Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

The Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is probably the oldest of the four Irish terrier breeds. The first mentions of Irish soft-coated dogs date from the early 19th century. It was then a versatile breed used as a hunting dog, particularly for hunting badger, otter or pests, sheepdog and guard dog in County Munster. The links with the other Irish terriers are poorly documented: there were probably breeding experiments with the Irish Terrier and the breed participated in the creation of the Kerry Blue Terrier. Despite its ancient origin, the Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is only recognized by the Irish Kennel Club in 1937 and by the English Kennel Club in 1943. Subsequently, the breed gained in popularity and spread throughout the world, particularly in the United States. With 94 registrations in the French Stud Book (LOF) in 2012, the breed is poorly represented in France. In the United Kingdom, with between 287 and 455 registrations in the English Kennel Club registers each year, the breed is not very popular, even among the terrier group. In the United States in 2013, the Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is the 51st most popular breed out of 127, according to the American Kennel Club.

The FCI standard describes the breed as intrepid, affectionate and loyal to its masters, intelligent and with talents for guarding. Playful, it enjoys children. The Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is considered to be less quarrelsome and less barking than other terriers.

The Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is a terrier dog, rustic and active in appearance. The length from the withers to the base of the tail is approximately equal to the height at the withers. The loin is short and powerful, the back is strong and horizontal and the deep chest presents well-sprung ribs. Well-set, the not too thick tail is carried gaily but never over the back. In countries where tail docking is authorized, the tail is cut to two thirds of its length. The head is long, well-proportioned in relation to the body, with a flat skull not too wide and a marked stop. The not too large eyes are dark hazel. The small to medium ears are carried forward, at the level of the skull. The base of the ear can be shaded and accompanied by a pale wheaten colored zone. The coat is of soft and silky texture to the touch, without undercoat. Grooming is permitted by the FCI standard, forbidden in Great Britain and traditional in the United States. The groomed dog has the hair cut short in the neck region, on the chest, on the skull and tail. It is left long above the eyes, under the jaw to form mustaches. Grooming enhances the silhouette of the dog without being 'sculptured'. In its natural state, ungroomed, the Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier has long hair up to 12.7 cm long. It is wavy or forms loose loops, without being fluffy like the poodle and bobtail. The coat is light wheaten to golden wheaten with reddish tones.