Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a terrier from Ireland, named for its silky, wheat-colored coat. It was bred for more than two hundred years as an all-purpose farm dog that herded and guarded livestock, kept watch and killed vermin. Wheatens are generally friendly and playful.

History

The Wheaten shares its ancestry with the Kerry Blue Terrier and the Irish Terrier, but it was a dog of ordinary people, not the gentry. It was known as the Poor Man’s Wolfhound, because common people in Ireland were barred from owning hunting dogs such as Irish Wolfhounds and bred this versatile farm and guard dog in their place.

Despite its long history, the Irish Kennel Club did not recognize the breed until 1937. The Kennel Club in Britain followed in 1943. The first Wheatens went to the United States in the 1940s, though real interest took another ten years to grow. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America was founded in 1962, and the American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1973. The first dogs reached Australia in the 1970s. Today Wheatens compete in obedience, agility, tracking and herding tests, and some work in animal-assisted therapy.

Appearance

The Wheaten is a medium-sized, well-built dog of square outline, standing 43 to 51 cm and weighing about 14 to 20 kg. Puppies are born dark, in red, brown, mahogany or white, often with a black or dark brown muzzle and ears. The coat lightens almost to white before settling into its adult wheaten color, usually by the age of three.

There are two coat types. The Irish coat is silkier and wavier, and its breeders regard it as the original working coat. The Heavy, or American, coat is thicker and fuller. The Irish type is well received in the United Kingdom and Europe but not always in American show rings.

Temperament

The Wheaten is energetic and playful, and greets people with such enthusiasm, jumping up to lick faces, that owners call it the Wheaten greetin. It is intelligent but headstrong and responds best to patient, consistent, positive training. Harsh methods tend to produce fear or aggression. It is considered less scrappy than other terriers, is good with children and gets along with other dogs when well socialized. Its vermin-hunting past gives it a strong prey drive, so introductions to cats need care. Wheatens are protective and will bark at strangers but rarely turn aggressive, which makes them good watchdogs and poor guard dogs. They are curious and inclined to wander.

Care and health

The soft hair does not shed like most coats. It keeps growing, so it needs trimming and daily brushing and combing to prevent mats. Wheatens need regular exercise and overheat easily in hot weather.

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.7 years. The breed is best known for two protein-wasting conditions, protein-losing nephropathy, which affects the kidneys, and protein-losing enteropathy, which affects the gut. Both can be fatal, and they appear more often in females. Other problems include renal dysplasia, inflammatory bowel disease, Addison’s disease, cancer, allergies and atopic dermatitis.

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