Brief historical summary

The history of the Irish Softcoated Wheaten Terrier has been somewhat obscured by its looseness to the other Irish Terrier breeds. The Wheaten is probably the oldest of the four breeds. Its existence for at least 200 years can be inferred from textual references to "soft-coated" dogs. The relation of the modern Irish Terrier to the Wheaten, though less well documented, appears to have been the result of deliberate breeding experiments.
So the humble Wheaten probably has fairly mixed ancestry. Despite the long history of the Wheaten, it wasn't until the 1930's, that the Softcoated Wheaten was officially recognized by the Irish Kennel Club.
The breed has grown steadily in popularity since and is non becoming common in England and the United States and well known in other countries.

Breed standardIrish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier

General Appearance	Medium-sized, compact, upstanding terrier well covered with a soft, wheaten-coloured, natural coat that falls in loose curls or waves. An active, short-coupled dog, strong and well built; well balanced in structure and movement, not exaggerated in any way. Standing four square with head and tail up, giving the appearance of a happy dog, full of character.
Characteristics	A natural terrier with strong sporting instincts, hardy and of strong constitution.
Temperament	Good-tempered, spirited and game. Full of confidence and humour; a delightful, affectionate, intelligent companion.
Head and Skull	Flat, moderately long and profusely covered with coat which falls forward over the eyes. Skull of medium width but not coarse. Stop well defined, cheek bones not prominent. Distance from eye to nose not longer, and preferably shorter, than the distance from the eyes to occiput. Jaws strong and punishing, muzzle square with no suggestion of snipiness. Topline of muzzle absolutely straight and parallel with skull. Nose black and large for size of dog. Head in general powerful, without being coarse.
Eyes	Clear, bright dark hazel. Medium size set under strong brow. Eye rims black.
Ears	V-shaped and folded at level of skull. Forward edge drops down slightly forward to lie closely along cheek, back edge standing slightly away from side of head. Leathers thin, small to medium in size, covered with coat and fringe.
Mouth	Lips tight and black. Teeth large. Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck	Moderately long, strong, muscular and slightly arched. Without throatiness. Gradually widening toward, and running cleanly into shoulders.
Forequarters	Shoulders long, well laid back, and sloping inwards from points to withers. Not loose, fine, but muscular. Viewed from any angle, the forelegs perfectly straight. Good bone and muscle. Pasterns strong and springy. Chest moderately wide. Dewclaws on the front legs may be removed.
Body	Compact, with powerful short loins. Back strong and level. Ribs well sprung without roundness, providing deep chest with relatively short coupling. Length of back from point of withers to base of tail should measure about the same as, or slightly less than, from point of withers to ground.
Hindquarters	Thighs strong and muscular. Hindlegs well developed with powerful muscle and well bent stifles. Hocks well let down and turning neither in nor out. Dewclaws on the hind legs should be removed.
Feet	Strong, and compact, turned neither in nor out. Good depth of pad. Toenails black.
Tail	Previously customarily docked. Docked: Set on high, carried gaily but never over back. Not curled and not too thick. Undocked: Set on high, carried gaily but never over back, not curled and not too thick. Tip may curve forward in a gentle arc. Length in overall balance with the rest of dog.
Gait/Movement	Free, graceful and lively. Well coordinated with long, low strides. Reach in front and good drive behind; straight action fore and aft. Head and tail carried high, the backline remaining level.
Coat	Soft and silky. Neither woolly nor wiry. Loosely waved or curly, but if curly, curls large, light and loose. The coat should not stand off but flow and fall naturally. Coat abundant all over body and especially profuse on head and legs. Length of leg coat sufficient to give good balance to the length of coat on head and body. There is no seasonal change in the length or texture of the mature coat. Over-trimming or stylising should be penalised. For show purposes the coat may be tidied to present a neat outline. Coat colour and texture do not stabilize until about 24 months and should be given some latitude in young dogs.
Colour	A good clear wheaten. A shade of ripening wheat. A white coat and red coat equally objectionable. Dark shading on ears not untypical. Often a slight fluctuation in the intensity of colour in mature coat, but overall effect should be light wheaten. Dark overall colour and the even darker markings often present in the immature coat, should clear by about 18-24 months.
Size	Height: dogs: approximately 46-49 cms (18-191/2 ins) measured at the withers; bitches slightly less. Weight: dogs approximately 16-20.5 kgs (35-45 lbs); bitches somewhat less.
Faults	Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog.
Notes	Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.