Skip to content
Border terrier standing on rocks in the Lake District fells

Bedlington Terrier breeders

About the Bedlington Terrier The Bedlington Terrier takes its name from the mining town of Bedlington in Northumberland, and a little further north it was once known as the Rothbury Terrier.

{"hide_search_input":false,"hide_near_input":false,"input_size":"","bar_flex_wrap":"","bar_flex_wrap_md":"","bar_flex_wrap_lg":"","input_border":"","input_border_opacity":"","input_rounded_size":"","btn_bg":"","btn_rounded_size":"","btn_rounded_size_md":"","btn_rounded_size_lg":"","bg":"","mt":"","mr":"","mb":"3","ml":"","pt":"","pr":"","pb":"","pl":"","border":"","rounded":"","rounded_size":"","rounded_size_md":"","rounded_size_lg":"","shadow":"","css_class":""}

Advertise your Bedlington Terrier puppies, litters and stud dogs

Breed Bedlington Terriers? Add your kennel to caninebreeder.co.uk, the independent UK breeder directory, so buyers looking for Bedlington Terrier puppies for sale can find your litters and get in touch. You can advertise Bedlington Terrier puppies for sale, list a Bedlington Terrier stud dog, and show your COMMD1 and eye results, breed club membership and location on your profile. A basic breeder profile is free. Add your kennel or see pricing for featured options.

No breeders are listed here yet, so the first profiles get the page to themselves.

  • Free basic profile: your breeder or company name, website, social media, location, breeds and industries.
  • Litters and stud dogs advertised in their own sections, never mixed with puppies for sale.
  • Premium showcase for your services and prices, previous customers, awards, video, gallery and health certificates, with your phone and email shown to buyers.
  • Sponsored articles about your breed or industry, written and published by our team.
  • Featured placement at the top of this page, labelled as sponsored.

Create your free breeder profile Advertise a litter Advertise a stud dog

Is it free to advertise here?

Yes. A breeder profile and your litter and stud dog adverts are free. Premium profiles, featured placement and sponsored articles are optional paid extras; see pricing.

Do I need a licence to advertise puppies?

In England you need a dog breeding licence from your council if you breed three or more litters in 12 months or breed and sell dogs as a business, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes. Licensed breeders show their licence number and issuing council on every advert. Puppies must be at least eight weeks old before they go to new homes.

Is my listing already here?

We add licensed breeders from councils' public registers. Search for your kennel name; if it is listed you can claim it and edit everything.

About the Bedlington Terrier

About the Bedlington Terrier

The Bedlington Terrier takes its name from the mining town of Bedlington in Northumberland, and a little further north it was once known as the Rothbury Terrier. It belongs to the Royal Kennel Club (RKC) Terrier group. Its ancestry is disputed, with the Bull Terrier, the Otterhound and possibly the Dandie Dinmont among the suggested contributors, but its job was plain: despite a lamb-like look, it was a vermin dog able to tackle anything from rabbits to foxes.

The breed is on the RKC's list of vulnerable native breeds, which covers British and Irish breeds registering under 300 dogs each year. The RKC recorded 188 Bedlington registrations in 2025, down from 291 in 2024. Read more on our vulnerable native breeds page.

Size and build

The standard describes a graceful, lithe and muscular dog, showing neither weakness nor coarseness, with a pear- or wedge-shaped head and a natural arch over the loin. Height is about 41 cm at the withers, with a little allowance below for bitches and above for dogs, and weight is 8 to 10 kg. The RKC classes the breed as small, suited to a small house and a small to medium garden in town or country, and gives a lifespan of over 10 years.

Coat and grooming

The coat is what most people notice first. It is thick and linty, stands away from the body rather than lying flat, should not feel wiry, and tends to twist, above all on the head and face. Accepted colours are blue, liver and sandy, each with or without tan; blues and blue and tans have black noses, while livers and sandies have brown ones. The RKC lists the breed as non-shedding, with grooming once a week. Both the Bedlington Terrier Association and the Midland Bedlington Terrier Club have held grooming events, and the Midland club has run trimming workshops.

