Bedlington (en)

This little "lamb chop" of the Terrier group is quite the wolf in sheep's clothing! Never one to pick a fight, he will nonetheless, not walk away from it either. As with most Terriers, he originated as someone's fancy for ratting or vermin catching and grew to family living status and also recognition with a breed club back in 1877 in England.

His distinctive coat is one of a kind amongst the Terriers. Their coat is thick and linty, standing well out from the skin. It is not wiry but crisp and tends to twist, particularly on head & face.

The Beddy coat is all in the preparation. Get that coat bathed and dried correctly and your job of trimming and finishing is easier. This is not an easy coat to master. Having said that, once you have the routine down pat and do it correctly the results show, you never forget! The trick is to bath and dry it properly so that the coat stays in place giving you a better surface to work on.

The greatest hallmark of this breed is its unique head. For this use Plush Puppy Let's Face It is what the dog showing world has needed for way too long. Another one of the famous Plush Puppy products with the latest technology and the highest amounts of naturally sourced ingredients has developed a product that is a must! This is a hypoallergenic sulfate free low foaming shampoo designed for faces. It's no tear formula with the highest quality Blue Cypress Extracts, Panthenol with Pro-Vitamin B and SugaNate. These special ingredients clean soothes, adds moisture, aids healing, and anti-inflammatory benefits. A small golf ball sized amounts directly to the face and eye area allows you to thoroughly clean without causing irritation. Can be used in and around ears also with the same benefits. Its low foaming design allows easy rinsing yet complete cleaning.

Best shampoo for the Bedlington is Plush Puppy Body Building Shampoo to give correct lift for the coat to stand out from the skin as the breed standard requires. Dilute this 5:1 i.e. 5 parts water to one part shampoo. At times, you may wish to add Plush Puppy Herbal Whitening Shampoo which is not a lightening shampoo but in fact, a toning shampoo, neutralising unwanted warm yellow/red tones in the coat. For that, mix 1/2 and 1/2 Whitening Shampoo and Body Building Shampoo together and dilute 5:1. This will give that required lift to the coat and at the same time, mellow out the colour. You get to do two things in the one procedure.

For those requiring a bit more crispness to the coat try Plush Puppy Texture + Shampoo is another product formulated using the latest technology to retain and improve coat texture. Formulated to thoroughly yet gently cleanse and without softening or compromising texture. It's ideal for boosting body and coarseness in coats of all colours and coat types. Formulated to be pH controlled, creates/ maintains texture, easy to rinse out and low irritant with a subtle apple fragrance. Incorporates Gentian Root Extract, Juniper Fruit Extract, St John's Wort Leaf Extract, Norway Spruce Leaf Extract, Hayflower Extract, Lemon Balm Leaf Extract, Arnica Flower Extract. Use dilute up to 1:10 or apply undiluted directly to areas requiring cleansing. Rinse thoroughly.

After shampooing and fully rinsing, don't use a conditioner for this type of coat as it will just make the coat fluffy and lose the texture. Use instead Plush Puppy Reviva Coat worked well into the coat and then rinse off. We usually don't rinse Reviva coat out but in this case, for this coat, you do. You want texture and correct texture. If you feel you must use a conditioner then dilute Plush Puppy Silk Protein Conditioner 1 teaspoon to 1 litre/2 pint warm water and sluice through the ear tassels and maybe part of the body and rinse thoroughly and I mean thoroughly. Reviva coat is the better option every time and I only mention conditioner if you have a very dry coat that needs remedial help. The Reviva coat is a non-greasy moisturising mousse that hydrates and adds moisture but doesn't alter texture like a regular conditioner will. Just perfect for a Beddy.

Like many breeds, the Bedlington too will undergo various coat stages. At times you may wish for more coat and if your dog is out of coat or you just want a thicker appearing coat, there are 2 Plush Puppy products that will suit this situation.

Plush Puppy Volumising Spray is a 'Ready to Use' for quicker, easier and fuller coat results. Perfect either before blow-drying or used to 'fluff' up the coat at the show. A light even spray, brush in until dry or use a dryer. Produced for easy use and scientifically balanced for this coat type. This is a hair thickener to add volume - not a hair stiffener and not detectable as it leaves the coat with a naturally thicker look and feel. A light spray, brush in and dry as normal.

The second product to use is Plush Puppy Puffy Dog + which is a firm hold mousse but a water-soluble one that won't dry sticky or turn sticky in humidity. It can be applied directly after the bath as a mousse or diluted 2 golf ball amounts to 500 ml warm water and poured into a Plush Puppy Water Spray 500ml Bottle. Wet the coat and then dry thoroughly. This is perfect for the head as it helps maintain that topknot that is such a distinctive part of the Beddy. You may just wish to use this mix on the head and legs. This will give it that little more standoff from the skin in look and touch. Wonderful for getting that just so finish when scissoring. Use by applying to one coat area at a time and dry, then move to the next area for best results.

Use the Plush Puppy Ultimate Pin Brush to start the drying. This allows you to get into the coat without damaging or dragging too much on the coat. Any lost hair on a Beddy when drying or dragging knots or kinks out or otherwise, results in the new hair growing through dark as when a puppy and spoils the overview of the finish of the dog. It eventually tones down but we will all know you have been heavy-handed when grooming won't we? Finish with the Plush Puppy Ultimate Slicker Brush and a comb for a proper finish. Remember, the finish you end up with is totally controlled by the drying that you do.

Always have on hand Plush Puppy Powder Puff Regular, an all naturally derived dry cleaning powder for those accidental moments (dog pee, etc) that can be applied direct to the coat and brushed through, leaving a clean fresh smelling coat. The last thing you want is to have to wet the dog and start again. Apply the powder using a Plush Puppy Ultimate Powder Application Brush using just a small amount and brush well into the area. Brush the powder out and problem solved!

The scissoring is an art. If the coat has been correctly textured with the right shampoo and lift when drying, then it will be easier to trim. It is the most difficult breed to scissor but don't be intimidated because everything can be learned - just don't make the task harder than it has to be. The head, topline, and legs must be correct and spend the time to get them right. That back must show an arch over the loin with a definite tuck-up of underline. The head must have the characteristic no stop and narrow skull, covered with a profuse topknot, with length on body hair not exceeding an inch but leg hair length slightly longer.

At the show, you do need to spruce up the dog but must avoid over wetting of that lovely blow dry you have done getting the kinks and coils out of the coat. Use Plush Puppy OMG Concentrate 1 part to approx. 40 parts water and use this mix in a Plush Puppy Spray Bottle either 250ml or 500ml size depending on how much you mix. The mist this delivers is not too heavy and sprays nicely and evenly without too much when misted at the finest setting. Use this to brush and comb up to reduce static and for easy brushing/combing. Wonderful product!

The final piece of pizazz is a light sprinkle of Plush Puppy Pixie Dust just to leave a delicate shimmer to your masterpiece. Simply add a light sprinkle onto the brush and apply a light dusting over the dog's topline and legs to bring out the glints and highlights of the coat.

So, now your Bedlington who is capable of everything from a gallop to his distinctive light, springy action is a point of attention for all and sundry with his super glam appearance oozing all the attributes and hallmarks his standard calls for. His spirit and confidence, his lovely pear-shaped head right down to his scimitar tail is a picture that tells you this is no ordinary terrier. He is truly one of a kind in the Terrier group - glamorous but able to cut the mustard as well as any Terrier - and don't we all know that! One of the truly outstandingly stunning breeds in our show rings when prepared well.

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