THE soft-coated wheaten terrier began as an Irish crofter's dog. It is medium sized, strong and bred for its health and sound temperament. It is a working farm dog, combined with the intelligence and energy of a terrier. The wheaten is energetic and affectionate, a family dog who usually loves his whole family, rather than just one person. He relates well to children with his sense of fun and abundant energy.
The wheaten is intelligent and quick to learn, but he also has that adorable and frustrating trait - the terrier's independence, with a tendency towards stubbornness. He is also not a low maintenance dog - you will need time to do plenty grooming, and he will need games, brainwork and nosework to keep him interested and his intelligence satisfied. However, he is anxious to please which can be used to advantage in training - give plenty of praise and reward for good work and ignore mistakes. He is best trained by patient, consistent and loving guidance: punishment is not effective and may alienate you from your dog. Optimum temperament is achieved through gentle, constant human contact.
A wheaten is less scrappy than many other terriers and wants to play with all the other dogs he meets. Because of this he needs careful early socialisation with other friendly dogs to maintain this happy attitude. A wheaten makes a good watchdog,.barking to announce the presence of a stranger. His common sense usually prevents him from being a 'yapper'.
He is a lively, inquisitive and bouncy dog who jumps and kisses to express his affection and delight - not just to his immediate family, but for anyone welcomed into the family home. Being so people-oriented, a puppy must be carefully home-raised and thoughtfully socialised with sensible, positive training. He is very much a house dog and his personality and temperament grow and develop only in a good home environment. A securely fenced garden is essential to ensure his safety.
The wheaten travels well and readily adjusts to change and often carries his love of games and pranks into an advanced old age. A wheaten is a dog that requires regular exercise, some of which should be off the lead, to allow him to indulge in his joy of running, just for the fun of it. One dog book suggests that this should be at least 30 minutes in length. The change of scene and scent that going for a walk gives is essential to maintain his wellbeing.
One distinctive feature is his soft, flowing coat that is the colour of ripening wheat. The coat does not shed or smell when kept properly combed and regular grooming is absolutely mandatory to keep the coat shining, clean and mat-free. Because the wheaten does no shed, he must be trimmed regularly as well. Grooming is particularly intensive from seven to 24 months old, when the puppy coat is changing to the adult coat.
No-one should purchase a wheaten who does not have the time and patience to work and play intensively with a young puppy, or to do the combing and grooming required to maintain the coat in a tangle-free condition. Like every other domesticated animal, the soft-coated wheaten terrier reflects the care and training he has received from birth.
