For at least 200 years, the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier was a helpful hand and a friend on Irish farms. They share ancestry with the Kerry Blue and Irish Terriers, and people originally bred them for the same purposes: all-around farm dogs. They would protect the chicken coop, hunt vermin, and be a loyal friend through whatever life might bring. However, according to the SCWT club of Great Britain, “…said to be the progenitor of the Kerry Blue and the Irish Terrier”. So, this means that the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is the oldest recorded Terrier in Ireland. However, today, they are considered a vulnerable native breed, and the UK Kennel Club states that around 130 Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers were registered in the UK in 2024. 

Size

Similar to the Irish and Kerry Blue terriers, the Soft-Coated Wheaten terrier also has long legs and stands up to 19 inches tall (48 cm) and can weigh up to 40 pounds (18 kg). Females are slightly smaller, going up to 18 inches (43 cm) and 35 pounds (15 kg).

Color

There is only one coat color, and that is wheaten. It can go from beige to gold, but it’s unique to the breed, hence the name. The other hallmark of the breed is its soft, wavy coat. But we’ll talk more about that in the Grooming part.

The breed coat can be any shade of wheaten. They can also have occasional red, white or black guard hairs.

Social Traits

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a friendly and outgoing dog. If you make sure they go through proper socialization at a young age and continue to socialize them through their adulthood, these Terriers get along very well with other dogs of all sizes.

One of the best social traits of this breed is their friendliness toward the children, and an overall loyalty toward the whole family. They are true best friends and get along great with children! 

What we, as owners, need to pay attention to is their prey drive and how they behave around other small animals. Like other Terriers, they have a strong prey drive that cannot and should not be eradicated, but redirected through some dog sports or other activities. 

Unfortunately, their strong prey drive also means they will want to run away from home in search of prey. This means appropriate fencing is a must. Keep in mind they can dig very well, so going under the fence is another route they can take to escape.

Trainability

If you’ve ever owned a terrier, you know they are a bit stubborn and easily get bored if the task or a training session is too repetitive. Terriers, including our Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier, are smart dogs but won’t follow every command whenever and however you want.

People bred these dogs to have a dose of independence because they had to hunt and chase vermin on their own, often without any instructions from their owners. Because of this, we cannot expect a Terrier to obey as a Border Collie.

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is trainable, but you have to keep it fun and short. They will quickly learn what is okay or not okay to do, as long as they have fun learning. If the food is not a reward they are looking for, reward them with their favorite toy or a walk to the park.

Activity Needs

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is an active dog that needs at least 1 hour of daily activity. This does not include potty walks. They need something to do, explore, run around, and play. It is very important to keep them mentally and physically stimulated.

A bored dog turns boredom into misbehavior, which can come up as urinating inside, digging, chewing on furniture, running away from home more frequently, and even aggression. So, keep your Terrier happy by giving him enough daily activities. 

Keep in mind that the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier was made to work all day long, hunting, keeping chicks safe, and still have enough energy to play with their owners.

Feeding

Generally speaking, an adult Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier needs from one and a half to two cups of kibble food a day (1.5 to 2 cups). You should divide the daily amount of food into two meals. Give them one meal in the morning and the other one in the evening.

If ever in doubt, ask a vet for suggestions on what and how to feed your dog. They can not only recommend the best food according to the breed, but according to your dog’s personal needs. 

Grooming

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier needs daily brushing to keep the fur from matting. You need a combination of a pin and a slicker brush to keep the fur healthy and to remove any loose hair or dirt stuck in the coat. 

When you finish brushing your dog with the pin/slicker brush combination, groomers recommend you go through the whole coat with a fine-tooth metal comb for the final touch.

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier has a medium-long, wavy, silky coat that needs lots of grooming. The brushing part is something you have to do at home, but these dogs need the trim too. You can learn to do it on your own, or you can take them to the professional groomer – whatever suits you.

In the video below, you can see what a Show-style trim looks like and how to do it, step by step. However, you don’t have to trim the coat like this. You can choose a different cut, as seen in the picture (below the video).

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Possible Health Issues

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is generally a healthy dog breed. They are quite rare, so the gene pool is not very big, which means a lot of genetically transmitted health issues can be a big risk. But, through responsible breeding, these issues are brought down to a minimum. 

The breed club recommends doing these tests:

• Ophthalmologist Evaluation
• Hip Evaluation
• Screening for protein-losing nephropathy
• Screening for protein-losing enteropathy
• Addison’s disease
• Renal dysplasia 

Any responsible breeder will offer you these tests as proof their dogs are healthy. If they don’t or they avoid this topic, turn away and find another one.

Life span: over 12 years*

Summary 

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a rare dog breed, especially in the States. If you do come across a breeder, make sure they are responsible and take care of their dogs, not just aim to profit. The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a great addition to a family with children, and it can adapt to living in the city or countryside. The important thing is to keep them active and mentally stimulated. That means they need more than just a walk to pee. They need to run, explore, sniff, and meet other dogs. Don’t forget to give your dog ‌proper socialization and habituation. Also, start training when they are still puppies. This will make it easier when they grow up.

Cover photo by Audrius Vizbaras