Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier

Origin and History

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a terrier bred in Ireland for versatile farm work such as hunting rodents, herding livestock and guarding. Its soft, wheat-colored coat and warm temperament set it apart from other terriers.

Appearance and Coat

It has a medium-sized, muscular and well-balanced body. Its most distinctive feature is its soft, silky, gently wavy wheat-colored coat; it is single-layered and sheds little but needs regular grooming to prevent matting.

Personality and Temperament

The Wheaten Terrier is friendly, cheerful and extremely sociable; it is known for its exuberant greeting called the "Wheaten greetin'." It is people-oriented and gets along well with children and other animals; it is less aggressive than other terriers. It is energetic, playful and trainable.

Care, Exercise and Training

Its silky coat needs regular (frequent) brushing to prevent matting; it sheds little. It needs a lot of exercise. Intelligent and eager to please, it responds well to reward-based training.

Health

Breed-specific protein-losing kidney/intestinal diseases (PLN/PLE — DNA test available), renal dysplasia and Addison's disease may occur. Regular kidney monitoring is important. The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier suits families looking for a friendly, cheerful and low-shedding family dog who can make time for coat care and health monitoring.