Breed library

Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier photograph.
Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier.jpg - Terrierkännaren. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Soft-Coated_Wheaten_Terrier.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0. License: CC BY-SA 3.0.

Breed overview

The soft-coated Wheaten Terrier (An Brocaire Buí - literally, "Yellow Terrier") is a pure-breed terrier originating from Ireland. Wheatens typically have one of two coat types: Irish or Heavy (American). The Irish coat is generally silkier and wavier than the Heavy, or American coat, which is thicker and fuller. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is named for its silky, wheat-colored coat. Wheatens are generally friendly and playful, and tend to get along well with children and other dogs.

  • Breed type: dog breedBreed reference breed kind.

Breed facts

  • The Wheaten was bred in Ireland for over two hundred years to be an all-purpose farm dog whose duties included herding, watching and guarding livestock, and vermin hunting and killing.
  • In Ireland, they were commonly referred to as the "Poor Man's Wolfhound." The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier received the nickname "Poor Man’s Wolfhound" because people in Ireland were prohibited from owning hunting dogs such as Irish Wolfhounds or Beagles.
  • So, folks bred the Wheaten Terrier as a versatile farm and guard dog instead.
  • Despite its long history, the Wheaten was not recognized as a breed in Ireland by the Irish Kennel Club until 1937.
  • In 1943, the British Kennel Club recognized the breed in the UK as well.

Size and appearance

Puppies have dark coats of 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-colored coat as they get older. The adult coat typically matures by 3 years old and may contain black, white, or darker brown "guard" hairs in addition to the lighter wheaten colored hair. If adults ever have skin injuries, the resulting hair growth (wound hair) will be the dark color of their puppy coat before it eventually grows out to the wheat color. It may also come out to a molten chocolate color, either white or milky colored fur .

  • Body mass reference: 13.6 - 15.9 kgAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 13.6 - 15.9 kg. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Body mass reference: 14 - 20 kgAdult breed reference quantity from the article infobox. Original value 14 - 20 kg. Unit conversion where applicable: 1 inch = 2.54 cm; 1 pound = 0.45359237 kg. Original field and references are retained in the revision-pinned article evidence.
  • Height reference: 18 in or moreBreed reference height. male, minimum.
  • Height reference: Up to 19 inBreed reference height. male, maximum.
  • Coat texture: curly
  • Weight category: medium

Personality and behavior

The Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier is an energetic and playful dog. It requires patience and consistent positive training. Harsh methods will often result in fear and/or aggression. A positive, even-handed approach works best with this intelligent yet headstrong terrier. It is an enthusiastic greeter, and will often jump up to lick a person's face, commonly referred to as the "Wheaten greetin". Wheatens are considered less scrappy than other terriers, but are lively and can be more active than many other breeds. For this reason these dogs do best when they are exercised regularly.

  • Attachment and attention seeking (C-BARQ mean): 1.89 / 4Owner-reported attachment and attention seeking factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Chasing (C-BARQ mean): 2.22 / 4Owner-reported chasing factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Dog-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.86 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Dog-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.92 / 4Owner-reported dog-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Energy (C-BARQ mean): 2.14 / 4Owner-reported energy factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Excitability (C-BARQ mean): 2.23 / 4Owner-reported excitability factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Familiar-dog aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.79 / 4Owner-reported familiar-dog aggression factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Non-social fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.97 / 4Owner-reported non-social fear factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Owner-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.26 / 4Owner-reported owner-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Separation-related problems (C-BARQ mean): 0.61 / 4Owner-reported separation-related problems factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Stranger-directed aggression (C-BARQ mean): 0.63 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed aggression factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Stranger-directed fear (C-BARQ mean): 0.62 / 4Owner-reported stranger-directed fear factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Touch sensitivity (C-BARQ mean): 0.77 / 4Owner-reported touch sensitivity factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.
  • Trainability (C-BARQ mean): 2.38 / 4Owner-reported trainability factor mean for US reference population Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier.

Exercise and activities

Care planning: build a weekly routine with walks, play and time to explore. Enter the minutes and sessions that work for your dog, then compare the weekly total with your available time. Keep notes about the activities your dog enjoys and adjust the routine together.

Training and enrichment

Care planning: choose one everyday skill to practice and keep a record of each session. Note the cue, the reward your dog enjoys and what went well. Rotate familiar games and new activities, and use your notes to choose the next small step.

Coat and grooming

Care planning: use the coat details above to discuss a grooming routine with your groomer. Record brushing sessions, baths and appointments in the app. Add the tools you use and your preferred schedule so the whole household can follow the same routine.

  • Coat texture: curly
  • Grooming frequency: daily brushing

Health and lifespan

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.7 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.

Living with this breed

Care planning: compare this profile's adult dimensions, coat care and available activity information with your household's routine. Make a shortlist, plan who will handle daily care and save the questions you want to ask a breed club, rescue or breeder.

Compare breeds

Compare supported adult height and weight ranges, matching research measures and sourced coat and care categories.

Add Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier to a comparison

Breed history

The Wheaten was bred in Ireland for over two hundred years to be an all-purpose farm dog whose duties included herding, watching and guarding livestock, 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. So, folks bred the Wheaten Terrier as a versatile farm and guard dog instead. Wheaten Terriers used to be docked to avoid taxes and were often kept to a specific size. Despite its long history, the Wheaten was not recognized as a breed in Ireland by the Irish Kennel Club until 1937. In 1943, the British Kennel Club recognized 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.

Clubs and further reading

Sources

  1. Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier - WikipediaWikipedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted excerpts from Wikipedia contributors, Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier, revision 1368890492. CC BY-SA 4.0. Formatting, citations and selection changed. Source history: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soft-coated_Wheaten_Terrier&action=history
  2. Wikidata structured breed dataWikimedia contributors Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC0 1.0. Wikidata contributors (CC0).
  3. National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.PLOS ONE / Figshare Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY 4.0. Bohland, Kyle R.; Lilly, Meghan Leanne; Herron, Meghan E.; Arruda, Andréia G.; O’Quin, Jeanette M. (2023). National C-BARQ breed and all-breed means from USA.. PLOS ONE. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356.s003 CC BY 4.0. Selected rows and field names adapted; values unchanged.
  4. File:Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier.jpgWikimedia Commons Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: CC BY-SA 3.0. Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier.jpg - Terrierkännaren. CC BY-SA 3.0. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Soft-Coated_Wheaten_Terrier.jpg. License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0.
  5. Palipaws everyday care planningPalipaws Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Palipaws original factual summaries. Palipaws. Original care-planning text, separate from breed measurements and licensed article summaries.
  6. AKC national parent club directoryAmerican Kennel Club Retrieved 2026-10-14.License: Factual reference only. Names and verified external links only. No source descriptions, logos or endorsement reused.