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Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

Wheaten Terrier, Wheaten, Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, SCWT

The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier comes from Ireland; the FCI lists it as the Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier among the large and medium-sized terriers. The Royal Kennel Club standard describes a medium-sized, compact, upstanding terrier with a soft, silky, wheaten-coloured coat that falls in loose curls or waves — good tempered, spirited and game, full of confidence and humour. The only colour is a good clear wheaten. The PDSA gives an average height of 46–49 cm and an average weight of 16–20.5 kg (the Kennel Club standard gives dogs 16–20.5 kg, bitches somewhat less); like other medium-sized dogs it is fully grown at about 12–15 months (PetMD).

The Royal Kennel Club recommends up to an hour of exercise a day, says the breed suits a small house, needs grooming every day and does not shed. A large UK study (McMillan 2024, via Dogs Trust) gives a median life expectancy of 13.7 years; PetMD and VCA give 12–14 years. The PDSA calls them friendly, trustworthy dogs that make great family pets, though they can be a little stubborn. VCA says their gentle, playful nature makes them a good match for children; PetMD says interactions with children should be supervised, that they dislike being left alone for long periods, and advises professional grooming every four to six weeks, a bath about monthly and cleaning the ears every one or two weeks.

Built and tested; it arrives with a coming app release.

Updated:

Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier — photo (AI)
AI-generated photo

At a glance

Size
medium — The Royal Kennel Club S610
Adult weight
males 16–20.5 kg, females 16–20.5 kg — PDSA S612
Daily exercise
up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S610
Brushing
every day — The Royal Kennel Club S610
Shedding
does not shed (not the same as hypoallergenic) — The Royal Kennel Club S610
Lifespan
median 13.7 years — Dogs Trust S123; 12–14 years — PetMD S613

Key facts from the sources at the bottom of the page. Where sources differ, each value is listed.

Who it suits

Good for:

  • family lifeS612
  • families with childrenS614
  • homes that prefer less sheddingS610

Keep in mind:

  • needs brushing several times a weekS610S612
  • loves company — best with someone home most of the dayS613

The same tags as in the app. Each tag is backed by the sources listed at the bottom of the page.

What it needs

From breed standards, kennel clubs, veterinary charities and studies. Where sources differ, each one is shown.

Exercise

  • Daily exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S610

Coat and grooming

  • Coat: medium length — The Royal Kennel Club S610
  • Brushing: every day — The Royal Kennel Club S610
  • Shedding: does not shed (not the same as hypoallergenic) — The Royal Kennel Club S610

Meals

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • 8–12 weeks: 4 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 3–6 months: 3 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • 6–12 months: 2 meals a day — ASPCA S18
  • Adult: at least 2 meals a day — VCA Animal Hospitals S19
  • Senior: 2–3 meals a day, smaller portions — Dogs Trust S14

Lifespan

  • Lifespan: median 13.7 years — Dogs Trust S123
  • Lifespan: 12–14 years — PetMD S613

Life stages

  • Reaches adult size at: about 12–15 months (guidance for its size class) — PetMD S10

General guidance for dogs (not breed-specific):

  • Puppy: until about 6–9 months — AAHA S11
  • Young adult: until 3–4 years — AAHA S11
  • Senior: the last 25 % of the expected lifespan — AAHA S11

Size and weight

  • Size: medium — The Royal Kennel Club S610
  • Height at the withers: males 46–49 cm, females 46–49 cm — PDSA S612
  • Adult weight: males 16–20.5 kg, females 16–20.5 kg — PDSA S612

Training

  • No. 40 in Stanley Coren's ranking of working and obedience intelligence. — Wikipedia S35
  • FCI standard no. 40, group 3 (terriers); origin: Ireland. — FCI S608

Questions and answers

Answered only from the sourced facts on this page; every answer names its sources.

How much exercise does a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier need?

According to our sources, the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier needs this much exercise: up to 1 hour a day — The Royal Kennel Club S610.

How long does a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier live?

According to our sources, the lifespan of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is: median 13.7 years — Dogs Trust S123; 12–14 years — PetMD S613. The sources give different values, so each one is listed.

