Thank you for your interest in Serendipity Bedlingtons. Our objective is to breed and raise the highest quality Bedlington terriers with a priority on good health and temperament. Most of our Bedlingtons excel in the conformation show ring, in agility, and all are also loving companions.In spite of their "lamb like"
appearance, Bedlingtons are true terriers. They are playful but,
especially as puppies, they can be a handful. They need patient
training and guidance so that they can become suitable family
members. They may not immediately come when called and a fenced
yard is mandatory. If left unsupervised (particularly outdoors),
they can be noisy. They are excellent jumpers and many are also
diggers, making them talented escape artists. They may or may
not be compatible with other pets. Cats may be seen as something
to be chased. Another same-sex dog (particularly if not neutered)
may become a rival. Bedlingtons are wonderful with people and
are often used as "therapy dogs" in hospitals and nursing
homes because of their gentleness, immediate affection for total
strangers and their love of human companionship. They are generally
good with children but young children need to be supervised and
taught about gentle handling of pets.
Bedlingtons require regular professional grooming monthly, unless their owners have special skills and equipment. Weekly brushing is recommended to keep them from becoming matted and to maintain their unique appearance. They do not shed and are appropriate for most individuals who are allergic to other dogs and cats. They tend to accumulate hair in the ear canal which must be removed regularly to prevent ear infections.
Bedlingtons have several inherited conditions which you should be aware of. The most important of these is a condition called Copper Toxicosis. This inherited condition results in the inability of an affected dog to eliminate copper from the liver. The copper accumulates to toxic levels and results in liver failure. Although a new DNA test is available, currently this disease is best diagnosed by an analysis of a sample of the liver for copper content. This requires a biopsy obtained by a minor surgical procedure after the dog is 6 months of age. The liver tissue is analyzed by a special laboratory and, if a dog is unaffected at this time, they will never later acquire the disease. Affected dogs are treated with daily medication and, if diagnosed early, often live a normal life span. This disease is recessively inherited. This means that both parents may be unaffected but, if both are carriers, may produce affected pups. For this reason, even though we only use for breeding those dogs which are diagnosed unaffected, it is not possible to guarantee that a particular puppy will be unaffected. All puppies must be biopsied.
In addition to copper toxicosis, there are several inherited eye defects which can occur in Bedlingtons including retinal dysplasia and cataracts. Retinal dysplasia can be diagnosed in puppies under eight weeks of age and all of our puppies will be delivered with an eye clearance exam. Cataracts are an opacity in the lens and vary in their age of onset, rate of progresion, and degree of visual impairment. All of our Bedlingtons have annual eye examinations to minimize the liklihood of producing affected puppies.
Browse through our photo album to see some of our wonderful Bedlingtons.
For another interesting site describing Bedlingtons and other purebred dogs, check out Michele Welton's Your Purebred Puppy
We do not currently have puppies available. We breed infrequently and do not have any litters planned. If you are interested in obtaining a puppy from Serendipity Bedlingtons and wish to be notified when puppies become available, an application can be printed and mailed to us.
Another individual who may have puppies available is:
©2003 All of the material contained on this site is the property of Serendipity Bedlingtons, all rights reserved. Permission to reproduce any material from this site is required, in writing, by mailing a hard copy request to:
Serendipity Bedlingtons
231 San Juan Avenue
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019