Breed Priorities – Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

Click here to read the complete article
148 – August, 2020

By Nikki Riggsbee

Ireland is the home of many wonderful and beautiful breeds. For many years the sporting and hunting dogs were reserved for the upper classes. Several terriers were used as general purpose farm dogs, including the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, the Kerry Blue Terrier, and the Irish Terrier. The Wheaten is distinguished by his coat – wheaten colored, soft, silky, and wavy. Temperamentally, they are also less feisty than some other terriers. Wheatens are currently the second most popular terrier based on 2019 AKC registration statistics.

We found twenty-eight Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier breeder-judges and mentors to invite to take a survey on their breed’s priorities. Twenty-one agreed to participate, and fifteen returned surveys. The group has been in the breed for nearly thirty-six years on average. Those who judge have been doing so for an average of more than seventeen years.

Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Virtues

The experts prioritized a group of Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier characteristics taken from their breed standard and listed on the survey. The list of virtues below is in sequence by the average ranks, with one being the most important.

1. Square in outline

2. Gait free, graceful, lively, good reach, strong drive

3. Happy, steady, self-confident, alert

4. Head rectangular in appearance; moderately long

5. Moderation both in structure and presentation

6. Shoulders well laid back

7. Soft, silky, gently waving coat of warm wheaten color

8. Back strong and level

9. Tail set on high, carried upright from back, straight or with slight curve forward

10. Muzzle strong, powerful, well filled, equal in length to skull

11. Ear small to medium, dropping slightly forward, inside edge next to cheek, pointing to ground

12. Well bent stifles, hocks well let down

13. Dog 18”-19”, bitch 17”-18”

14. Scissors or level bite

15. Eyes dark reddish brown or brown, medium size, slight almond shape, set fairly wide apart

16. Coat of sufficient length to flow when dog in motion

 Click here to read the complete article
148 – August, 2020

Short URL: https://caninechronicle.com/?p=188341

Posted by AnthonyA on Aug 29 2020. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.