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Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Breed Description

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Breed Organization

Soft Coated Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America

Native Country
Ireland

Other Names
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Wheaten Terrier, Wheaten

Life Expectancy
Approximately 12-14 Years

Litter Size
Average 4-6 Puppies

Breed Group
AKC-Terrier

General Description

Puppies have dark coats of red, brown, mahogany or white. Their muzzles and ears may be black or dark brown. The reddish-brown puppy coat gradually grows out to nearly white before maturing into a wheaten colored coat as they get older. The adult coat typically matures by 3 years old and may contain black, white, or darker brown "guard" hairs in addition to the lighter wheaten colored hair. If adults ever have skin injuries, the resulting hair growth (wound hair) will be the dark color of their puppy coat before it eventually grows out to the wheat color. It may also come out to a molten chocolate color, either white or milky colored fur.

The Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier is a medium-sized dog, which ranges on average from 17 to 20 inches (43 to 51 cm) in height and about 30 to 45 pounds (14 to 20 kg) in weight. The breed has a square structure and is well built. Their soft, silky hair does not shed like most dogs; like human hair and Poodle hair, it keeps growing; they do need trimming and should be brushed and combed once a day to avoid mats. They are very smart dogs, and are easy to train. They love people, and they rarely have aggression issues if obtained from a reputable breeder.

The Irish coat tends to be thinner and silkier than the American variety and it has a devoted following in Ireland and Europe. Breeders of the pure Irish type believe this is the original working coat. The coat is not thin – breeders of the Irish type consider the American heavy coat to be "bouffant", not that of the original working terrier type. There are a few breeders of the Irish type in the US and Canada. In the AKC conformation show ring, the judges do not always accept the Irish type well. The Irish is well received in the UK and Europe. The "Heavy Irish" coat is usually a result of cross-breeding between coat types – American/English coat with an Irish type. The Irish coat still requires daily brushing to stay free of matted hair.

The Wheatens seen in Ireland today are of the same size, shape, and coat texture as those seen and documented well over 100 years ago.


Breed Standard

Head: Long and powerful. Flat skull, not too wide. Pronounced stop. Powerful, "fearsome" jaws.
Ears: Small to medium size. Carried forward, breaking level with the skull.
Eyes: Not too large. Dark hazelnut or dark color.
Body: Short, compact. Strong neck without dewlap. Deep forechest. Ribs well sprung. Short, powerful loin. Straight topline.
Tail: Not too thick; carried gaily. Docked to one-third its natural length (after the sixth vertebra).
Hair: Abundant, soft texture, silky, wavy or loose curls. Must not exceed 12.7 cm at greatest length.
Coat: Any shade from light wheaten to golden-reddish. The texture and color of the puppy’s coat passes through several stages before attaining its permanent color at one and one-half to two and one-half years of age.
Size: Dog: 46 to 48 cm (18-19 in).Bitch: 43 to 47 cm (17-18.5 in).
Weight: Dog: 15.7 to 18 kg (35-40 lb).Bitch: 13 to 15 kg (29-33 lb).

History

The Wheaten was bred in Ireland for over two hundred years to be an all purpose farm dog whose duties included herding, watching and guarding livestock, and vermin hunting and killing. They share a common ancestry with the Kerry Blue Terrier and the Irish Terrier but were not owned by gentry. In Ireland, they were commonly referred to as the "Poor Man's Wolfhound." Their tails used to be docked to avoid taxes and were often kept to a specific size.

Despite its long history, the Wheaten was not recognized as a breed in Ireland by the Irish Kennel Club until 1937. In 1943, the British Kennel Club recognized the breed in the UK as well. The first Wheatens were exported to Lydia Vogel in the United States in the 1940s, but serious interest in the breed took another ten years to develop. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America, Inc. was established in 1962, seven years after the formation of The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of Great Britain. In the 1970s, the first Wheatens were imported into Australia by Anubis Kennels. In 1973, they were recognized by the American Kennel Club. The recent importation of Irish-style dogs has improved and broadened the gene pool. The American Herding Breed Association (AHBA) accepted the Wheaten in the 1990s at which point members of the breed were allowed to participate in its herding capability tests and trials. Today, Wheatens compete in obedience, agility, and tracking and are occasionally used in animal-assisted therapy as well. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America, Inc. (SCWTCA, Inc.) is a member of the American Kennel Club which protects and advances the interests of the breed and guards against commercial exploitation.

Behavior

The Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier is an energetic and playful dog. It requires patience and consistent positive training. Harsh methods will often result in fear and/or aggression. A positive, even-handed approach works best with this intelligent yet headstrong terrier. It is an enthusiastic greeter, and will often jump up to lick a person's face, commonly referred to as the "Wheaten greetin". Wheatens are considered less scrappy than other terriers, but are lively and can be more active than many other breeds. For this reason these dogs do best when they are exercised regularly.

They are cool-weather dogs and can become easily overheated in hot weather. If socialised with cats and puppies, they may get along fine with them; if not, care should be taken in introducing them to cats, as the breed has a very strong "prey drive" because of its vermin-hunting origin. Wheatens are friendly and loving pets, and get along well with other dogs if properly socialised. Wheatens are very protective of their families and, although they may bark in alert at strangers, they rarely get aggressive. Many Wheaten owners thus say they make great watch dogs, but poor guard dogs. Wheatens are a great dog for children and are generally friendly towards them.

He needs considerable space and exercise to maintain his mental health. Regular brushing is required. Grooming may be required from time to time.

Function

Livestock Guard, Hunting Dog, Watch Dog, Pet.

Health

Soft-coated Wheaten Terriers are generally a long-lived breed. They are susceptible to various heritable diseases, although are most known for two protein wasting conditions: protein-losing nephropathy (PLN), where the dogs lose protein via the kidneys; and protein-losing enteropathy (PLE), where the dogs fail to fully absorb protein in their digestive tracts, causing it to pass in their stool. Both PLN and PLE are potentially fatal, but if caught early enough, can sometimes be managed with strict dietary changes and pharmaceuticals. Laboratory tests can aid in diagnosing PLN and PLE; Wheaten owners should check their country's advised testing protocols. Research suggests that PLE and PLN often are more prevalent in female wheatens and often happen in concurrence, with PLE following diagnosis of PLN. While a genetic predisposition has been suggested, an unknown mode of inheritance remains. Research programs, mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom, are looking for answers.

Other Wheaten health issues are renal dysplasia, inflammatory bowel disease, Addison's disease, and cancer. Some Wheatens can suffer from food and environmental allergies, and can be prone to developing the skin disease atopic dermatitis. Potential owners of Wheaten Terriers should discuss health issues with a breeder before deciding to get a puppy.


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