Wikipedia:Featured article candidates/Bedlington Terrier/archive1


 * The following is an archived discussion of a featured article nomination. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the article's talk page or in Wikipedia talk:Featured article candidates. No further edits should be made to this page.

The article was not promoted by 10:01, 24 May 2013 (UTC).

Bedlington Terrier

 * Nominator(s):  T K K  bark !  12:48, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

I am nominating this for featured article because this is a high-quality dog breed article that I feel is an excellent example of the quality these articles can have.  T K K  bark !  12:48, 19 May 2013 (UTC)

Oppose -- As much as it grieves me to do this (WP is somewhat lacking in featured dog articles, and I would love to see more), I will have to oppose on the following points of prose, overlinking, disambiguated links, repetitive references etc. To be helpful, I will list as follows, but this list is by no-means exhaustive. In no particular order...
 * The lede is all over the place. I suggest you look at Beagle to gain an idea to correctly set out sentences and paragraphs in order of importance.
 * "The Bedlington Terrier is a breed of dog..." --Large, medium, small?
 * I do not think its resemblance to a lamb is notable enough to be included within the first few lines of the lede. Maybe towards the end of the lede, or even the  first paragraph.
 * "Closely related to the Dandie Dinmont Terrier and numerous other terrier breeds, as well as to the Whippet and Otterhound, the Bedlington Terrier shares traits with all of them, including its curly fur, curved back, and coloration. Originally bred to hunt vermin in mines, the Bedlington Terrier has since been used in dog racing and dog fights, as well as in conformation shows, numerous dog sports, and as a companion dog." -- Prose is poor. Repetition of "Bedlington Terrier" within close proximity of each other, long, drawn out sentences, incorrect link to "dog fights" (I would question this link anyway, together with dog racing),
 * Why do you italicise "Bedlington Terrier"?
 * "Some breeders, notably George Newcombe, have argued that the working ability and courage of the Bedlington terrier has declined since it began being bred for show.[14] Poodle may have been introduced into the breed to make the coat easier to groom and maintain.[14] George Newcombe of the Working Bedlington Terrier Club said that "the pure [Bedlington Terrier] could no longer be considered a serious working beed" and proceeded to cross his dogs with Lakeland Terriers in an attempt to bring back the Bedlington's working qualities.[14]" -- Why are we repeating the same reference?
 * "They were originally known as Rodbury Terriers,[1] Rothbury Terriers,[1][3] or "Rothbury's Lambs",[3] because the Lord of Rothbury had taken a particular liking to the dogs.[3] Before this, they were known as "gypsy dogs", as gypsies and poachers used them to hunt.[3]" -- And here.
 * "The Bedlington Terrier name was first given to a dog named Young Piper, which was owned by a man named Joseph Ainsley.[2][8] Ainsley's Piper has been called "the best of his race"[2] and "had a reputation for great pluck and courage".[2] Piper began working with badgers at eight months old, and carried on hunting other animals generally regarded as vermin until he was blind.[2] Piper is also known for saving a child from a pig, keeping the animal at bay until help arrived.[2] Piper died at fifteen.[2]" -- And here.
 * ...and everywhere else. Please check for this.  A reference only needs to given once unless there is an interruption from another reference within the text.
 * Why link "Jealous"?
 * We link "fighting dogs" and "dog fighting" next to each other. Why?
 * "Created in the village of Bedlington in Northumberland, the Bedlington Terrier has been described as "the favorite companion of the northern miners". -- Created!? Suggest bred surely? You create a peice of art, or create a model aeroplane, not a living creature.  Dr Jeckyll "created" Mr Hyde, unless the terrier was "created" using the same methods of course.

My best advice would be to get the whole article copy edited, pay close attention to linking of commonly used words, and sort the lede section out. The repetitive referencing also needs some attention. See WP:CITE. I think it would be easier to close and initiate a peer review. As a dog lover, I would be happy to undertake this, but not while it is at FAC. Hope this helps. --  Cassianto Talk   19:11, 21 May 2013 (UTC)

Graham Colm (talk) 21:13, 23 May 2013 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive. Please do not modify it. No further edits should be made to this page.