soft-coated wheaten terrier

 

breed of medium-sized dog developed and perfected in Ireland. It stands from 17 to 19 in. (43.1–48.3 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 30 to 45 lb (13.6–20.4 kg). Its abundant, soft, medium-length coat is silky and slightly wavy and may be any shade of wheat in color. Related to the Kerry blue and Irish terrier, the soft-coated wheaten has been raised for many years in its native land as a farm dog and vermin destroyer. In recent times it has begun to be popular as a pet in the United States, where it is exhibited in the miscellaneous class at dog shows sanctioned by the American Kennel Club. See dog.

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier
Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier stacking as if at a conformation dog show
Alternative names
Irish Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Irish Softcoated Wheaten Terrier
Common nicknames
Wheaten
Classification and breed standards
FCI:	Group 3 Section 1 #040	Stds
AKC:	Terrier	Stds
ANKC:	Group 2 (Terriers)	Stds
CKC:	Group 4 - Terriers	Stds
KC (UK):	Terrier	Stds
NZKC:	Terrier	Stds
UKC:	Terriers	Stds

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a breed of dog that originated in Ireland. The name may or may not be hyphenated. [1][2] Alternatively, the words "soft" and "coated" are occasionally combined into one to make "softcoated". [3]

There are four coat varieties: Traditional Irish, Heavy Irish, English, and American. They are considered to be hypoallergenic - a trait which makes them a good choice for allergic or asthmatic dog owners.

History

The Wheaten was originally bred in native Ireland to be an all-purpose farm dog whose duties would have included herding, watching and guarding livestock, and vermin hunting. This is probably why they are not as aggressive as other terriers, who were primarily vermin hunters. They are believed to be related to the Kerry Blue Terrier.

Despite its long history as a farm dog, the Wheaten wasn’t recognized as a breed in Ireland by the Irish Kennel Club until 1937. Following this in 1943, the English Kennel Club recognized the breed as well. The first Wheatens were exported to the United States in the 1946, but serious interest in the breed took years to develop. Miss Lydia Covel was one of the first breeders of the Wheaten Terrier in the United States. Finally, in 1973, they were recognized by the American Kennel Club.

Appearance

Puppies have a dark coat of either red, mahogany or white. The muzzle and ears of Wheaten puppies may be black or dark brown. The dark puppy coat gradually grows out into a wheat-coloured coat as they get older. The color can range from wheat to white, but white coats are not considered desirable by breeders and show enthusiasts. The adult coat may contain black, white, or darker brown "guard" hairs in addition to the lighter wheaten-coloured hair.

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a medium-sized dog, which ranges on average anywhere from 17 to 19 inches and weighs about 30 to 40 pounds. The breed seems to have a square structure and is well built. Its hair does not shed like most dogs; like human hair and Poodle hair, it keeps growing, needs regular trimming, and drops just a few hairs daily.

The English coat variety tends to be thicker than the other varieties and tends to be kept a bit longer than the American variety. For this reason, American coats need to be regularly cared for and maintained.

A curiosity of the breed is that whenever an adult wheaten incurs an injury to the skin the resulting coat will grow out in the puppy brown color and then return to Wheat over time.

Health

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers have a life expectancy of 13-14 years and typically remain perky to the end. They are prone to some genetic disorders, particularly protein-losing enteropathy and protein-losing nephropathy which constitute the loss of protein from the Intestinal tract or the kidneys, respectively. Both conditions are potentially fatal and difficult to diagnose. Other disorders sometimes found in this breed include: Renal dysplasia (especially in Europe), Hip dysplasia, and Progressive retinal atrophy. Several of the breed's clubs are now beginning to address these health issues.

References

External links

• Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers - Saskatchewan Canada
• Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America
• Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of Great Britain
• the Wheaten Health Initiative (UK)
• Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Association of Canada
• Irish Softcoated Wheaten Terrier Club
• Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Society of New South Wales (Australia)
• Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

Terriers
Hunting terriers	Airedale Terrier  · Australian Terrier  · Bedlington Terrier  · Black and Tan Terrier  · Border Terrier  · Brazilian Terrier  · Cairn Terrier  · Cesky Terrier  · Chilean Fox Terrier  · Dandie Dinmont Terrier  · Fox Terrier (Smooth)  · Fox Terrier (Wire)  · Glen of Imaal Terrier  · Irish Terrier  · Jagdterrier  · Kerry Blue Terrier  · Lakeland Terrier  · Manchester Terrier  · Norfolk Terrier  · Norwich Terrier  · Rat Terrier  · Ratonero Bodeguero Andaluz  · Scottish Terrier  · Sealyham Terrier  · Skye Terrier  · Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier  · Teddy Roosevelt Terrier  · Welsh Terrier  · West Highland White Terrier
Dog fighting terriers	American Pit Bull Terrier  · American Staffordshire Terrier  · Bull Terrier  · Irish Bull Terrier  · Irish Staffordshire Terrier  · Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Companion terriers & toy terriers	American Hairless Terrier  · Australian Silky Terrier  · Boston terrier  · Bull Terrier (Miniature)  · English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan)  · Japanese Terrier  · Miniature Fox Terrier  · Toy Fox Terrier  · Toy Manchester Terrier  · Yorkshire Terrier
Working terriers	Black and Tan Terrier  · Jack Russell Terrier  · Parson Russell Terrier  · Patterdale Terrier  · Plummer Terrier  · Puddin Jack  · Russell Terrier

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