The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Illustrated Standard

The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is a medium-sized, hardy, well balanced sporting terrier, square in outline. He is distinguished by his soft, silky, gently waving coat of warm wheaten color and his particularly steady disposition. The breed requires moderation both in structure and presentation, and any exaggerations are to be shunned. He should present the overall appearance of an alert and happy animal, graceful, strong and well coordinated.

The term "well-balanced" is important for it is used throughout the Standard and is the rock upon which proper Wheaten structure is built. The Wheaten is a sturdy dog and must be well-boned, but never over-boned lest he appear coarse. "Moderate," when applied to a square, long-legged terrier must not be confused with "common," nor imply lack of elegance. His distinctive coat and temperament set the Wheaten apart from other terriers.

A dog shall be 18 to 19 inches at the withers, the ideal being 18½. A bitch shall be 17 to 18 inches at the withers, the ideal being 17½. Major Faults - Dogs under 18 inches or over 19 inches; bitches under 17 inches or over 18 inches. Any deviation must be penalized according to the degree of its severity.

Square in outline. Hardy, well balanced. Dogs should weigh 35 to 40 pounds; bitches 30 to 35 pounds.

When considering the concepts of substance and balance, we must keep in mind the original functions of the breed, including guarding the boundaries of small farms (requiring endurance), and hunting badger (requiring substance). An oversize Wheaten approaches the Airedale in type, while a racy, light-boned animal will resemble an Irish terrier. These measurements are precise and must be respected. Every effort must be made to fix the breed's size within these boundaries. The differences between dogs and bitches are integral to type.

Head and neck appear approximately the same length with length of back slightly longer.

The Wheaten's stop is more defined than that of the Fox Terrier but not so defined as a Westie.

EYES dark reddish brown or brown, medium in size, slightly almond-shaped and set fairly wide apart. Eye rims black. MAJOR FAULT: Anything approaching a yellow eye.

The original Irish standard described the eye as dark reddish brown, the color of a hazelnut. This dark eye does not give a hard-bitten expression.

Upper eye: Correct-almond shaped eye with rimming of black "mascara" evident. Eye color is rich.

Lower eye- Fault:-pale or yellow eye with little appearance of "mascara".

Upper dog: Correct-eye placement, almond shaped eyes.

Lower dog: Incorrect eyes too round, too closely set.

EARS small to medium in size, breaking level with the skull and dropping slightly forward, the inside edge of the ear lying next to the cheek and pointing to the ground rather than to the eye. A hound ear or a high-breaking ear is not typical and should be severely penalized.

Note that the ear that lies next to the cheek and points to the ground cannot be a high-breaking ear. The ear must not stand away from the head and anything resembling a rose or hound ear is objectionable. Whether the ear breaks level with the skull or only appears to, because of the length of coat, is a moot point. What is important and of great concern among Wheaten fanciers is that the ear not be set to produce the high-breaking ear seen on the Kerry Blue.

Left: Objectionable: standaway ears

Objectionable: overlarge, low-set ears

Dog far left: Correct-skull, muzzle, ears

Middle dog: Incorrect-snipey, skull disproportionately wide, muzzle overly narrow

Dog far right: Incorrect-overly coarse

NECK medium in length, clean and strong, not throaty. Carried proudly, it gradually widens, blending smoothly into the body.

Length of neck is an important factor in achieving balance; i.e. the overlong neck has an exaggerated appearance which interferes with the desired moderate look. At the same time, a neck described as "strong and muscular" must have enough length to give the grace and elegance we expect in a long-legged terrier. The head must never appear to be resting upon the shoulders. It is important that the neck arch behind the head and gradually widen, creating a smooth transition when it meets the shoulders.  This smooth transitionof neck into back is created by prominent thoracic vertebrae. Lacking these, the neck meets the back too abruptly, almost at right angles.

BACK strong and level, BODY compact: relatively short-coupled. CHEST is deep. RIBS are well sprung but without roundness. TAIL is docked and well set on, carried gaily but never over the back.

The Wheaten must appear SQUARE in outline. He is short of loin. Ribs are deep rather than round with adequate breadth to preclude a narrow chest or slab-sided dog. On the other hand, a well-sprung rib is NOT a barrel shaped rib. Breeders must be on guard to avoid either extreme. The ribs should arch, then flatten somewhat at the sides, coming down into a deep V at the brisket. Brisket should be level with the elbow. Correct length of tail is important to the overall balance of the individual dog and also to the uniformity of the breed in the show ring. The tail, if docked, should be approximately 1/2 to 2/3 of its original length. The tail of a mature dog is a bit shorter than seen on most long-legged terriers, coming about half way up the neck. The tail, neither too thick nor too spindly, should be set well up on the back with plenty of dog behind it. A low set tail, often accompanied by a steep croup, is most objectionable.

