Other names/Nicknames:
- None
Country/Date of origin:
- Ireland
- 1700′s
Height:
- Females: 17 to 18 inches
- Males: 18 t 19 inches
Weight:
- Females: 30 to 35 pounds
- Males: 35 to 40 pounds
Personality:
- Sweet-natured and affectionate.
- Gets along well with other pets.
- Wants to please and is, consequently, easy to train.
History:
An all-purpose, farm dog bred in the south of Ireland, the Soft Coated Wheaten was kept down-on-the-farm for centuries. Its prowess was a well kept secret. Wheatens can herd cattle and sheep, retrieve game, guard home and garden, and single-handily eliminate vermin on a property. It has been recognized as a pure bred dog in Ireland since 1937, but didn’t gain acceptance to the American Kennel Club (AKC) until 1973.
Body Type:
- Very similar in appearance to the Kerry Blue Terrier, which comes from the southern part of Ireland as well.
- Wheatens are somewhat shorter and lighter than the Kerry.
- Button ears are not altered.
- Tail is docked short.
Coat:
- Wheaten-colored coat is the hallmark of the breed.
- The soft hair is slightly wavy. Without frequent combing it will mat.
- Coat does not shed.
Health and Wellness:
- Generally healthy.
- Protein-losing enteropathy.
- Protein-losing nephropathy.
- Mitral insufficiency.
What you should know:
- There are no hyphens in the breed name—they were eliminated by a vote of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club.
- Not prone to the dogfighting that other terriers seem to revel in.
- Puppies have a red cast to the coat with black face markings. They will fade to the adult coloration by the time they reach their second birthday.
