Breed characteristics
Breed characteristics
The Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is a rare, underrated breed and therefore little known to dog lovers. Although it belongs to a group of quite popular breeds, it stands in the shadow of other terriers, such as Scottish Terriers, West Highland White Terriers, or Yorkshire Terriers. And although it is often confused with a schnauzer or even a poodle, it is a unique breed not only because of its unique appearance, but above all because of its character. And I will write a little more about it now.
Throughout their history, wheatens were primarily ordinary backyard dogs. They were not required to have excellent qualities as a hunting or guard dog. They did not have to support their owners in herding cattle or tracking game. They were simply supposed to be unobtrusive members of a country family, and this is what shaped their fantastic character. The Irish needed a exuberant dog, not too large, with terrier attributes, but definitely less stubborn than those used for hunting. They were supposed to be dogs that lived among other people, and above all, children, for whom they were supposed to be perfect playmates. In addition, the main work of the wheatens were broadly understood as guarding the farmyard, but not the kind we know from typical guarding or defensive breeds. Our wheaten was simply supposed to raise alarms, which they still do very well to this day, but it’s hard to get them to attack a thief or another uninvited guest. And although they are not lacking in courage, their breeding has never been focused on defense or attack, and therefore there are no aggressive individuals among the representatives of this breed (assuming, of course, proper socialization in puppyhood and no bad experiences in adulthood, because biting , or dogs that growl at people can be found in every breed).
Additionally, they willingly exterminated rodents, which absolutely does not prevent them from making friends with a cat or other domestic creature. Their character can be described as nice, friendly and even joyful. Always eager to cuddle and play, they will never refuse to go for a walk together or spend time alone with their owner. They love being with people because that’s what they were created for. They will not miss the opportunity to cuddle up to their humans, and licking everybody’s ears can easily be included in their character as a flagship trait. They like to sleep in bed, although not all wheatens do it, some prefer the floor or their own bed, but necessarily close to a person. Closed or isolated, they will miss you. When a person returns home, they can be sure of an effusive greeting with a wagging tail and an irresistible need to lick their face, and when they are allowed to do so, they are the happiest dogs on earth. However, their excitement quickly fades, so there is no fear of a dog running wild around the house and unable to calm down at the sight of its human.
In relation to other dogs, their disposition is characterized by a full range of behaviors: from submissiveness, to distant and polite greetings, which most often end with an invitation to play, and if the other dog does not feel like playing, they simply go away calmly. Wheatens do not need to be too dominant or show who is in charge, precisely because of their balanced nature. So we don’t have to worry about dog fights or unpleasant encounters with other dogs. Wheatens naturally behave as if they were well-behaved. However, it should be remembered that it is a terrier and may have a “bad day” in which our dog may not be indifferent to another dog that is arguing with him. However, it is always another dog that must take the initiative to want to dominate and show it in a way that is unacceptable to our wheaten.
Friendship between our wheaten and cats or other small pets is possible, although the cat will be simply accepted without paying much attention. The dog will happily chase the cat in the yard, but in most cases, when the cat stops, the chase will stop.
Wheatens and children
To paraphrase the words of a song from a bedtime story about a teddy bear, children love wheatens, and wheateans love children. They can be tireless playmates, enthusiastically following children’s ideas. If a child is small and does not understand that some behavior, e.g. pulling the dog’s hair, causes pain, it ends with… an apology from the dog, which licks its face and asks it to stop. The child actually stops – surprised by the new stimulus, and the dog makes sure that his apology was appropriate. Sometimes it happens that incorrectly socialized young kids, at the sight of a wheatie, hide behind their mother’s leg or run away into their father’s arms – private observations show that this fear can be reduced by uncovering the wheaten’s eyes (e.g. by making a ponytail on top of its head), then even those children who are afraid of pets call out: “Mom, mom! Look what a cool dog! Waaaaaa…” instead of: “Dog! Dog! AAAAA, DOG!”
I have an idea!
Wheatens are very intelligent. You can teach them almost anything you can imagine in just a few moments. However, remember that they quickly get bored repeating the same exercise*. It’s a good idea to alternate several different lessons. You can start lessons during your first walks. For the puppies it is enough to shown them once, which side of the pole to walk on to unscrew the leash that was hooked in the heat of play. They will remember it and each time they will be able to cope on their own without any help. When puppy slips off the leash and chases into the field because he saw an interesting animal there, if we fail to catch up with him, it is very likely that after several minutes of searching and great stress, we will find it waiting at the door of our house as if nothing had happened.
* does not apply to their favorite exercises and games – they can do these for hours