With ancestors who were a breed of tenacious terriers, most often used for ratting (hunting vermin and small, predatory animals), today»s soft-coated Wheaten Terrier is still useful»but more so as the household pet for the serious terrier owner.
The serious terrier owner today, however, will not necessarily get lumped in with the original soft-coated Wheaten Terrier owner. Though it is rationalized that the first terriers surely must have been part of the group of small, useful, working dogs called the «cotter dogs,» terriers like the soft-coated Wheaten Terrier»s ancestors were made by law in 1698 to live only on the properties of the poor, reserving the Spaniels, Greyhounds, Beagles, and valued hunting hounds for the well-to-do folk.
So it follows that the Irish farmers in Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary , and neighboring towns kept the soft-coated Wheaten Terrier as an all-purpose dog that herded, hunted, shielded, and protected. This breed, with long legs and weighing 35 to 45 pounds at 18 to 19 inches, was muscular enough and yet energetic enough to serve the farmspeople in so many ways.
And with its mild-mannered, yet lively temperament, the soft-coated Wheaten Terrier continues to serve humans»in at least one way.
It is a superb watchdog, inherently attentive and loyal to the cause of protecting the property on which and the people with whom it lives. And it does so happily, for it is a breed of merriment and fun, expressive and affectionate.
And relating well to children as well as older folk and adapting easily to any city or country environment, the soft-coated Wheaten Terrier loves people as much as excitement. So a spacious yard that is fenced and/or daily exercise will contribute to the breed»s need for activity. That is, boredom must be prevented in this animal that spent its past lives running, chasing, herding, and hunting.
What also must be prevented is entanglement of the fine wheat-colored hairs on this long-haired breed. The soft-coated Wheaten Terrier needs daily combing/brushing with a medium-toothed metal comb, as well as frequent trimming sessions for the ears, the feet, and the underside of the tail.
So though the laws of William III held that only those with money could afford the non-terrier types of dogs, the soft-coated Wheaten Terrier was as valuable to the farmer as was the hound to the hunting royalty. And today, having been brought to the states in the early part of the 20th century by Lydia Vogel, the soft-coated Wheaten Terrier is greatly valued»maybe not as a hunting or gun or cattle-herding creature, but as a faithful and effective protector and loving dog.
