Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

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.
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