A little look at life together.
Getting to know the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is an exuberant Irish farm dog with a soft, silky wheaten coat. Frequent grooming is a genuine commitment; keep tangles from building up between professional appointments.
An everyday routine
Make space for substantial daily activity and short learning sessions. A busy weekend cannot replace a dependable weekday routine.
Coat care to plan for
Coat care is a meaningful part of the weekly commitment. Agree on a manageable trim or coat-care method with an experienced groomer and keep up with maintenance between appointments.
Before deciding, meet the individual dog and ask about their history, handling preferences, and current routine. Breed tendencies are a starting point, not a promise about personality.
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier questions
Do Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers shed?
Very little. The Wheaten has a low-shedding coat, often described as non-shedding. The trade is that the hair that would have ended up on your floor stays in the coat, so it has to be brushed and combed out by you or by a groomer you pay.
Are Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers hypoallergenic?
No dog is truly hypoallergenic. Many people with dog allergies live with Wheatens successfully, but reactions to dander or saliva are still possible. Spend real time with both a puppy and an adult before you commit.
How big does a full-grown Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier get?
Males stand 18 to 19 inches tall and weigh 35 to 40 pounds, and females stand 17 to 18 inches and weigh 30 to 35 pounds. It is a square, sturdy, medium-sized terrier.
How long do Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers live?
Wheatens typically live 12 to 16 years. That is a breed-wide figure, not a prediction for one dog. Responsible breeders screen for kidney and digestive conditions known in the breed, along with Addison's disease, so ask a breeder what testing has been done. Your vet can answer questions about an individual dog.
How much grooming does a Wheaten Terrier need?
A lot. Plan on a daily session with a brush and then a metal comb, with any mats worked apart by hand. Expect a full grooming about every six weeks, done by you or a groomer, and daily brushing through puppyhood and adolescence. The coat also mats easily while it is changing, which happens a few times in a Wheaten's life.
Why is my Wheaten puppy darker than an adult Wheaten?
That is normal for the breed. A puppy may have a darker coat with some black-tipped hairs in the first year, and dogs between one and two often go quite pale. The true wheaten color settles by the age of two, and the wavy adult coat usually has not come in before then either.
Are Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers good family dogs?
They were bred in Ireland as all-purpose farm dogs and family companions, and Wheatens are excellent family pets that do well with children, including young ones. Be ready for the famous greeting, though. Wheatens are springy dogs that jump up on people, and the habit is hard to correct and takes real training.
Do Wheaten Terriers bark a lot, and can they live in an apartment?
Most Wheatens will bark an alarm when a stranger approaches. The breed is adaptable to city or country life as long as it gets ample daily exercise and stays close to its people, but Wheatens can become sensitive to noise as they age and tend to do better in a house than an apartment. Walks should be on a leash, because the urge to chase is strong.
