All about the Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

If you love the typical plucky character of a terrier, but could do without the extra aggression they sometimes display toward each other and other dogs, then you'll probably be very pleased with the personality of Wheaten Terriers.

Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers bond closely with their family. These dogs are prized for their fun-loving nature and they make steady companions in the home. Outside the home, the sky's the limit. Wheatens are up for all sorts of activities. If it involves going to new places and meeting new friends, count them in.

In fact, Wheaten Terriers are notorious for never having met a stranger. Although they seldom bark unnecessarily, they will bark to alert you to company, expected or otherwise. But don’t count on them as guard dogs as Wheatens will give everyone – friend and foe alike - the famous "Wheaten Greeting"! As these loving dogs are real people-lovers they must be carefully trained not to jump up and kiss everyone they meet.

With companion dogs or children, the wheaten terrier will romp and play as long as they possibly can. They are also great dogs for hiking, travelling, jogging or just going for a walk around the park – once they can hang out with their best friend (you!) they’re the happiest dogs going. 

It's good to remember though that Wheatens prefer exercising in cooler weather and do not like to exercise in the heat of the day, which hardly ever presents a problem in Ireland!

One of the key personality traits that attracted us to the Wheatens was their reputation for being good with children (we have three), and they also have the ability to get along with other pets, as long as they have been properly introduced. We have four rabbits, three cats and seven chickens and most of them roam freely about the garden with Luna – and they all get along famously! In fact, there may be a little interspecies ‘love thang’ going on between Luna and our ginger tom cat ;-)

Having said that, their Terrier ancestry should be kept well in mind if smaller pets such as guinea pigs and birds are kept, since a Wheaten may perceive them more as small game than house companions. Wheatens are sweet-tempered, docile and self-confident, and they utterly and unquestionably adore their owner and family!

Height

Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier males range from 18 to 20 inches (46-51 cm.), females from 17 to 19 inches (43-48 cm)

Weight

Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier males weigh from 35 to 45 pounds (16-20 kg), females from 30 to 40 pounds (14-18 kg)

Colours

Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers are born with a black or dark brown coat; as they mature, it changes to the colour of ripening wheat

Coat

Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers have very distinctive soft coats that are silky and wavy, and must be combed daily to avoid matting. The Wheaten does not carry a lot of dander in his fur, and is considered hypoallergenic for humans, so this breed is good for allergy suffers (both my husband and youngest child suffer from asthma but they have never had a reaction to Luna, who lives in our house with us).

Like human hair, the Wheaten’s fur continues growing throughout its life and needs regular trimming and grooming. There is minimal shedding, making the dog a favourite for those who hate vacuuming every day.

It is important to remember, however, that your Wheaten will need regular grooming. As a puppy and for the first two years, I would recommend you groom him every day, maybe every second day, but don’t wait any longer or you’ll have tiny knots! After two year of age, weekly grooming is fine…I must confess sometimes I can go two or three weeks between grooming and she’ll still fine!

Only bathe a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier when necessary and use only dog recommended products.

An interesting trait is that when an adult Wheaten sustains an injury to the skin, the new fur grows first in a puppy colour and then changes to the characteristic wheaten colour over time.

Temperament

An intelligent and loving breed, Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers do well with children and are very devoted to their families. They are playful, friendly and sweet-tempered.

Life Expectancy

The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier can be expected to live about 12 to 15 years.

Living Environment

Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers can adapt to city, country, and suburban life. They do well in apartments and require a small yard. A good walk each day and they are happy companions! They do not fare well in heat.

Background

One of the oldest native dog breeds of lreland, the Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier is believed to be a progenitor of the Irish and Kerry Blue Terriers. 

The exact history of how Wheatens came into being is unknown, but they definitely were the dogs of the common man. From what I’ve read, the Wheaten’s story goes like this: In 1698, King William III issued a decree that restricted the ownership of sporting and hunting dogs to the gentry, leaving terriers to those of lower socio-economic means. The law read, in part, “only persons owning an estate of freehold of the yearly value of 40 pounds, at least, or a personal estate of 1,000 pounds shall keep any hound, beagle, greyhound, or land-spaniel other than whelps under the age of twelve months.”

So, the Wheaten was developed as a general farm dog in the Irish counties of Munster. They protected people and their property, herded cattle, hunted vermin, badgers, and foxes, and were sometimes used as hunting dogs to help procure the family’s meals. The Soft Coated Wheaten likely shares a common heritage with the other long-legged terriers of Ireland, the Irish and the Kerry Blue. The breed was first brought to North America in the 1940s, and their popularity took off during the 1950s.

Training

Beauty and wonderful personality aside, Wheaten Terriers can be a bit difficult to train. This mainly seems due to their buoyant nature. It's hard to hold their attention through standard training sessions to teach them what you want them to know. They sometimes also display the trademark Terrier stubbornness, so training is best accomplished using different tactics. I found a little bag of her favourite treats worked very well!!!

Training should begin while your Wheaten is still a puppy and has an overflowing desire to please you. Training should take place in small doses and if you can make it fun for your pet, so much the better. Praise heartily when your Wheaten is able to carry out your commands, but avoid being harsh when he doesn't. These dogs are a bit soft tempered compared to other breeds in their group, and if you're not careful you may wind up with a sulking dog that isn't currently interested in anything you have to offer.

Life expectancy

Wheatens generally live to the ripe old age of 12 to 15 years, but like all dogs, they are susceptible to certain genetic diseases. Most notably, these include protein-losing nephropathy and protein-losing enteropathy. Both of these conditions cause the dog to shed excessive proteins from the blood, either through the kidneys (nephropathy) or through the intestinal tract (enteropathy). Dogs are usually diagnosed between 4 and 6 years of age, and the condition is more common in females. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss, lethargy, decreased appetite, and fluid accumulation. The diagnosis is made by measuring the amount of protein in the blood, urine, and faeces. All Wheatens should be regularly screened for these diseases, as they are often fatal. Treatment includes a hypoallergenic, low protein diet.