A - Correct - neck length and arch, gradually widening with smooth transition into level back.

B - Incorrect - high in rear, dip in withers

C - Incorrect - short neck (disguised with added hair on top skull), prominent lumbar vertebrae, low tail set, steep croup, shallow rib cage, overly bent pastern and straight stifle

D - Incorrect ewe neck, poorly set with short tail and prominent sternum.

Note - B,C,D are all made to appear correct by clever grooming

Dog on left: objectionable- slab sided

Dog in the middle: Objectionable - barrel ribbed

Dog on right: Correct-well sprung ribs

Forequarters

SHOULDERS well laid back, clean and smooth: well knit. FORELEGS straight and well boned. ALL DEWCLAWS should be removed. FEET are round and compact with good depth of pad. PADS are black. NAILS are dark.

There seems to be a tendency towards loaded shoulders in the Wheaten. Care should be taken to breed for a clean, smooth blade so that the hands, running down the neck and sides of the dog, find the shoulders barely, if at all, discernible. Another problem is the upright blade (lack of layback), inhibiting reach and making impossible the long, graceful stride we seek. Forelegs should form a straight line from shoulder blade to feet. Legs that are too short or dish are not acceptable. Feet must be tight, toes not splayed, and must point straight ahead. Overly bent or weak pasterns must be avoided. Pads must be black. The original standard called for black nails, and while still preferred, some latitude has been given to nails of varying colors, i.e., tortoise (dark brown line down the center of cream or brown nail), or brown. White nails are most objectionable. Dew claws should be removed as they represent a health hazard and serve no useful purpose.

Dog on left: Objectionable-lack of layback and pelvic angle inhibit reach and drive.

Dog on right: Correct-shoulder layback and pelvic angle allow for long graceful stride.

A - Correct-forelegs straight and well boned, feet compact.

B - Objectionable-feet flat, weak pasterns

C - Objectionable-loaded shoulders

D-Objectionable-dished front legs

HINDQUARTERS

HIND LEGS well developed with well bent STIFLES turning neither in nor out; HOCKS well let down and parallel to each other. All DEW CLAWS should be removed. The presence of dewclaws on the hind legs should be penalized. FEET are round and compact with good depth of pad. PADS black. NAILS dark.

The hind legs are strong with rear angulation approximately the same as shoulder angulation to insure balanced appearance and function. Hocks should be perfectly parallel with each other when viewed from the rear. The dog must be well up on his feet which should turn neither in nor out.

A distinguishing characteristic of the breed which sets the dog apart from all other terriers. An abundant single coat covering the entire body, legs and head; coat on the latter falls forward to shade the eyes. Texture soft and silky with a gentle wave. In both puppies and adolescents, the mature wavy coat is generally not yet evident. Major Faults - Woolly or harsh, crisp or cottony, frizzy, kinky or standaway coat; in the adult, a straight coat is also objectionable.

The mature coat may carry more texture than the puppy or adolescent coat, but must always be soft and silky and must fall in waves or loose curls. The ideal mature coat lays down. The silky quality of the coat must be emphasized here as there seems to be some confusion over what constitutes proper Wheaten coat. The makeup of each individual hair shaft creates the correct silkiness in the Wheaten coat and also causes it to shine. Look for the shine, feel for the silkiness and don't forget the prescribed gentle wave of the perfect Wheaten jacket.

Puppy coats are generally more profuse than mature coats and tend to stand away from the body to a great degree. Ideally, puppy coat is silky, not cottony. Neither mature nor puppy coats should be plush. 

The Wheaten coat is constantly undergoing change. At adolescence coarser, sometimes "slick" guard hairs come in over the withers. With maturity the coat thins, and though it generally carries more texture, coarseness cannot be condoned.

Preference should not be given to a coat at the expense of otherwise superior quality.

Dog on upper left: The curly standaway coat, whether soft or crisp, woolly or cottony, is incorrect.

Dog on far right: Also incorrect in the adult, the plush coat, devoid of wave or shine, stands away from the body because of its bulk.

Dog on the lower right: The correct adult Irish type coat, rare in the States, is a more open coat with less profuse leg furnishings, more intense wave and shine.

