IKC Standard  - The FCI and Irish Standard for the breed Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

KC Standard   - The UK Kennel Club Standard for  the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

AKC Standard - The American Kennel Club Standard for the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

WHEATEN  COAT TYPES

The Irish Coat

There are different types of Wheaten coat, and variations within the types.

The original type is the Irish Type. This is normally a very fine, silky coat, with an over- laying sheen in the adult dog.

This coat should have soft, loose waves of "Wheaten" colour.

The puppies look similar to Border Terriers when very young, with a short, harsh coat. This can vary in colour from very dark to quite pale, but is common to have a dark stripe down the centre of the back. This grows out through adolescence into the silky, wavy, mature coat, but this can take several years. It is a very slow maturing coat.

Even though, as juniors the coat is not very profuse, it still needs very regular grooming as the very nature of the fine texture makes it very prone to tangling and knotting. A Fine-Tooth comb is an essential tool for grooming this coat, as is a very soft "Slicker" Brush. Regular trimming is essential to remove dead ends and encourage new coat growth.

Although, it is possible to occasionally find an Irish-Type Wheaten (ie, both parents irish-coated), with a more profuse coat, especially on the head and legs. This coat needs to be groomed with a wider-toothed comb that has longer teeth. The hair on and beneath the ears needs trimming to allow air to circulate in the ear.

The Heavier Coat

The heavier coat is the most common type of coat seen in the UK.

The heavy coated puppy looks like a teddy-bear, with a much more profuse body coat and more hair on the legs and head. The coat colour can vary from very dark to quite red This coat matures quicker than an Irish-Coat and is very heavy from the very start, so daily grooming is essential.

A routine must be got into early, in order to get the puppy used to being groomed.

A wide-toothed comb with long teeth is the required tool, together with a pin-brush and a soft-slicker. The hair around the ears and feet need very regular trimming. This is to enable the dog to hear and allow air to circulate and to prevent the hair between the toes causing the feet to splay. Regular trimming is essential to remove dead ends and encourage new coat growth.

The colour usually clears within 18 months and soft, loose waves of Wheaten colour are what the KC standard calls for.

 **SOME THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND BEFORE DECIDING ON THIS BREED**

It must be remembered that either type of Wheaten has a non-shedding coat so it must  be groomed very  regularly. Non- Shedding DOES NOT mean LESS housework, it means more DOG-WORK!! 

 Grooming is an ESSENTIAL part of owning a wheaten. No puppy likes being groomed in the beginning, so a routine of daily grooming should be started from the day of getting your new puppy home. If the coat is left, "because he/she doesn't like it", then it becomes a battle of wills to get the dog groomed and creates problems and stress for both dog and owner. A spiral of "matted dog, stressed owner, more matted dog, more stressed owner etc" becomes the norm and then the end result will be a VERY unhappy dog and a  VERY disheartened owner. It DOESN'T have to be like that, if the routine is got into early and adhered to. Grooming is a good chance to bond with your puppy and can be a very relaxing enjoyable experience for the dog and owner, if enough trouble is taken to do it, in the early days.

If you decide on the Irish-Type of Wheaten, don't just assume because it has less coat, it will need less grooming. The Irish coat still needs very regular grooming as the hair is VERY fine and will matt and knot just as much as a heavy coat.

Wheatens have a single-coat, with no undercoat. Therefore they need drying off with a towel after being out in the rain or mud, to prevent them getting cold. Their feet seem to absorb water when wet, so also need drying after being near water. Snow sticks to the coat and can cause the coat to matt as it dries, so thorough drying and grooming is necessary after playing at being a "snow-dog"! (They LOVE snow!)

A wet & muddy wheaten will mark walls at dog-level and wet beards drip water all over clean floors. Please bear this in mind whilst deciding on whether a Wheaten is for you. If you are exceptionally house-proud, then maybe this isn't the breed of dog that would suit your lifestyle.   

Wheatens are a very boisterous breed of dog, and treat every new person they meet as an instant friend, even if that person doesn't particularly like dogs or want to be jumped on. They will still have to have their ears cleaned by this friendly, lively dog! When you have a wheaten  in your house, be sure to warn visitors about your little pocket rocket waiting behind the door, ready to jump and "mug" them!! 

Firm but Fair handling is necessary when wheatens are puppies. What is amusing  behaviour in a cute puppy is not  so amusing in a fully grown adult dog, so discipline is essential. Raising a wheaten puppy is not difficult, it just takes patience and common-sense.

This IS NOT a breed to be shut away from the family, they need to be where you are and to see what is going on. They should be treated as a part of the family  and not just a toy to be picked up, played with and then put away when it is inconvenient!!   

If a constant companion is required, who will give you unlimited love and devotion, then this is the breed for you!!

NB

***It should a unanimous family decision to own a puppy, as all the family will be involved, in someway, in raising him/her. Commitment is always necessary in any dog ownership, but this breed especially, needs you to be aware of the amount of training, grooming and general work involved, in order to have the benefit of a well-behaved, sociable dog, that is a credit to both its owners and its breeders***

 The end-result is well worth it!!

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