The single low-shedding coat that makes this breed appealing to allergy-conscious families needs brushing most days for life to avoid matting, plus regular professional trims — a real ongoing time and cost commitment that's easy to underestimate from puppy photos — and the breed carries a protein-losing kidney and intestinal disease pattern serious enough that breed clubs run dedicated research programs on it.
13.7years, median
1.2 years above the all-dog median of 12.5.
Measured, not estimated: the middle age at death across 584,734 UK dogs, 284,734 of them deceased. Based on 793 dogs of this breed. 95% confidence interval 13.2 to 14.4 years. Half lived longer than this, half did not. UK dogs, so treat it as the best available figure rather than a promise about yours.
In the same study, medium breeds as a group had a median of 12.5 years and medium-muzzled breeds 12.8. This breed is medium and medium-muzzled.
McMillan et al. 2024, Scientific Reports 14:531 — open access · CC BY 4.0Health tests to ask the breeder for
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America sets the tests a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier needs for a CHIC number in the OFA's open database. A CHIC number means the tests were done and the results are public. It does not mean the dog passed them: ask for the results for both parents, or look them up yourself on ofa.org.
- Hip Dysplasia (OFA Evaluation, 24 months)
- Eye Examination by a boarded ACVO Ophthalmologist (OFA CAER; every 2 years to age 10)
- Protein Losing Nephropathy (PLN) variant DNA test (at least one parent clear)
- Annual biochemical profile: Complete Blood Count (CBC), Urinalysis, Urine Protein:Creatinine ratio / microalbumin, Serum chemistry screen
When to spay or neuter: the guidelines split at 45 pounds grown, five to six months under it and after growth is complete over it, and the UC Davis study gives a guideline by breed for 35 breeds. The spay and neuter page has both, and the two weeks after.
- Microphthalmia Syndrome (MO) DNA test
- Degenerative Myelopathy (DM) DNA test
- Paroxysmal Dyskinesia (PxD) DNA test
- Patellar Luxation (OFA Evaluation)
- Elbow Dysplasia (OFA Evaluation)
Test names as the club lists them; checked September 2026. OFA CHIC breed page. How to use this at the breeder: check a breeder.
Adopt a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier near you
Shelters and rescues list Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers and Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier mixes on Petfinder. Enter a ZIP code to see who is waiting within 100 miles.
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Living with a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Wheatens are genuinely friendly, bouncy family dogs that tend to do well with children, but the coat is a real daily commitment — most owners brush every day or every other day and budget for professional grooming every six to eight weeks to keep it from matting. Because of the breed's kidney/protein-loss issues, owners are encouraged to do annual bloodwork and urine protein screening throughout the dog's life, not just as a one-time puppy health check.
Health you should know about
- Protein-losing nephropathy (PLN) — the kidneys leak protein into the urine; can progress to kidney failure and is potentially fatal, with breed research suggesting it may be more common in females.
- Protein-losing enteropathy (PLE) — failure to properly absorb protein in the gut, sometimes occurring alongside or before PLN; both are managed with diet, monitoring, and medication when caught early.
- Renal dysplasia — a separate hereditary kidney malformation also reported in the breed.
- Addison's disease and food/environmental allergies — both reported as recurring issues in breed health surveys.
Read the full Dog Care Guide first — costs, daily time, and everything a dog needs before you choose a breed.
Naming a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier? Irish dog and cat names, 80 of them, with what they mean.
Sources — 3 references
Last reviewed October 2026. 3 sources listed below. Written and maintained by Petdeals.io. General care information, not veterinary advice — for a sick animal, call a vet.