Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Forum:
adoption/puppy

you really don't want this breed for small children...the above post about these dogs being aggressive is very true, we made a big mistake bu getting one 5 years ago for our daughter, based on the hypo-allergy status, it sure doesn't shed...but it thinks it's king of our castle, and if it doesn't like our daughter in the same room with it...it will attack her...we walk on egg shells around this dog most of the time, and can't let others, other than vet around it, it is very very protective of both my husband and myself, it has never been mistreated or trained to act in such a manner...

This posting is a warning for all wheaten owners. In 1999 we brought home a wheaten terrier puppy. Throughout the last 9 1/2 years this dog has given us some of the funniest and memorable moments that our family has to share. He fit all the traits, zest for life, playful and puppy like for his entire life. He was a joy to our family and we loved him as much as any family could love a dog. A VERY good dog in every way. On the morning of June 14th this all would change forever. That night before, I was the designated driver for my friends retirement party. I got in the house at about 4:45am. I went into the bedroom leaned over and kissed my wife hello while petting our Wheaten hello as I always do. Our dog was quite familier with me coming home at this hour since I had worked nights the entire time we had him. A few minutes later I came back into the bedroom to go to bed. As has been the norm for most of his 9 years. The same as any other night I came in the bedroom and begain to coax him off the bed telling him it was time for \"daddy to lay down\". If he would not move I would slap on the bed and say come on boy get down. If he still resisted (terriers are stubborn) I would sometimes let him stay in the bed but just slide him over so I could get in. We got to this point and like I\'ve done on Five hundred other nights I begain to slide him over. At this second little did I know that all our lives would change forever. For some reason when I moved him he snapped and bit me. I yelled \"NO\" At this point my dog, my loyal friend of over nine years proceeded to viciously and relentlessly attack me. He went first for my face and I blocked him with my arm which he proceeded to b

Looking at adopting but want everything in place FIRST! Any suggestions on ideal fence height and/or depth for this breed? Thanks!

Any dog will become vicious if put in the right situation! I find that most of the time it is the owners lack of knowledge and effort to work with the dog to make it a happy balanced animal that can be a member of the family or pack if you will. Wheatons are very head strong and must be shown who is boss, not aggresivly but in a calm and assetive way. They are very intelligent and will not tolerate lack of excercise and abusive treatment from thier pack leader/human. Not it is not the perfect breed, but there is no such thing is there?!

I am looking for a new home for my 4 year old beautiful male wheaten. He is a very loyal loving dog but he is in need of a home without young children. We have three little kids and he is very protective of them. Our house is too busy with many children running in and out. He is a loyal loving dog who loves nothing more than to sit on your lap and be pet but he has bitten once and doesn\'t like all the wrestling that goes on with the boys in the house. He would be a fabulous dog for a couple without children and a calmer house. He is a wonderful watch dog. Barks at strangers but once introduced is friendly to everyone. Please let me know if anyone is interested. We love him and want to find a home that is a better fit for him.

I myself thought I had done my research on the soft coated Wheaten breed. Ha! I must have been the one who got the genetically defective kind. Our dog is completely unsociable. People are blaming me because she had to fly on an airplane 0 that\'s why she\'s so crazy. OKAY... granted I will never purchase a dog online again from a \"breeder\" who sounded as old as my teenage daughter. But I don\'t put too much stake into a plane ride totally screwing up an animals mental psyche permantly, I\'m sorry but that is just ignorant. My dog who has seemingly become more hostile toward all family members, accept my 3 year old at this point has me wondering if I should try to give her up for adoption or put her to sleep. Seriously, the snarling if approaching, the barking and growling at my older children, all whom have been raised around our previous dog and with no problems at all. They do not tease or are antaogonistic towards animals what so ever. To be quite honest, when they just simply try and giver her attention I fear one day she will nip their faces off! She lays underneath the kitchen table all day and rarely will wander into another room. We got another much kinder dog, thinking she was just a pac animal and maybe she would come out of her cacoon - nothing is helping her. She is disinterested in people and potentially threatening. She has bitten my husband while he was trying to help her x 2. This is just ridiculous - thankyou lady in Kansas for selling me a reject with papers. Whoever you are you should stop the spread of that gene.

... Oh and by the way Michelle Murphy, your posting is ignorant! The definition of stubborn in the dictionary is completely different than violent, unpredictable, and wild. Would you suggest the gentleman who was attacked in the middle of the night by his own dog have beaten the animal to death? Because euthinization is all that is called for when a pet turns on thier owner or children. The commands that my Wheaten would ordinarilly respond to with no problem, have become increaselingly problematic over time. It is not that she does\'nt know who the boss is or how to obey, moreover - her ability to obey as a domesticated animal has seemed to degenerate more over time. That makes her dangerous for any owner. Who wants an animal who becomes a schitzophrenic nightmere with a degenerative obedience disorder? As a society we try not to let people run around doing stuff like that, let alone a supposed domesticated animal. Is it a solid case to say that it\'s a person\'s environment that causes them to go off the deep end? No, the fact that genes are real has been proven. And a violent unpredictable animal has even less place in this society than a psychotic human being! Chastize the people who gamble on cock fights or train their pinchers and pits to be attackers, not a loving undeserved pet owner who genuinely seemed to love his dog and paid a terrible and disheartening price for giving an animal what sounded like a good home! On a final note, I don\'t believe you can train violent and crazy out of a dog, that\'s why the government has laws about things like that. If that had been a guest, especially a child, there would be no question if that person decided to press charges what the animals fate would be. That kind of behavi