Wheaten Terriers

Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier

Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier standing as if at a conformation dog show
Other names	Irish Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier and variant spellings: "Soft Coated" and "Softcoated"
Common nicknames	Wheaten or Wheatie
Origin	Ireland
Traits Weight Male 14–20 kg (31–44 lb) Height Male 45 to 50 cm (18 to 20 inches) Coat Soft and silky, loosely waved or curly Color Wheaten or rust color Litter size up to 8 Life span 10.7 to 12.5 years
Classification / standards FCI Group 3, Section 1 Large/medium-sized Terriers #040 standard AKC Terrier standard ANKC Group 2 (Terriers) standard CKC Group 4 – Terriers standard KC (UK) Terrier standard NZKC Terrier standard UKC Terriers standard
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier (Irish: An Brocaire Buí) is a pure bred dog originating from Ireland. These dogs have a single coat which sheds very little hair, so they can be more easily tolerated by people allergic to other breeds. Wheatens typically have one of two coat types: Irish or American. The Irish coat is considered to be the breed standard. It is generally more silky and wavy than the American coat, which is thicker and more "wooly".

The Wheaten was bred in Ireland for over two hundred years to be an all-purpose farm dog whose duties included herding, , and vermin hunting and killing. They share a common ancestry with the Kerry Blue Terrier and the Irish Terrier but were not owned by gentry. Today, Wheaten terriers compete in obedience, agility, and tracking and are occasionally used in animal-assisted therapy as well. In Ireland, they were commonly referred to as the "Poor Man's Wolfhound." Their tails used to be docked to avoid taxes and were often kept to a specific size.

Despite its long history, the Wheaten was not recognised as a breed in Ireland by the Irish Kennel Club until 1937. In 1943, the British Kennel Club recognised the breed in the UK as well. The first Wheatens were exported to Lydia Vogel in the United States in the 1940s, but serious interest in the breed took another ten years to develop. Finally, in 1973, they were recognised by the American Kennel Club. In the 1970s, the first Wheatens were imported into Australia by Anubis Kennels. Since then, many more have been imported. Recent importation of Irish-style dogs have improved and broadened the gene pool.

Puppies have dark coats of either red, brown, mahogany or white. Their muzzles and ears may be black or dark brown. The reddish-brown puppy coat gradually grows out to nearly white before maturing into a wheaten-coloured coat as they get older. 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 colour of their puppy coat before it eventually grows out to the wheat color. It may also come out to a molten chocolate colour, either white or milky coloured.

The Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier is a medium-sized dog, which ranges on average from 17 to 20 inches (43 to 51 cm) in height and about 30 to 45 pounds (14 to 20 kg) in weight. The breed has a square structure and is well built. Their soft, silky hair does not shed like most dogs; like human hair and Poodle hair, it keeps growing; they do need trimming and should be brushed and combed once a day to avoid mats. They are very smart dogs, and are easy to train. They love people, and they rarely have aggression issues.