Bedlington Terrier puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Bedlington Terrier puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A small breed puppy at eight weeks is light enough to carry everywhere, which is exactly how you get it socialised before the vaccination course finishes. It will still need four meals a day. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Copper toxicosis, in which copper builds up in the liver and causes liver failure, detectable by DNA test
• Patellar luxation, a slipping kneecap, found on a patella evaluation
• Inherited eye disease, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Von Willebrand disease and thrombopathia, inherited bleeding disorders confirmed by clotting and DNA tests
• Hip and elbow dysplasia, screened by hip and elbow evaluation of breeding stock
• Hypothyroidism, diagnosed on a thyroid blood panel

From Bedlington Terrier breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/bedlington-terrier/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Bedlington Terrier puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Small for a Bedlington Terrier.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 7.7 to 10.4 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other small breeds

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