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The Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is a sporty dog originating from Ireland where it’s been used for the past century as an all round dog on farms. They are often referred to as long legged terrier with a soft wavy wheaten coloured coat and are closely related to the Irish terrier and the Kerry Blue terrier. These dogs were extremely popular in Ireland, quite often called a “wheaten”. They were excellent guard dogs for families and their homes, kept control of cattle whilst out in the pasture, rid homes of vermin and were fantastic hunting dogs both on land and in water. The demand
on them was such that it resulted in sound healthy and easy bred dogs. The best
of these were bred continuously without the strenuous paper work we have today,
unfortunately resulting in the race almost dying out. It wasn’t until a
gentleman by the name of Dr. Pierse became interested in the race and managed to
have it accepted and approved by the Irish Kennel club in 1937. It took until
1943 before the race was finally approved by the English kennel club. Today the
race can be found in many different countries, especially popular in the
USA. The first known import to Sweden was in 1965 via a woman names Greta Niska
who successfully bred the first litter in Sweden. In Sweden the race has
increased in popularity and is in the top 20 list of the most popular breeds in
Sweden. |
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The Wheaten Terrier is a medium and compact sized dog. It’s full of vitality, brave and playful with lots of energy. They are very curious and want to be in the centre where “it’s all happening”, and are often referred to as being intelligent and very faithful. But, it is also a dog with a large dose of confidence and stubbornness. They will defend and hold their ground and can be easily provoked into a fight even if not intending to start one. Let’s not forget that this is a terrier and must be treated as such. To receive the rewards of owning this fantastic dog, means that you as an owner need to establish from the start that you are the alpha dog and “boss” of the house. These dogs love lots of activity and work well developing in all areas. There are a growing number of dogs whom compete quite successfully on a high level within the Swedish working dogs clubs. There are also some countries that use the wheaten as an excellent hunting partner, though not so wide spread in Sweden. |
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The race received its name from the silky soft fur coat of its bearer! The wheaten terrier should receive its adult fur coat no later than two and half years of age. Before this time, the coat will go through a number of different changes from puppy fluffy to woolly and sometimes even coarse, eventually ending up with the beautiful silky shiny wavy wheat coloured fur coat. It is also important to note that the colour can vary from silver to gold. |
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Care of the dogs’ fur coat demands from you as an owner, constant care. It needs to be combed through to the root at least one to two times per week otherwise it can tangle itself into a blanket like knot. If not taken care of, you also increase the risk of skin and ear problems for your dog. Trimming of the dog is allowed and more of a rule today than an exception. To maintain a decent day to day coat of your wheaten, you need to plan for trims three to four times per year. Though this is not a demand and you can let your wheaten have a long coat, when showing the dog they are trimmed strictly according to the regulations. |
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