Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet: What’s The Difference?

Kieran Beckles
By Kieran Beckles
Updated on 22 September 2022

Do you know the difference between a Bedlington Terrier and a Bedlington Whippet?

These are two types of dogs that are becoming increasingly popular in the UK and worldwide thanks to their hypoallergenic qualities.

However, the Bedlington Terrier and Bedlington Whippet are two different types of dogs despite sharing some similarities.

The Bedlington Terrier is a loving and charming dog breed that’s been recognised by the American and British Kennel Clubs.

But the Bedlington Whippet is a cross between a Bedlington Terrier and a Whippet.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at the Bedlington Terrier v Bedlington Whippet, examining some of the difference and similarities between these two dogs.

So with the introduction over, let’s take a closer look at these two dogs.

What Is A Bedlington Terrier

Bedlington Terrier (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Bedlington Terrier (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Bedlington Terriers are charming and loyal members of the Terrier group. These dogs are sometimes described as great housemates, alert watchdogs, versatile athletes and cuddly couch potatoes.

What Is A Bedlington Whippet

The Bedlington Whippet is a cross between a Bedlington Terrier and a Whippet. They’re considered members of the Lurcher family. As a mix breed, every Bedlington Whippet can vary slightly depending on whether they inherited the traits of their Bedlington Terrier parent or Whippet parent.

Where Do Bedlington Terriers Come From?

Bedlington Terrier (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Bedlington Terrier (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Bedlington Terriers are thought to have originated in the mining towns of Northumberland in the United Kingdom. Considered a workman’s dog, they were used down the mines as ratters, varmint killers and pit fighters. Piper is accredited with being the first Bedlington Terrier after being born in 1825.

Historically, Bedlington Terriers were considered smart and quick, never a mischief maker but once they started fighting, it was to the death.

Where Do Bedlington Whippets Come From?

Bedlington Whippet (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Bedlington Whippet (Photo: Adobe Stock)

The first Bedlington Whippet was thought to have been bred in the early 1990s. As a mixed breed, it isn’t necessarily clear when this cross breed started but they’ve enjoyed a surge in popularity in the last 20 years.

Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet: Size

Bedlington Terriers are relatively small dogs. They’ll usually range from 15 to 17.5 inches (38 to 44cm) in height and weighed between 17 and 23 pounds (7 to 10.5kg).

Bedlington Whippets will usually have a similar height and weight range to the Bedlington Terrier. They’ll generally grow to be 15 to 22 inches (38 to 55cm) tall and weigh from 22 to 40 pounds (10 to 18 kg).

Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet: Appearance

Bedlington Terrier (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Bedlington Terrier (Photo: Adobe Stock)

If you’ve previously encountered a Bedlington Terrier, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a lamb on a leash. They’ve got a wooly-like appearance with a blue, sable or brown coloured coat. The breed will usually have brown eyes and a black or brown nose. They’ll have ears covered with thin hair, while the rest of their coat is medium-length.

Bedlington Whippets will be a mix between their Bedlington Terrier and Whippet parents. They have the same range of colours as the Bedlington Terrier and the Whippet so you could have a Bedlington Whippet with a white coat or a blue-grey coat, a brown coat or a mottled grey-black coat. They’ll usually have a relatively shaggy coat, although some Bedlington Whippet will more closely resemble their Whippet parent with
a shorter coat.

Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet: Temperament

Bedlington Terriers can make great companion pets who love to cuddle up to their owners at the end of a long day. They’re not a particularly loud breed despite being quite effective watchdogs.

They can have a high prey drive as they were traditionally used as ratters. So it’ll be important to work on recall.

Bedlington Terriers are reasonably social with other people and dogs with the proper socialization. They can make great family pets in the right circumstances.

