health Concerns

Skin and ear problems are not uncommon in Bedlington Terriers, as well as tummy upsets. Bedlington Terriers are also known for having a hereditary condition where the liver does not remove copper from the body, resulting in Copper Toxicosis. A low copper diet may be recommended by your vet if you have a Bedlington Terrier. 

According to PetSure claims data, from 2016 to 2020 the five most common reasons for  a Bedlington Terrier to visit the vet (excluding routine care visits) were:

RankConditionAverage cost for single treatment
(average pet insurance claim amount)
Highest cost for single treatment
(highest pet insurance claim seen for this condition)
1Skin conditions, including allergies$251$2,077
2Ear infection$195$2,043
3Gastrointestinal conditions$317$4,409
4Cancers & tumours$433$4,385
5Liver disease$347$1,904

Disclaimer: Reimbursement for these claims would be subject to limits, such as annual benefit limits or sub-limits, benefit percentage, applicable waiting periods and any applicable excess. Cover is subject to the policy terms and conditions. You should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or policy wording available from the relevant provider

For the same five-year period (2016-2020), the top five highest single vet treatments (or highest pet insurance claims) for insured Bedlington Terriers from PetSure claims data were:

RankConditionHighest Cost of treatment for condition 
(average pet insurance claim amount)
1Intestinal foreign body$4,891
2Canine haemorrhagic gastroenteritis$4,409
3Adrenal mass$4,385
4Lymphoma$3,554
5Cushing’s disease$2,255

Disclaimer: Reimbursement for these claims would be subject to limits, such as annual benefit limits or sub-limits, benefit percentage, applicable waiting periods and any applicable excess. Cover is subject to the policy terms and conditions. You should consider the relevant Product Disclosure Statement or policy wording available from the relevant provider

Most popular Bedlington Terrier names (PetSure data, 2015-2020)

Most popular names

  1. Sandy
  2. Charlie
  3. Pepper
  4. Bertie
  5. Dusty
  6. Henry
  7. Oliver
  8. Bob
  9. Cooper
  10. Gracie

Most popular female names 

  1. Pepper
  2. Dusty
  3. Gracie
  4. Maggie
  5. Rosie
  6. Ruby
  7. Sandy
  8. Skye
  9. Tia

Most popular male names:

  1. Charlie
  2. Sandy
  3. Bertie
  4. Henry
  5. Oliver
  6. Bob
  7. Cooper
  8. Joey
  9. Mickey
  10. Ryder

Did you know?

Possibly the most famous champion Bedlington Terrier show dogs, Ch. Rock Ridge Night Rocket was owned by the Rockefellers.

References

  1. The Bedlington Terrier Club of America, Inc, Ch. Rock Ridge Night Rocket, accessed on 11/03/2021, available at https://sites.rootsweb.com/~btca/BTCA-Rock%20Ridge%20Night%20Rocket.htm
  2. American Kennel Club, Bedlington Terrier, accessed on 11/03/2021, available at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/bedlington-terrier/
  3. VetStreet, Bedlington Terrier, accessed on 11/03/2021, available at http://www.vetstreet.com/dogs/bedlington-terrier

Pet insurance can help by covering a portion of the eligible vet bill if the unexpected happens. Because it is difficult to predict the costs of veterinary care, it can help to have measures in place to help prepare for the unexpected. Check out our partner network and explore our policy tools to find a pet insurance policy.

Not all conditions or items are covered by Pet Insurance. Refer to the applicable Product Disclosure Statement for information about coverage and exclusions.