Rescue, Rehome and Identifying a Wheaten Terrier

PLEASE NOTE - this page is to provide information, Wheaten Health Initiative is not a Rescue organisation

Rescue and Rehome Contacts

If a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier (SCWT) requires rehome or rescue, then Breed Clubs and Rescue organisations are there to help.

UK contact: SCWT Club of GB, Rehome Coordinator.

USA contact: SCWT Club of America rescue on this web page

Wheatens In Need (WIN) web page


General appearence

The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier is a medium sized, hardy, well balanced, sporting terrier. Square in outline and is recognised by its soft, silky, gently waving coat of warm wheaten colour and his particularly steady disposition. The overall appearance is of an alert and happy animal, graceful, strong and well coordinated.

Heavy coat mature
Mature heavy coat
juvenile heavy coat
Juvenile heavy coated
puppy with heavy coat
Heavy coated puppy
Irish coat mature
Mature Irish coat
puppies with Irish coats
Juvenile & Mature Irish coat
wheaten terrier puppies with Irish coats
Irish Puppies

How to identify a Wheaten Terrier:

EYES, NOSE & NAILS. The eyes are generally dark but may be hidden by the coat. The nose is big and black. Nails are black.

Variations: Wheatens can have golden brown eyes, the nose can be faded, i.e. greyish,and nails can be light or brown.

COAT. The coat is generally wheaten-coloured, soft and wavy. It is non-shedding.

Variations : It can be so light that it appears to be white or grey, may be profuse or sparse, straight or curly and may also have grey hairs in body coat.

The texture can range from silky to coarse and cottony. The coat may be profuse or sparse, straight or curly, or it may even be totally matted in clumps.

Ears and muzzle may be black or grey.

TAIL. The Wheaten tail was customarily docked, but the UK, Europe, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand no longer dock tails. In North America Wheatens are still lawfully docked.

Variations : Some undocked tails resemble the tail of a Golden Retriever or may be carried over the back

HEIGHT and WEIGHT. Height for a Wheaten male is between 17"-19" (43-48cm) at the withers (the ridge between the shoulder blades), females are at the lower end of this scale. Weight is generally between 30-40 lbs. (13.6 -18 kgs), but some Wheatens can exceed this height and weight.


Identifying a Wheaten, especially one that is a stray, can be difficult.

The lack of grooming, or improper grooming, combined with varied coat textures and colour, can totally obscure the  typical Wheaten image.

Wheaten terrier badly matted
The Uncared for Wheaten - before.

Some of the matts on Frosty were 12"x12" (30x30 cm).

Wheaten with haircut
Uncared for Wheaten - after.

It was impossible to distinguish what sex he was until he had been completely shorn

wheaten terrier 'sheared'
A 'Sheared' Wheaten

This Wheaten was completely shaved so the body shows the classic terrier structure, terrier head and wheaten colour.

a bad trim
Improperly Trimmed

Body shaved, but hair left on the head and tail. The head resembled a Bichon, obscuring the black nose. Ears can look like those of a spaniel with a 'poodle like' tail.

wheaten terrier with shaggy coat
A 'shaggy' Wheaten

Can resemble a sheepdog

an elderly wheaten terrier badly cared for
Old unkempt Wheaten

See also our Gallery for coat variations, together with many other images of the Wheaten Terrier.


Sincere thanks to Gwen Arthur and ‘Wheatens in Need’ Rescue, USA for the idea for this information.

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