Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier

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The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a breed of dog that originated in Ireland. There are four coat varieties, Traditional Irish, Heavy Irish, English, and American. They are considered to be hypoallergenic - a trait which makes them a good choice for allergic or asthmatic dog owners. The name may or may not be hyphenated. [1][2] Alternatively, the words "soft" and "coated" are occasionally combined into one to make "softcoated". [3]

History

The Wheaten was originally bred in his native Ireland to be an all-purpose farm dog whose duties would have included herding, watching and guarding livestock, and vermin hunting. This is probably why they are not as aggressive as other terriers, who were primarily vermin hunters. They are believed to be related to the Kerry Blue Terrier. The story about the Kerry Blue Terrier is: A Spanish ship docked in Ireland and a strange blue/black dog, which may have been a Portuguese Water Dog, came ashore. It bred with the local Wheatens and thus came the Kerry Blue.

Despite its long history as a farm dog, the Wheaten wasn’t recognized as a breed in Ireland by the Irish Kennel Club until 1937. Following this in 1943, the English Kennel Club recognized the breed as well. The first Wheatens were exported to the United States in the 1946, but serious interest in the breed took years to develop.Miss Lydia Covel was one of the first breeders of the Wheaten Terrier in the United States.Finally, in 1973, they were recognized by the American Kennel Club.

Appearance

Puppies have a dark coat of either red or mahogany. The muzzle and ears of Wheaten puppies may be black or very dark. The dark puppy coat gradually grows out into a wheat-coloured 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.

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 40 pounds. The breed seems to have a square structure and is well built. Its hair does not shed like most dogs; like human hair and Poodle hair, it keeps growing, needs regular trimming, and drops just a few hairs daily.

The English coat variety tends to be thicker than the other varieties and tend to be kept a bit longer than the American variety. For this reason, American coats need to be regularly cared for and maintained.

Temperament

Wheaten terriers stay young at heart for many years. They are quite active. Their temperament is curious and friendly. Wheaten owners are familiar with the famous "wheaten greetin'" these friendly dogs treat visitors with. They are very sociable.

The Wheaten is a fun-loving, intelligent dog. It can be vocal, making it a good watch dog although no one should consider this breed to deter burglars as the dog will greet the burglar as a friend. Their temperament should be such that they consider a stranger a friend they have not met yet.

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is known to be less aggressive in nature than that of other terrier breeds.

Proper socialization with their environment and with other children and adults when they are young most likely will ensure a stable temperament in a Wheaten. Basic obedience classes may enable less frustrating co-existence with a Wheaten.

The breed is generally trainable, although the terrier stubbornness does appear on occasion. Consistency in training and positive reinforcement is the best method in the training of a Wheaten, as they can be very sensitive to physical correction. With both a short attention span and an energetic personality, Wheatens can be difficult to train as show dogs.

Some Wheatens love water while others will avoid it. Wheatens do well as a sole dog companion and can also be fine in a multi-dog household depending on the temperaments of the other dogs. Many wheaten owners go on to get a second one eventually. Typically, one of each sex make best companions for each other. Wheatens enjoy chasing squirrels.

Health

Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers have a life expectancy of 13-14 years and typically remain perky to the end. They, like almost all dog breeds, are prone to some genetic disorders, particularly protein-losing enteropathy and protein-losing nephropathy. Protein-losing enteropathy and protein-losing nephropathy are both the loss of protein (from the Intestinal tract, and the kidneys, respectively). These two conditions are both potentially fatal, and difficult to diagnose. Renal dysplasia has also been reported, especially in Europe. Hip dysplasia and Progressive retinal atrophy are occasionally seen. Several of the breed's clubs are now beginning to address these health issues.

References

Wikipedia information about Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier". It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). Help contribute to Americola and edit this article.