Wheaton Terriers are generally healthy dogs, but can be extremely sensitive to anesthesia, especially if it includes barbiturates. With proper care and plenty of love, this active dog should remain healthy for about 14 years. The New Yorker has called Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers the 'perfect apartment dog.' A girl with a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier. Image Source: Instagram-@awheatieandhisweiner What Makes Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Aggressive? The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is not an aggressive dog and rare very friendly and playful with human beings. They get along with other canines too if raised together.
About the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Background The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is thought to be the traditional Irish farm dog. It was the poorer folk’s dog; large enough to enforce its presence but not so large that it was expensive to keep. It was bred as an all purpose dog to herd sheep and cattle, catch a range of vermin, keep watch around farm boundaries to repel intruders and be a family companion. They were also known to accompany their master on hunting or poaching outings. The breed gets its name from its coat which is a soft open coat, the colour of ripened wheat, that falls in waves ranging from shimmering silver to golden. Depending on taste of the owner they can be left shaggy or trimmed to a neat terrier outline. The breed is closely related to the two other breeds of long legged terriers from Ireland: the Irish Terrier and the Kerry Blue Terrier. The breed was officially recognised in Ireland on St Patrick’s Day 1937.
Average Lifespan As with most other breeds the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier can live into the teens.
Breed Personality/Characteristics/Temperament The Soft Coated Wheaten is an elegant long legged terrier, the 'teddy-bear' soft cuddly dog that is a delightful and faithful companion. They are a good family dog, orienting to the group rather than to one family member. They are generally good with children. They are sturdy and not easily injured. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier has a compact body being agile and strong for its size. They have straight forelegs and powerful hind legs. The ears are smallish, set at the top of the skull and drop forward. Eyes are clear, bright dark hazel and slightly almond shaped. The eyes are usually shaded by a curtain of fur that falls forward over them. It is happy and steady in temperament, carrying itself gaily with an air of self-confidence. They are an alert dog which shows interest in the environment. They are less aggressive than is encouraged in some of the other terrier breeds.
Compatibility with Other Pets Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers vary in their compatibility with cats and other household pets depending on the individual personality of the dog and their upbringing. There may be some conflict with adult dogs of the same sex however they show less dog to dog aggressiveness and are less territorial than other breeds of terriers.
Care Requirements The coat of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier sheds little and is a continuous growing coat. They require regular brushing and combing to remove dead hair and prevent matting. They also need to be trimmed or tidied up throughout the year. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is an active breed and needs regular exercise. A fenced yard is ideal. Daily walks are an advantage. They can be kept in apartments as long as they are regularly exercised.
Special Features The coat of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is not only one of its visually attractive features but, because it sheds little, this makes the breed an ideal pet for people who suffer from respiratory problems such as asthma. In addition they normally do not have as strong an odour as many other coated breeds. Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers like to be housed indoors and treated as one of the family. They are a sociable breed. They are an intelligent breed and a number of dogs have excelled at obedience training. They can at times be stubborn and independent so, as with most other breeds, puppy socialisation followed by basic obedience training is a good idea. Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers are sensitive to noise and, whilst as a rule they are not barkers, they will announce visitors. If they bark it is best to investigate. As the name implies they are all wheaten in colour however the shade may vary. Grey shading may occur on the ears and beard. Wheaten pups are darkly coloured, frequently having black tipping. They gradually fade to the adult wheaten colour.
Ideal Owner/s Since the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is good with children they are an ideal family pet. They love to be with people and are a loyal companion.
In Conclusion Now you know a little about the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier and have decided this is the dog for you or you want more information, make contact with the breed club or your State controlling body for purebred dogs. They will be able to give you information about available puppies and also suggest dog shows where you can see the breed and speak to breeders. In this way you will gain a better perspective of the breed and its needs.
Menu ▼
My Books
Expert Advice
Dog Breed Reviews
Product Reviews
About
By Michele Welton, Dog Trainer, Breed Selection Consultant, Author of 15 Dog Books
Start your Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier off on the right foot by feeding the right food, giving the right vaccinations, finding the right vet, and if you're going to spay or neuter, don't do it too early.
