Originally from Ireland, the hairy and wheaten-colored Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is without a doubt a lovable and a cute dog. During its time in the Irish countryside, it flourished as a herder, watcher, livestock guard and vermin hunter. Now, this former working dog is adopted by many amazed families as a pet and it is often enlisted to join dog competitions such as obedience, agility and tracking.

The Wheaten terrier is none or minimal shedder type of dog and that its coat is actually called hair and not fur. This hair has four varieties: Traditional Irish, Heavy Irish, English, and American; the Irish variety being thinner and silkier than the American variety. And like human hair, the Wheaten’s hair also constantly grows out therefore it needs to be trimmed or cut regularly.

The color of this breed, as its name suggests, is wheaten or white, however, the pure white color is considered unfavorable by the kennel clubs. During its younger years, the Wheaten terrier may appear brown, mahogany or red. As it grows up, however, its dark hair grows out and is replaced by wheaten colored hair.

Hair brushing is not exactly the way to groom the Wheaten’s hair as this will only make the hair fuzzy. For best results, one should use a medium-toothed comb and this should be done daily or at least regularly. Grooming of Wheaten’s hair should start from puppyhood until it grows to an adult.

Teaching the Wheaten tricks and commands is quite easy as this breed is intelligent and can pick up easily. This breed is animated, playful, loving and gentle towards children and playful around other animals. It is also soft-tempered, approachable and confident that you can bring this dog to any gathering without fearing it will aggress other animals.

The Wheaten is a friendly breed and in fact, it is very friendly it has its own unique way of greeting people. The Wheaten would jump up and lick a person’s face when it likes him or her and this approach is called, the “wheaten greeting”. Towards strangers, this dog is not aggressive but it will bark at incoming people, making it a good watchdog.

The Wheaten is a straightforward dog therefore the master should be straightforward, too. In teaching this breed, the master should be firm, consistent, confident and patient or the Wheaten will not pick up what you teach it. The Wheaten is an enthusiastic and intelligent learner and learns fast when the owner knows how to use the right teaching method for this breed.

There is no proved nor concluded ancestor for this breed but it is said that it is related to the Kerry Blue Terrier. This breed had been flourishing in the Irish countryside for decades before the Irish Kennel Club recognized it in 1937. The first batch of the Wheaten terriers is brought to the US in 1946 and one of its famous breeder is Lydia Vogel. In 1943, the British Kennel Club recognized it as a breed and in 1973; the AKC admitted it finally as a member.

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