It’s quite a similar story with the Bedlington Whippet. They’re usually quite gentle dogs who is loving and loyal to their owners. Having said that, they can be quite aloof if meeting new people for the first time. They’re social with other dogs without being a breed that loves to rough and tumble with every pup they meet. As the offspring of two relatively smart breeds, Bedlington Whippets should be quick to pick up new tricks provided they start training from a young age and owners work consistently with their four-legged friend.

Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet: Exercise

Bedlington Whippet (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Bedlington Whippet (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Bedlington Terrier is a relatively active dog breed that will need around 45 minutes of exercise a day. They’ll love a game of fetch with their owner or a long run or walk. As a dog breed that were developed to hunt small animals, they’ve got a high prey drive so having a secure garden is important if you don’t trust their recall.

Unsurprisingly seeing as they’re the result of breeding between a Bedlington Terrier and a Whippet, the Bedlington Whippet is an energetic cross. According to the Bedlington Whippet owners that we’ve interviewed, these hybrid dogs will need around 60 to 120 minutes of exercise a day.

Mia (@miathebedlingtonwhippet) gets at least two hours of exercise a day.

We take out Mia for a minimum of 2.5 hours a day combining higher intensity running and play with longer more steady walks.

Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet: Hypoallergenic

Bedlington Terrier is well-known as a hypoallergenic dog breed. This mean that they don’t shed as much as some other breed so they’re less likely to trigger someone’s allergies. However, there is no guarantee that an allergic reaction won’t occur.

Combining the hypoallergenic Bedlington Terrier with the Whippet can result in a hypoallergenic hybrid dog. However, Whippets are considered moderate shedders so there’s a chance your Bedlington Whippet won’t be hypoallergenic. It’s worth keeping that in mind.

Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet: Shedding

Bedlington Terrier (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Bedlington Terrier (Photo: Adobe Stock)

As we touched upon in our previous point, Bedlington Terrier is considered a hypoallergenic dog breed. As a result, they don’t shed much at all. You may notice a few stray hairs but the AKC reinforce that this a low-shedding breed.

Here’s Mia to shed light on how much her Bedlington Whippet Mia (@miathebedlingtonwhippet) sheds.

They don’t shed much which is an added bonus! With regards to grooming, Mia’s coat is short for a Bedlington Whippet, so we groom her once a week but that is more to bond with her and get her used to grooming – which she loves.

Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet: Price

The average price of a Bedlington Terrier is around $1,500 in the USA and about £1,000 in the UK.

The Bedlington Whippet will usually set you back around $1,8000 in the USA and £1,500 in the UK.

Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet: Life expectancy

Bedlington Whippet (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Bedlington Whippet (Photo: Adobe Stock)

The Bedlington Terrier has an average lifespan of around 11 to 16 years, according to the American Kennel Club.

Bedlington Whippets will usually live to a similar age range of 12 to 15.

The Difference Between Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet

The Bedlington Terrier and Bedlington Whippet are quite similar dogs. However, a key difference is the Bedlington Terrier is considered a hypoallergenic dog breed whereas the Bedlington Whippet isn’t as hypoallergenic.

The Similarities Between Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the Bedlington Terrier and the Bedlington Whippet share a lot of similarities. After all, the Bedlington Whippet is usually 50% Bedlington Terrier and 50% Whippet unless a Bedlington Terrier is bred with a Bedlington Whippet.

Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet – In Conclusion

Bedlington Whippet (Photo: Adobe Stock)

Bedlington Whippet (Photo: Adobe Stock)

We’ve reached the end of our Bedlington Terrier Vs Bedlington Whippet article.

The Bedlington Terrier is a breed that has been around for two centuries and is recognised by both the American Kennel Club and the Kennel Club in the United Kingdom.

The breed was voted the 133rd most popular in the United States of America in 2021 despite their hypoallergenic qualities and laidback personalities in the home.

The Bedlington Whippet has enjoyed a surge in popularity in the past 10-20 years as mixed breeds become more common. However, the Bedlington Whippet is not a member of the Doodle family as they’re the result of breeding between a Bedlington Terrier and a Whippet.

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