All Dog Breeds >>Appearance of Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Puppies have a dark coat of either red, brown, mahogany or white. The muzzle and ears of Wheaten puppies may be black or dark brown. The dark puppy coat gradually grows out to nearly white before maturing into a wheaten-colored coat as they get older. The color can range from wheat to white, but white coats are not considered desirable by breeders and show enthusiasts. The adult coat may contain black, white, or darker brown "guard" hairs in addition to the lighter wheaten-coloured hair.
If adults ever have skin injuries the resulting hair growth will be the dark color of their puppy coat before it eventually grows out to the wheat color. The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a medium-sized dog, which ranges on average anywhere from 17 to 19 inches and weighs about 30 to 45 pounds. The breed has a square structure and is well built. Its hair does not shed like most dogs; like human hair and Poodle hair, it keeps growing, they do not need trimming, as long as you brush them at least once a day. They are hypoallergenic dogs. They are very smart dogs, and are easy to train. They love people, and it is rare that they have aggression issues. The Irish coat tends to be thinner and silkier than the American variety. The Irish coat has a devoted following in Ireland and Europe.
Breeders of the pure Irish type believe this is the original working terrier coat. The coat is not thin - Irish type breeders consider the American heavy coat to be "bouffant", not that of the original working terrier type. There are a few Irish type breeders in the U.S. and Canada. In the AKC comformation show ring, the judges do not always accept the Irish type well. The Irish is well received in the UK and Europe.
The "heavier Irish" type coat is usually a result of cross breeding between coat types - American/English coat with an Irish type. The Irish type coat still requires daily brushing to stay free of matted hair.
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Training
The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is moderately easy to train. He learns new commands at the average rate. He is neither difficult nor easy to train.
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Shedding
The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier sheds practically no hair at all. You'll virtually never find a hair in your home!
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Grooming
Pet coat (less work): Cut his coat short every few months and then it only needs to be brushed every so often.
Show coat (more work): Professionally groom his coat to the breed standard. Brush it daily.