Plate 193 · British Isles
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
爱尔兰软毛㹴
“Ireland's 'poor man's wolfhound'.”
- Origin
- Ireland
- Country of origin
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- Irish farm dog with a long history; recognized 1937
- Today
- Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
Ireland
A medium-sized Irish farm terrier with a soft, silky, wheat-coloured coat.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
An all-purpose farm dog: herding, guarding, and killing vermin.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
It shares ancestry with the Kerry Blue and Irish Terriers and was kept by ordinary farmers, earning the name 'poor man's wolfhound'. The Irish Kennel Club recognized it in 1937 and the AKC in 1973.
04 · Today
Companion
A friendly family companion.
Personality
- Friendly
- Happy
- Deeply devoted
- Willful
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Medium-high energy that lasts into old age; a fenced yard, since it chases.
- Grooming
- High maintenance: brush and comb thoroughly, often daily.
- Training
- Smart but has its own agenda; patience and consistency.
Living with one
- Size
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 12–14 years
- Coat
- Soft, silky, gently waving coat in shades of wheaten
Field note
Its Irish name, An Brocaire Buí, means 'the yellow terrier'.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Terrier Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (as Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Group 3, standard 40), Irish Kennel Club
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Terrier Group, recognized 1973.
Kept as a family companion in the United States. AKC registrations: ranked 76 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/soft-coated-wheaten-terrier/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft-coated_Wheaten_Terrier
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · Irish farm-dog history, 'Poor Man's Wolfhound', shared ancestry, Irish (1937), UK (1943) and AKC (1973) recognition.
- Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/IRISH-SOFT-COATED-WHEATEN-TERRIER-40.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin Ireland; Group 3, section "Large and medium sized Terriers"; accepted 1957.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions.