Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier
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| Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier stacking as if at a conformation dog show |
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| Other names | Irish Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier and variant spellings: "Soft Coated" and "Softcoated" |
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| Nicknames | Wheaten | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country of origin | Ireland | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a breed of dog originating in Ireland. There are four coat varieties: Traditional Irish, Heavy Irish, English, and American. They are considered to be hypoallergenic[1][2], a trait popular with allergic or asthmatic dog owners.
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[edit] History
The Wheaten was originally bred in 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. Today Wheaten terriers also compete in obedience, agility, and tracking, and many are used in animal-assisted therapy as well.
Despite its long history, the Wheaten wasn’t recognized as a breed in Ireland by the Irish Kennel Club until 1937. In 1943 the British Kennel Club recognized the breed as well. The first Wheatens were exported to the United States in 1946 but serious interest in the breed took years to develop. Lydia Vogel 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. The first Wheatens imported into Australia occurred in the 70's by Anubis Kennels. Since then many more have been imported. Recent importation of Irish style dogs have improved and broadened the gene pool.
[edit] Appearance
Puppies have a dark coat of either red, brown, 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 wheaten-colored 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 45 pounds. The breed has 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 Irish coat tends to be thinner and silkier than the American variety.
This breed has little to no shedding [3] (see Moult).
[edit] 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, notably 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. They are found almost only in wheatens with an American ancestry. Other disorders sometimes found in this breed include: Renal dysplasia, Hip dysplasia, and Progressive Retinal Atrophy - although sensible breeding and health testing has reduced the incidence of these issues markedly. Several of the breed's clubs are now beginning to address these health issues, although others have been much slower, leaving research and awareness campaigns to independent organisations.
[edit] Temperament
The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is an energetic and playful dog. They require patience and consistent positive training. Harsh methods will often result in fear aggression and a positive even-handed approach works best with these intelligent yet headstrong terriers. They are enthusiastic greeters and will often jump up in order to lick a person's face, commonly referred to as the "Wheaten Greetin". These dogs do best when they are exercised regularly. When young, puppies should be exposed to a variety of unfamiliar sights, sounds and human-canine interactions in order to foster socialization.
[edit] Cross breeds
Wheatens are unofficially crossbred with Standard Poodles, to create the mixed breed known as the Whoodle, and with Beagles to create those known as "Wheagles".
[edit] External links
- National Clubs/Associations:
- Heath-related:
- Other:
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