How to Groom a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers are compactly built dogs of medium size that move about with an assured manner. Although they have a black coat at birth, their hair usually lightens by around age two or sooner. Their single coats are smooth and silky but very dense. They need a full grooming every 4 to 6 weeks and at least one general grooming every week.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wide-tooth steel comb
• Thinning shears
• Leave-in conditioner

1. Use a medium-toothed comb to work through tangling and matting in the substantial coat. Brushing a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier can make his coat frizzy and diminish its silky texture. The main objective with this breed is to make the style look as natural as possible. Begin using a comb and performing regular comb outs when the animal is still a puppy. If they are well-groomed, they won't shed very much.

2. Clean out the eyes and ears regularly and check for signs of inflammation or infection.

3. Use thinning shears to even out the coat, remove stray hairs and get it to lie flat against the body after bathing and drying. Also apply a leave-in conditioner which can help reduce static on the coat.

Tips & Warnings

• Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers are a good breed for those who suffer from allergies.
• Unlike many dogs, Wheaten Terriers do not have big sheds in the Spring and Fall.
• Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers hail from Ireland, where people traditionally used them to hunt down and catch mice and other forms of vermin which afflicted farmers and herders. They were also used as general farm dogs, herders and hunters of small game. It wasn't until 1973 that the American Kennel Club recognized them as a breed.
• Wheaten Terrriers are susceptible to flea allergies and protein wasting disease (PLE and PLN).