Gleanngay Holliday with his handler, late Peggy Belviso
Gleanngay Holliday with breeder, Gay Dunlap
Watch dogs and emulate grooming that highlights the outline of the dog with- out coat flopping and getting in the way of the dog’s movement.. Bad grooming gives the illusion of movement issues that often aren’t there. Dull coats are not to be rewarded and there should be no gray in the adult coat nor should the beard or fall be black. We are talking about a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier! SILHOUETTE Square cannot be emphasized enough! Judges reward too many long, low dogs. Perhaps they are judg- ing on movement but, in doing so, they are ignoring one of the four most important aspects of Wheaten type. A Wheaten should hold its square out- line as it moves and should maintain a level top line. The Wheaten should hold its square outline as it moves and should maintain a level top line. The tail should be carried high and erect, straight up from the back with plenty of dog behind it. Imports will carry natu- ral tails which may be carried forward over the back. To determine whether the tail is correct, visually dock it level to the top of the neck, where the neck joins the head. If the tail is erect to that point, it is correct. Dogs with long tails in classes other than OPEN were bred in the USA where docked tails
from reading the Illustrated Standard and then watching the specialty video. Note that beards and falls are bizarre on many dogs. Many tuck-ups are not blended but appear as curtains under the body and don’t begin to follow the lines of the dog. Yes, it is easier to cri- tique than to do the actual work but the very best way to learn is to observe and then to practice. Some things can be helped with the use of a quality sham- poo, more practice grooming, moving the dog between snips etc. But,if you don’t have a picture in your mind’s eye of a really great Wheaten, whether you be judge, breeder or professional han- dler, the results will not be great. THE SOLUTION Let’s go back to the Illustrated Stan- dard. It won’t produce miracles but will provide a guide for evaluating dogs, picking the right puppy, grooming well and quite possibly might lead to making better breeding decisions. The pages in the beginning of the booklet titled “Essence of SCWT Type”, pack major punch. COAT—SOFT, SILKY, WAV- ING, FLOWING, WARM WHEATEN COLOR If the coat is all chopped off, it does not wave or flow. If it is too long, it flops.
are preferred. Wheatens are not sun- lovers but they should show with erect tails. Overly aggressive or fearful dogs are not useful in breeding programs. Excuses made for poor temperament only harm the breed and its future. HEAD The head is a rectangle, not a square skull with a rectangle attached. The skull and foreface should be equal in length. The cheeks and the skull should be smooth and clean on three sides. The ears should be small to medium... not large and hanging low. Terrier expres- sion, often expressed with the ear car- riage, is important on Wheatens just as it is on any other Terrier! The Wheaten should have ears set so that the tip is level with the outside corner of the eye. You should also see a big black nose. ATTITUDE A Wheaten should appear happy, but steady. Males should stand their ground when faced off, but should not appear aggressive. Relating the pictures in the Illus- trated Standard to one’s own dog might prove difficult. It requires looking past the emotions of loving the puppy you have raised and seeing the dog that is in front of you. If that is possible, a true breeder lies within.
282 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , F EBRUARY 2018
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