How big does a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier get and how much does it weigh?

Size and adult weight of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, according to our sources: Size: medium — The Royal Kennel Club S610; Adult weight: males 16–20.5 kg, females 16–20.5 kg — PDSA S612.

How much grooming does a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier need?

Coat and grooming of the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, according to our sources: Brushing: every day — The Royal Kennel Club S610; Shedding: does not shed (not the same as hypoallergenic) — The Royal Kennel Club S610; Coat: medium length — The Royal Kennel Club S610.

Who is the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier a good fit for?

Our sources describe the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier as a good fit for: family life — PDSA S612; families with children — VCA Animal Hospitals S614; homes that prefer less shedding — The Royal Kennel Club S610. Keep in mind: needs brushing several times a week — The Royal Kennel Club, PDSA S610S612; loves company — best with someone home most of the day — PetMD S613.

Game rules, not veterinary advice

How PetPrep simulates it

In PetPrep one real week is one month of the pet's life. These are the rules the game uses for this breed. PetPrep chose them from the sources on this page; they are not care instructions for a real animal.

Life stageStartsMeals a dayDaily step goal
Puppyarrives at 2 months4; from month 3: 3; from month 6: 21,000 steps per month of age (2,000 on arrival), up to 6,000 from month 6
Young dogmonth 926,000 steps
Adultmonth 36 (3 years)26,000 steps
Seniormonth 123 (10.3 years)24,500 steps
  • Step goal = minutes of daily exercise × 100 steps: an adult gets 1 hour, so 6,000 steps a day.
  • Learns commands as fast as the mixed breed of the free plan.
  • Becomes a senior in month 123 (10.3 years) — the last quarter of the breed's expected lifespan.
  • Walks count real steps from Apple Health or Health Connect (with permission, read-only) and the phone's motion sensor — no GPS.
  • Combing 7 times a week.
  • Care: checking and cleaning the ears once a week — a task for the child.
  • Care: a visit to the groomer every 4 weeks — a reminder for the parent.
  • Care: a bath every 4 weeks — a reminder for the parent.

Each game number is a PetPrep decision recorded with its sources. — PetMD, AAHA, Dogs Trust, ASPCA, VCA Animal Hospitals, The Royal Kennel Club, Purdue University Canine Welfare Science, Wikipedia, British Journal of Sports Medicine S10S11S14S18S19S21S24S35S45S123S610S613

Health

For information only, not vet-reviewed. Ask your vet about your own animal.

  • Hip dysplasia, a poorly developed hip joint that can lead to arthritis, occurs in the breed; breeders are advised to have the parents' hips scored. — PDSA S612
  • Progressive retinal atrophy, an inherited eye disease that can slowly lead to blindness, occurs in the breed; DNA tests and eye testing are available. — PDSA S612
  • Protein-losing diseases of the kidneys or the gut, which can cause diarrhoea and weight loss, can occur in the breed. — PDSA S612
  • Skin allergies (atopy), which cause itching and sore skin, can occur in the breed. — PDSA S612
  • Addison's disease, a lack of hormones from the adrenal glands, can occur in the breed. — PDSA S612

Before you buy: what to check with the breeder

Questions to settle before you take a puppy home. The points are advice from vets, welfare charities and kennel clubs; each cites its source.

For every breed

  • See the puppy with its mother, where it was born. — PDSA, RSPCA K1K2
  • The puppy should not leave its mother before 8 weeks of age. — PDSA K1
  • Ask for the pedigree. Under FCI rules a pedigree may be issued for correct parentage only. — FCI K7
  • Ask to see the health-test results of both parents. Which tests matter depends on the breed. — PDSA, British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K1K9K10
  • National kennel clubs can set breeding rules that go beyond the FCI's — ask the breed club which tests the parents need. — FCI K7
  • Ask for a written sale contract that records the puppy's background and health. — British Veterinary Association, FOUR PAWS UK K9K10

Laws on the minimum age, microchipping and vaccination differ by country — check the rules where you live.