Dog on the left: Objectionable-overly trimmed and stylized. Eyes fully exposed, cheeks, ears and throat shaved, coat too short overall. However, exaggerated length of coat on head and neck creates appearance of absurdly long, thick neck and low set ear.

Dog in the middle: Objectionable-abundance of coat obscures the terrier outline.

Dog on right: Correct-square terrier outline with flowing coat, following contours of body. Note how length of hair on ears blends with coat on top skull.

Any shade of wheaten. Upon close examination, occasional red, white or black guard hairs may be found. However, the overall coloring must be clearly wheaten with no evidence of any other color except on ears and muzzle where blue-gray shading is sometimes present. Major Fault - Any color save wheaten. Puppies and Adolescents - Puppies under a year may carry deeper coloring and occasional black tipping. The adolescent, under two years, is often quite light in color, but must never be white or carry gray other than on ears and muzzle. However, by two years of age, the proper wheaten color should be obvious.

Correct color might be defined as any shade of wheaten from pale gold through warm honey. The adult Wheaten coat must never appear gray, brown, red, or white. Very deep color in a puppy does not always predict strong adult color. Color change continues throughout the life of the dog. The hairs are often banded. Closely observed, the Wheaten is not a solid-colored dog. Deep puppy color lightens with adolescence. Then as adult coat comes in, deeper coloring appears, generally beginning on the head and ears, spreading over the withers and down the back. There is no specific time frame for these changes, but some evidence of mature coat texture and color should be apparent by two years of age.

Deeper coloring and slight black tipping on puppy gives way to lighter color on adolescent. Reader should refer to the header at the top of this page for a more clear depiction of correct Wheaten coat color range.

Gait is free, graceful and lively with good reach in front and strong drive behind. Front and rear feet turn neither in nor out. Dogs who fail to keep their tails erect when moving should be severely penalized.

While the Wheaten moves with straight action at a slow gait, there is a tendency as with most breeds, to move toward the center of gravity with increased speed. This trait, often referred to as single-tracking, is only visible at high speed, and must never be responsible for condoning close movement. We cannot over-emphasize the importance of proper movement. The Wheaten must be able to cover ground in an efficient and graceful fashion, indicating strength and endurance. A properly structured well-conditioned dog will maintain a strong, level topline when moving.

The Wheaten moves with straight action, coming and going.

The Wheaten is a happy, steady dog and shows himself gaily with an air of self-confidence. He is alert and exhibits interest in his surroundings; exhibits less aggressiveness than is sometimes encouraged in other terriers. Major Fault - Timid or overly aggressive dogs.

A good-tempered, spirited dog, the Wheaten has a temperament unique among terriers. The Wheaten does not look for a fight. When asked to "face-off", he should hold his ground until challenged. Once challenged, he will respond like a terrier, but at no time should he be out of control. Bitches frequently exhibit less interest when faced-off. All dogs must exhibit confidence.

Please evaluate the whole dog. Coat, outline, head and temperament create type, but a working terrier must be able to cover ground effortlessly, therefore soundness must never be discounted. A properly structured dog will carry his outline securely when moving. Perfect coat is rare, and should be rewarded. However, care must be taken when judging puppies since puppy coat, color, and texture undergo many changes. The puppy and adolescent coats are fuller than the mature coat and require more trimming to achieve terrier outline. An overall inferior dog should never be put up over the overall superior specimen even though the latter carries some small deviation from the standard of perfection. A serious deviation, especially in an area of a major fault, cannot be overlooked. The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is usually very uncomfortable in direct sun. Judges are urged to avoid undue exposure whenever possible.

ILLUSTRATED
The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Breed Standard and Amplification

PUBLISHED BY
THE SOFT COATED WHEATEN TERRIER CLUB OF AMERICA, INC.

Produced, Coordinated and Edited by Gay Sherman Dunlap
Illustrated and Designed by Jody Sylvester

SOFT COATED WHEATEN TERRIER ILLUSTRATED BREED STANDARD AND AMPLIFICATION
Copyright 1992 by the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America, Inc.
SCWT Standard reformatted and approved by The American Kennel Club 2008
No part of this work may be reproduced or quoted without written permission of the Secretary of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America, Inc.
Information about the Club may be obtained from the Secretary whose name and address are on file with The American Kennel Club, 51 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010
Copies may be obtained through www.scwtca.org - Judges may obtain a free copy by emailing board@scwtca.org