| General Appearance: |
| 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. |
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Size, Proportion, Substance:
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
35-40 pounds; bitches 30-35 pounds. |
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Head:
Well balanced and in proportion to the body. Rectangular
in appearance; moderately long. Powerful with no suggestion
of coarseness. 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. 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. Skull
flat and clean between ears. Cheekbones not prominent.
Defined stop. Muzzle powerful and strong, well filled
below the eyes. No suggestion of snipiness. Skull and
foreface of equal length. Nose black and large for size
of dog. Major Fault--Any nose color other than solid black.
Lips tight and black. Teeth large, clean and white; scissors
or level bite. Major Fault--Undershot or overshot.
Neck, Topline, Body:
Neck medium in length, clean and strong, not throaty.
Carried proudly, it gradually widens, blending smoothly
into the body. 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. |
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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 black. Nails dark.
Hindquarters:
Hind legs well developed with well bent stifles turning
neither in nor out; hocks well let down and parallel to
each other. All dewclaws 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. |
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Coat:
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,
curly or standaway coat; in the adult, a straight coat
is also objectionable.
Presentation-
For show purposes, the Wheaten is presented to show a
terrier outline, but coat must be of sufficient length
to flow when the dog is in motion. The coat must never
be clipped or plucked. Sharp contrasts or stylizations
must be avoided. Head coat should be blended to present
a rectangular outline. Eyes should be indicated but never
fully exposed. Ears should be relieved of fringe, but
not taken down to the leather. Sufficient coat must be
left on skull, cheeks, neck and tail to balance the proper
length of body coat. Dogs that are overly trimmed shall
be severely penalized.
Color:
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. |
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Gait:
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.
Temperament:
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.
Approved February 12, 1983
Reformatted July 20, 1989
(According to the American Kennel Club) |
