Canis lupus familiaris
Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier
Featured photosoft-coated-wheaten-terrier.jpgThe Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a oldest of the four native Irish terriers — soft-coated wheaten farm dog of Ireland. The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is one of the four native Irish terrier breeds and the oldest documented.
Quick facts
- AKC group
- Terrier
- Origin country
- Ireland
- Origin period
- Pre-modern (formalized 1937)
- Coat type
- Long
- Coat colors
- Wheaten (a clear ripening-wheat colour from pale beige to shimmering golden) — puppies born darker and clearing to wheaten by 18-24 months
- Average lifespan
- 12-15 years
- Recognition
- AKC 1973 · FCI 1955 · UKC 1948 · Group 3 — Terriers (Section 1: Large and medium-sized Terriers)
Origin
The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is one of the four native Irish terrier breeds and the oldest documented; the breed has been kept on Irish farms for at least 200 years as a multi-purpose farm dog — herding sheep, dispatching vermin, and guarding the farmstead. The Wheaten is the foundation breed for the Irish Terrier (the red-coated breed registered in 1879) and the Kerry Blue Terrier (the blue-coated Wheaten descendant registered in 1922) — the Wheaten itself was the last of the three to be granted formal registry recognition. The Irish Kennel Club registered the breed on 17 March 1937 (St Patrick's Day, in fitting tradition) and the AKC followed in 1973.
Recognition
The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 1973, the United Kennel Club followed in 1948, and the Federation Cynologique Internationale published the international standard (FCI No. 40) in 1955. The FCI assigns the breed to Group 3 — Terriers (Section 1: Large and medium-sized Terriers).
Standard
The AKC and FCI standards describe a medium-sized, hardy, well-balanced sporting terrier, square in outline, of strong build and well-proportioned, with a happy bearing. The defining feature is the soft, silky, gently wavy or curly single coat — never harsh or coarse, never broken. The only acceptable adult colour is wheaten (a clear ripening-wheat colour from pale beige to shimmering golden); puppies are born darker and clear to wheaten by 18-24 months. Males stand 46-50 cm at the withers, females 44-48 cm.
Sources & further reading (3)
- kennel-club-registry — accessed 2026-04-30
- encyclopedia — accessed 2026-04-30
- fci-standard — accessed 2026-04-30
Frequently asked questions
What is the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier's AKC group?
The American Kennel Club places the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier in the Terrier Group. The Terrier Group gathers breeds developed to hunt and dispatch vermin or to go to ground after fox and badger; the name derives from the Latin terra ('earth'). The breed's foundation working role was as a oldest of the four native Irish terriers — soft-coated wheaten farm dog of Ireland.
When was the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier officially recognized?
The American Kennel Club admitted the breed in 1973; the United Kennel Club followed in 1948; the Federation Cynologique Internationale published the international standard (FCI No. 40) in 1955.
What is the average lifespan of a Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier?
Kennel-club longevity surveys place the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier's average lifespan in the 12-15 years range. The figure here represents the spread reported by the major parent-club studies and the Kennel Club (UK) purebred-dog health surveys.