Jump down to this list of Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier Health Problems
Or check out my advice for raising a healthy Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier puppy or adult dog:
Dog Health Care – The Sensible Way Read my advice on daily health care so your Wheaten Terrier lives a long, healthy life and seldom needs to see the vet.. [read more]
3 Best Ways To Feed Your Dog Healthy Food You can dramatically increase your dog's chances of living a long, healthy life by feeding the right food. Cutting right to the chase, the best foods for your Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier are.. [read more]
A Quick Way To Make Homemade Dog Food Your Wheaten Terrier will love real chicken, turkey, beef, fish, eggs, yogurt, broccoli.. this is not just 'people food' and I'll tell you why.. [read more]
5 Best Kibble and Canned Dog Foods Some are better than others, but I must be honest – I'm not a huge fan of dry or canned dog food. Here are my concerns.. [read more]
Feed Homemade Dog Food Without Needing To Make It Would you like to feed your dog homemade, but don't have the time to make it? I have a solution for you.. [read more]
Hdd unlock wizard crack serial. Should You Buy Pet Insurance? An Honest Review My advice on the pros and cons of pet health insurance. The best pet insurance company I've found is.. [read more]
Vaccinations and Booster Shots: Needed or Not? How many vaccinations does your Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier puppy really need? Does your adult dog need yearly booster shots? The vaccination guidelines have changed! Find out what some vets aren't telling you.. [read more]
Spaying Your Female Dog: Pros and Cons Should your female Wheaten Terrier be spayed? Current research says, 'The AGE at which you spay can be vitally important to your dog's future health.' So what's the best age? [read more]
Neutering Your Male Dog: Pros and Cons Have you been told that you must neuter your male Wheaten? Current research shows that the issue is not so simple. Pet owners are not being told about some risks associated with neutering male dogs, especially neutering too early.. [read more]
Make Sure Your Vet is the Best! Is your current veterinarian really the best choice for your dog? Here's how to tell.. [read more]
Assisi Loop Review Does your Wheaten suffer from arthritis, hip dysplasia, disk disease, colitis? My honest review of a veterinary device you can use at home to reduce inflammation and pain. [read more]
Complete list of Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier health problems
These FIVE health problems are life-threatening in Wheatens:
A severe form of colitis (protein-losing enteropathy, or PLE), results in essential proteins being 'lost' through the walls of the gastrointestinal tract. All Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers should be tested every year for PLE, because it's essential to treat it early.
A similar kidney disease (protein-losing nephropathy, or PLN) results in essential proteins being lost through the kidneys. All Wheatens should be tested every year for PLN.
A different kidney disease, renal dysplasia, can kill Wheaten Terriers at 6-12 months old. Fortunately, a simple DNA test is available for renal dysplasia. So you don't need to wait with bated breath for symptoms to appear. You can have your Wheaten Terrier puppy tested in your vet's office to find out whether he has inherited renal dyplasia or not.
A complicated disorder of the endocrine system, called Addison's disease, occurs in Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers.
Finally, a serious neurological disease called degenerative myelopathy gradually causes hindquarter paralysis. This heart-breaking disease is currently a major concern in the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier.
Allergies are not life-threatening, but they're a chronic nuisance that can make life miserable for your Wheaten and frustrating for you. Allergies cause terribly itchy skin and the constant scratching often leads to bacterial skin infections (hot spots).
Tumorous growths (especially basal cell tumors and hair follicle tumors) are quite common in Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers, as are non-tumorous growths such as warts.
The most serious eye diseases in Wheatens are progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), cataracts, and retinal dysplasia. There are an awful lot of Wheatens who are completely or partially blind.
Orthopedic diseases include elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, and luxating patella (loose knees).
The Orthopedic Foundation of America evaluated the hip X-rays of 6800 Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers and found 5% dysplastic. That's not too bad, but elbows were worse – out of 500 elbow x-rays, 9% were dysplastic.
Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers And Anesthesia Dogs
Paroxysmal dyskinesia is an inherited movement disorder. An affected Wheaten has episodes of abnormal movement of his legs, sometimes resembling a seizure. Testing of a limited number of Wheatens showed 25% of the tested dogs were affected, with another 15% being carriers.
Other health issues in Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers include hypothyroidism, heart disease, and inherited deafness.
Preventing health problems
Some health problems are inherited. For example, if your dog inherits from his parents the genes for an eye disease called PRA, he will go blind and there's nothing anyone can do about it.
But most health problems can be prevented by the ways you raise your dog.
Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers And Anesthesia Associates
My best-selling book, 11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy shows you how to raise your Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier in all the right ways that help prevent health problems. Become your dog's health care champion!
About the author: Michele Welton has over 40 years of experience as a Dog Trainer, Dog Breed Consultant, and founder of three Dog Training Centers. An expert researcher and author of 15 books about dogs, she loves helping people choose, train, and care for their dogs.
To help you train and care for your dog
Dog training videos. Sometimes it's easier to train your puppy (or adult dog) when you can see the correct training techniques in action. The problem is that most dog training videos on the internet are worthless, because they use the wrong training method. I recommend these dog training videos that are based on respect and leadership.
Respect Training For Puppies: 30 seconds to a calm, polite, well-behaved puppy. For puppies 2 to 18 months old. Your puppy will learn the 21 skills that all family dogs need to know.
If your dog is over 18 months, you'll want Respect Training For Adult Dogs: 30 seconds to a calm, polite, well-behaved dog. Again your dog will learn the 21 skills that all family dogs need to know.
Teach Your Dog 100 English Words is a unique Vocabulary and Respect Training Program that will teach your adult dog to listen to you and do what you say.
11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy helps your dog live a longer, healthier life.
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Rescue
Dog Quest: Find The Dog Of Your Dreams will help you find a good-tempered, healthy family companion.