We have agility Bedlingtons that have earned MACH titles up to the 9th level. We have UDX Bedlingtons in obedience and some high achievers in Rally. Not surprisingly, the Master EarthDog titleholders are quite numer- ous. Greatly surprising are the few Bed- lingtons that are Schutzhund dogs. Bedlingtons are a low population breed with less than 200 individual dog registrations recorded every year. However, the breed enjoys an enthu- siastic fancy, with a parent club that “A BEDLINGTON HAS NEVER GONE WANTING FOR CARE AND A NEW HOME, thanks to some conscientious and dedicated fanciers.”
boasts over 300 members and exhibi- tors that finish conformation titles on at least 50 dogs a year. We are fortunate to have a wealth of literature about the breed, considering it’s low population. A comprehensive bibliography can be found on the parent club’s website, bedlingtonamerica.com. Th e breed books are richly illustrated with photo- graphs, and there are several authored by Muriel Lee and some from experts in the mother country of our breed in Great Britain, Ken Bounden and Ian Phillips.
The breed is most fortunate to have been chosen as a subject for the original research to develop a molecular genet- ics test to identify carriers of a major hereditary disease, inherited copper toxicosis. Many affected dogs would succumb to liver failure, some prior to their third birthday. The test developed at the University of Michigan in 1994 has now virtually eradicated the disease in the breed and became the impetus for the formation of the AKC Canine Health Foundation.
4 )08 4 *()5 . "(";*/& . ": t
Powered by FlippingBook