Health tests of the parents for this breed

Tests the Royal Kennel Club recommends as a minimum

  • Genetic diversity — check the inbreeding coefficient — The Royal Kennel Club S610

Further tests for best practice

  • Eye examination by a veterinary eye specialist (UK: BVA/KC/ISDS scheme; for some breeds with gonioscopy) — The Royal Kennel Club S610
  • Hip X-ray screening for hip dysplasia (UK: BVA/KC scheme) — The Royal Kennel Club S610

These lists come from the UK's Royal Kennel Club and are an orientation; national kennel clubs can set their own, stricter rules. Ask the breed club and the breeder which tests the parents have done.

Similar breeds

Other dogs in the register with similar needs — each with sourced facts.

Sources

Every fact on this page cites one of these sources.

  1. S10PetMD — S. C. Mitchell, DVM, DABVP, 2025-05-20 — When Do Dogs Stop Growing?https://www.petmd.com/dog/general-health/when-do-dogs-stop-growing
  2. S11AAHA — 2019 AAHA Canine Life Stage Guidelines — Canine life stage definitionshttps://www.aaha.org/resources/life-stage-canine-2019/canine-life-stage-definitions/
  3. S14Dogs Trust (UK) — Caring for an older doghttps://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/at-home/looking-after-an-older-dog
  4. S18ASPCA — General Dog Carehttps://www.aspca.org/pet-care/dog-care/general-dog-care
  5. S19VCA Animal Hospitals (2025-02-21) — Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Doghttps://vcahospitals.com/pets-first/know-your-pet/feeding-times-and-frequency-for-your-dog
  6. S21The Royal Kennel Club (UK) — Puppy feeding tipshttps://www.royalkennelclub.com/health-and-dog-care/health-dog-care/health/health-and-care/a-z-of-health-and-care-issues/puppy-feeding-tips
  7. S24Purdue University Canine Welfare Science (content: Pet Leadership Council 2019, bedogsmart.com) — Dog Fitness and Exercise (PDF)https://caninewelfare.centers.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dog-Fitness-and-Exercise.pdf
  8. S35Wikipedia — The Intelligence of Dogshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Intelligence_of_Dogs
  9. S45British Journal of Sports Medicine (2018) — Tudor-Locke C. et al. How fast is fast enough? Walking cadence (steps/min) as a practical estimate of intensity in adults. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2017-097628https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6029645
  10. S123Dogs Trust (UK) — Life expectancy for 155 breeds and crossbred group (table of McMillan et al. 2024 data) (PDF)https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/downloads/life-expectancy-breeds-table-2024.pdf
  11. S608FCI — FCI breeds nomenclature — Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier (40)https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/SOFT-COATED-WHEATEN-TERRIER-40.html
  12. S610The Royal Kennel Club — Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier (Breeds A to Z)https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/terrier/soft-coated-wheaten-terrier/
  13. S612PDSA — Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier breed informationhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/medium-dogs/soft-coated-wheaten-terrier
  14. S613PetMD — Virginia LaMon, DVM (published Dec. 4, 2023) — Soft Coated Wheaten Terrierhttps://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/c_dg_soft_coated_wheaten_terrier
  15. S614VCA Animal Hospitals — Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier (Know your pet — dog breeds)https://vcahospitals.com/avh/know-your-pet/dog-breeds/soft-coated-wheaten-terrier
  16. K1PDSA — Getting a puppyhttps://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/getting-a-puppy
  17. K2RSPCA — Buying a puppyhttps://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy
  18. K7FCI (copy hosted by Norsk Kennel Klub) — International Breeding Rules of the FCIhttps://nkk2023.stage22.coretrek.no/getfile.php/131987377-1520848467/Dokumenter/Registrering/FCIs%20avlsregler%202013.pdf
  19. K9British Veterinary Association — What should you consider when buying a puppy?https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/blog-article/what-should-you-consider-when-buying-a-puppy/
  20. K10FOUR PAWS UK — Questions to ask when buying a puppyhttps://www.four-paws.org.uk/our-stories/publications-guides/questions-to-ask-when-buying-a-puppy

PetPrep is a simulation for families. This page is not veterinary advice — for a real animal, ask a vet or the breed club.

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