Exercise and temperament

The RKC suggests up to an hour of exercise a day. The standard asks for a spirited, confident and intelligent companion with strong sporting instincts: good tempered, affectionate and dignified, never shy or nervous, gentle at rest but brave when roused. Keep that sporting streak in mind when you work on recall. Browse Bedlington Terrier breeders or the wider Terrier group.

Bedlington Terrier health tests

Health and screening

The inherited condition most associated with the breed is copper toxicosis (CT), in which copper builds up in the liver and causes liver disease. The RKC lists a DNA test for the COMMD1 form of CT as Good Practice, the minimum before breeding, and eye testing under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme as Best Practice. COMMD1-related CT is autosomal recessive: a dog with one copy of the deletion is a carrier, and a dog with two copies is affected.

The RKC notes that CT may have other genetic causes not yet identified, and the UK breed clubs stress the same point. The Midland Bedlington Terrier Club says the COMMD1 test is not 100% conclusive and that liver biopsy remains the only definitive test, while the Bedlington Terrier Association reports dogs with clear or carrier COMMD1 results later diagnosed with CT. The Bedlington Terrier Health Group, set up jointly by the three UK breed clubs, is recruiting RKC-registered dogs for research with the Canine Genetic Centre at the University of Cambridge.

The breed is in Breed Watch Category 2, with cracked and/or corny pads listed for special attention by judges.

  • DNA test: copper toxicosis (COMMD1) (RKC Good Practice; included in the RKC DNA testing package for the breed)
  • BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme (RKC Best Practice)
  • Breed Watch: Category 2 (cracked and/or corny pads)

Choosing a Bedlington Terrier breeder

Choosing a Bedlington Terrier breeder

A careful Bedlington breeder DNA tests breeding stock for COMMD1 copper toxicosis and is honest about what that result can and cannot tell you. The parents should also have been examined under the BVA/KC/ISDS Eye Scheme, and results for RKC-registered dogs can be checked on the Health Test Results Finder. With so few Bedlingtons registered each year, it is also worth asking about the inbreeding coefficient of the mating.

You should see the puppies with their mother, and every puppy must be microchipped and registered by eight weeks old. In England, a council breeding licence is required for a dog breeding business advertising dogs for sale, and for anyone who breeds three or more litters in 12 months and sells any of the puppies. The Midland Bedlington Terrier Club has a puppy register on its website, and our buyer safety guide explains what to check before paying.

  • What are the COMMD1 results for the sire and dam?
  • When were both parents last eye tested under the BVA/KC/ISDS scheme?
  • Has liver disease been diagnosed in the parents or any close relatives?
  • What is the inbreeding coefficient of this litter?
  • Will you show me how to groom the coat, and which breed club do you belong to?

Bedlington Terrier questions

Do Bedlington Terriers shed?

The RKC lists the Bedlington as a breed that does not shed. Its thick, linty coat still needs grooming about once a week, and the Midland Bedlington Terrier Club has run grooming and trimming workshops. If anyone at home has allergies, spend time with adult Bedlingtons before committing.

What is copper toxicosis in Bedlington Terriers?

It is an inherited disease in which copper from the diet builds up in the liver and causes liver disease. The RKC recommends a DNA test for the COMMD1 form before breeding, but notes that other genetic causes may exist. The Midland Bedlington Terrier Club says the test is not 100% conclusive and that liver biopsy is the only definitive test.

Is the Bedlington Terrier a rare breed?

It is on the RKC's list of vulnerable native breeds, which covers British and Irish breeds registering under 300 dogs each year. The RKC recorded 188 Bedlington registrations in 2025.

How big is a Bedlington Terrier?

The breed standard gives a height of about 41 cm at the withers, with slight variation allowed between dogs and bitches, and a weight of 8 to 10 kg. The RKC classes it as a small breed.

More for Bedlington Terrier owners and breeders

Official sources