been, and to the great good that
he has done.

The Airedale is such a beautiful specimen of the canine race, and
is, in reality, in such healthy state, that every one of his
admirers--and they are legion--is naturally jealous for his welfare,
and is wishful that all shall go well with him. It is gratifying to
state that he has never been the tool of faction, though at one time
he was doubtless near the brink; but this was some time ago, and it
would be a grievous pity if he ever again became in jeopardy of
feeling the baneful influence of any such curse.

There is one serious matter in connection with him, however, and that
is the laxity displayed by some judges of the breed in giving prizes
to dogs shown in a condition, with regard to their coats, which ought
to disentitle them to take a prize in any company. Shockingly
badly-trimmed shoulders are becoming quite a common thing to see in
Airedales. There is no necessity for this sort of thing; it is very
foolish, and it is impossible to imagine anything more likely to do
harm to a breed than that the idea should get abroad that this is
the general practice in connection with it.

CHAPTER XXXV

THE BEDLINGTON TERRIER

This gamest of all the terriers has been known as a distinct and
thoroughly British breed for over a century, which is, I think, a
fairly ancient lineage. There are various theories as to its original
parentage, but the one which holds that he was the result of a cross
between the Otterhound and the Dandie Dinmont suggests itself to me
as the most probable one. His characteristics strongly resemble in
many points both these breeds, and there can be but little doubt of
his near relationship at some time or other to the Dandie.

The earliest authentic record we have of the Bedlington was a dog
named Old Flint, who belonged to Squire Trevelyan, and was whelped
in 1782. The pedigree of Mr. William Clark's Scamp, a dog well known
about 1792, is traced back to Old Flint, and the descendants of Scamp
were traced in direct line from 1792 to 1873.

A mason named Joseph Aynsley has the credit for giving the name of
"Bedlington" to this terrier in 1825. It was previously known as the
Rothbury Terrier, or the Northern Counties Fox-terrier. Mr. Thomas
J. Pickett, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, was perhaps the earliest supporter
of the breed on a large scale, and his Tynedale and Tyneside in
especial have left their names in the history of the Bedlington.

The