Bedlington Terrier Grooming

Bedlington Terriers are known for their lamb-like coats--and while their appearance may be striking, a great deal of grooming is required to keep these dogs looking great. See below for details on how to care for your Bedlington's coat, and for info on popular grooming styles.

Bedlington Terriers can resemble adorable lambs--but don't let that cute, woolly coat fool you. Bedlington Terrier grooming is known to be difficult and time-consuming, because it requires knowledge of clipping and scissoring; simple brushing won't suffice, and an ungroomed Bedlington Terrier's coat will turn into a knotted mess! Most Bedlington owners have their dogs groomed by professionals--and those brave souls who choose to do it themselves learn from the guidance of their groomers.

A quick summary on how to groom a Bedlington Terrier: Brushing should happen 4-5 times per week. Wet the coat with mist from a spray bottle, then use a comb and/or a slicker brush to smooth the curly fur; use scissors (or clippers with a long guard) to cut out the long, unruly hairs. Depending on your preferred grooming style, use clippers to even up the fur on the head, ears, legs, and tail. Bathe the dog every 6-8 weeks using canine shampoo and conditioner (available from any pet store).

Grooming a Bedlington Terrier can seem like a burdensome task--but with some guidance, it can be done!

Bedlington Terriers are often compared to lambs--and thus a Lamb Cut on these dogs is the one of the most frequent styles. Nonetheless, here are the most popular Bedlington Terrier haircuts (all of which are best given by a professional groomer):

• Show Cut: Obviously, this cut is often the one utilized by show dogs. The body fur is clipped close, while the legs and head are left a bit longer. The long, hanging ears are completely shaved except for large pom-poms on the tips.
• Lamb Cut: The body fur is shaved fairly close, with the fur on the legs and head clipped slightly, but carefully sculpted and rounded. The ears are usually kept at medium length, and may or may not have pom-poms.
• Puppy Cut: Though for longer-haired breeds this cut means shaving a lot of the fur, not so for a Bedlington. The fur is clipped slightly all over the body, to an equal length; this look is not as carefully sculpted as the above-listed styles.