Wheaten Terrier: breed description and content

Many call the Wheaten Terrier one of the dogs that belong to the Irish Terrier category, which was mentioned 200 years ago. It was said that such animals do not bark at thieves, but, on the contrary, at police officers. In addition, many believed that terriers are quite loyal to many poor owners.

According to historical data, the Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is descended from a terrier with long legs and slightly reddish hair. In the 19th century, in a book about Irish dogs, such a breed of terriers was called "Heyends." Many nobles at that time thought that these dogs did not deserve attention, since only very poor people were engaged in breeding such animals. At this time, terriers were distinguished by their color, as well as by the type of their fur. In order to give birth to a brighter breed of dogs than the previous one, native terriers and breeds of English dogs were crossed. Thus, three breeds of Irish terriers were bred at once. The soft-haired terrier was in many ways inferior to its relatives, so this breed was almost on the verge of extinction.

If we talk about wheat terriers, then these are more working dogs that were bred using natural selection. Their appearance should not be too coarse or too graceful. According to the standards, the wheat scotch terrier has the following description:

• their growth does not exceed more than 46 centimeters in males and more than 44 centimeters in females;
• males weigh no more than 17 kilograms, and females weigh no more than 15 kilograms;
• the animal’s head is rather narrow and tapers towards the eyes; there are absolutely no wrinkles on it;
• jaws well developed, teeth strong and white, bite have scissor-like;
• the nose is quite wide and painted black;
• the muzzle of the terrier has a square shape, moreover, it is not narrowed anywhere;
• the eyes are oval, as well as a fairly deep fit, their size is average; the edging of the eyes is painted black, above them the superciliary arches are pronounced; eyes are black or yellow;
• ears can be medium or small in size, with short hairs; along the very edge there is a fringing of long hair, a bit reminiscent of its appearance with a fringe;
• the neck is quite muscular, has an average length;
• physique is quite compact and muscular; the back is straight, with a shortened lower back, and the stomach is slightly retracted;
• the chest of the animal is well developed;
• the legs are straight and medium in length, and quite muscular;
• the tail is thickened and has an average length; it often happens that the owners stop it by two-thirds, immediately after birth, in its natural form it is raised up.

Their hair is silky and single-layered, and it also curls a little. She drops a little in her eyes. In addition, such smooth-haired terriers have a mustache and a beard, and on the neck, as well as on the chest, the hair is in the form of a collar. On its paws there are small tufts. Already after 3-5 months they will need grooming, which must be done once every 3 months.

The main color is wheat. It has a different degree of saturation. At birth, puppies have a slightly different color, which completely changes only after 15 months. In addition, the change occurs in several stages.

Irish scotch terriers are quite wayward and brave, therefore very often commit the most reckless acts. Such animals get along pretty badly with other pets that live next to them. For instance, they can live perfectly with a cat under one roof if they grow together since childhood. They show strong aggression towards other dogs; they can even fight with dogs of a larger size. In addition, terriers are quite active, so very often they can be seen in sports, as well as at dog shows. These animals are wonderful hunters. They will also be able to protect their master from any impending danger.

The wheat terrier is highly intelligent, so he easily understands any commands and does what they want from him. Both puppies and adult terriers love to play and fool around not only with children, but also with adults. They are more wary of strangers. They quickly become attached to their masters and serve them faithfully.

With proper maintenance, as well as proper care, these unusual animals will be able to please their owners for 13-16 years.

To date, the price of a puppy of the Irish Terrier ranges from 20-25 thousand rubles. So that fraudsters do not slip a non-standard puppy, it is best to buy them in specialized nurseries or clubs. In them, the dog will have a passport and all statements about their pedigree. In addition, when buying, you need to pay attention to the fact that there are statements about vaccinations. For those owners who want to get more relaxed pets for themselves, you need to take females. But males are suitable for more active people. But at the same time, you need to remember that they need not only to be educated, but also to be trained. But still, when buying, you definitely need to pay attention to the puppy itself and choose the animal you like.

Following the advice of experienced professionals, you need to adhere to several principles and do everything according to the scheme.

• First of all, it is accustoming to various procedures, walking puppies. And you also need to vaccinate in a timely manner.
• Procedures include hair care, brushing your teeth, as well as your ears. The fur of terriers is very smooth and silky, in addition, it does not have an undercoat, so the animal almost never sheds. To ensure that the terrier is always well-groomed, and also does not have tangles, it must be combed daily.
• Such an animal will not need a haircut, because even at exhibitions they need a more natural look. The only thing required is to slightly trim the most inaccurate strands, which will only emphasize their feature.

If the owner still decided to cut his pet, then you need to do this according to the following scheme:

1. first you need to shorten the hair on the cheekbones, as well as the neck and head; this can be done using a machine or ordinary scissors; to make the dog look more focused, you can leave it with a small beard and eyebrows;
2. it is necessary to cut so that the dog can see;
3. so that the terrier looks a little neater, the fur should be shortened not only on the sides, but also on the back;
4. after that it is necessary to cut off the hair on the shoulders and near the tail;
5. on the legs and belly, the hair as if forms a skirt; if necessary, it can be trimmed a few centimeters, but such a haircut is suitable only for a domestic dog, but for those dogs who are preparing for the exhibition, grooming should be done by a specialist.

• Terriers need to be bathed from time to time. This should be done as they become dirty or before the exhibition. You can use special shampoos that are in any veterinary pharmacy or zoological store.
• It is necessary to accustom to brushing your teeth from a very young age so that older dogs do not perceive it aggressively. In addition, they can be cleaned with the help of deontological agents or special bones.
• Ears should be inspected daily for the presence of sulfur in them and cleaned with special ear sticks. You should also look for ticks or any inflammatory diseases. If the dog lives in urban conditions, then he should definitely cut his claws, because in such conditions they don’t have the opportunity to grind themselves. If they are too long, the pads on their paws can be injured. And this, as you know, causes some discomfort when moving.
• Vaccination must be carried out from two months, and then follow the scheme. It is imperative to inspect your pets for burrs or any weed seeds. This is necessary so that they do not get under the skin.
• It is best to keep such animals in country houses, because initially they were considered yard dogs. Therefore, they need to run a lot, as well as hunt. However, the dog must also have a lot of contact with its owners in order to be as close to them as possible. In cities, you need to walk your pets at least 2 times a day.

To properly feed your pet, you need to know everything not only about his health, but also about some of the features of his metabolism. For example, dermatitis can occur from excess protein in terriers, but from too greasy food they may have an upset stomach or a common liver disease. You can choose both industrial and natural products for nutrition. Preferring the first option, you can use both dry food and soft. In both of them are all the vitamins necessary for the dog, as well as trace elements. However, you only need to buy feed of the highest quality - this is premium or super-premium feed.

When choosing natural feeding, preference should be given to the following products:

• meat can be given both raw and boiled; the main thing is that it is not fat, so chicken, turkey or beef is suitable for this;
• offal;
• various cereals, for example, rice, buckwheat, barley and oatmeal;
• sea ​​fish, it is better if it is boiled and boneless;
• dairy products - this can be low-fat cottage cheese, and low-fat kefir or yogurt;
• fresh or boiled vegetables - terriers like carrots, pumpkins, zucchini or red beets;
• the complex of vitamins and minerals that dogs need daily, but it is very important to maintain an accurate daily intake.

Among many dogs, the wheat terrier is easy to learn, so it lends itself to training. If we start education at an early age, then he will lose both aggression and all the negative traits of his character. He can master the team in just a few days. It is enough to repeat them several times and the animal will immediately remember everything. Among other things, he will carry out commands not only of adult family members, but also of children, which will keep the dog even an inexperienced breeder.

In addition to various teams, terriers can also be trained in various circus tricks. For example, during World War II, terriers were used for sanitation. In addition, dogs from an early age can be taught to hunt both large animals and small ones. For example, it can be hares, and badgers, and foxes. After training, they are able not only to drive their prey into a hole, but also to crawl behind them there and pull them out either dead or alive.

In addition, during such training, a person must teach the dog to understand that attacking pets or a person is not allowed. And also it is necessary to remember that such an animal has a huge jumping ability. If the terrier is too excited, then he will be able to jump even to the face of an adult. To prevent this from happening, the puppy must be weaned from jumping from youth. If they are not weaned, then in such an impulse the dog will be able to dump a small child or an elderly person on the floor.

In order for the dog to be obedient, you need to train the animal every day. Since the dog has a rather frisky character, first of all, you need to teach him the prohibition commands, for example, "Fu", "To me", "Place", "Lie down" or "Stand". It is very difficult to deal with terriers, because they are great actors. Therefore, if they do not want to execute any of the commands, then he will be able to pretend that he is very offended.

Generally speaking, wheat terriers are almost all excellent athletes. Therefore, any training classes, in addition to maintaining physical fitness, will give them pleasure, and also help to be healthy and strong. On top of that, it will extend their life for several years. It is worth noting that the wheat terrier is perfect for keeping both in apartments and in country houses. The main thing is to give them proper care and create the necessary conditions for their maintenance.

The story of the breed in the next video.