Knowing how to groom a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier can save you quite a bit of money every month. These dogs need to be thoroughly groomed once a month and have a basic weekly grooming for maintenance.
The Wheaten Coat
Wheaten Terriers have a very soft, single coat that mats and tangles easily. They do not shed very much so they may be good for people with allergies, although no dog is truly hypoallergenic. However, the hair can become problematic if you are not careful. The coat falls in soft waves all over the dog's body and lays naturally over his eyes. Brushing the coat can make it look frizzy, so breeders recommend that you comb your dog's hair daily with a medium-toothed comb. This will remove any loose hair and cut down on tangles. Using a dematting comb in addition to the regular comb can also help with their grooming upkeep.
Grooming Supplies for a Wheaten Terrier
You will need the following items for grooming your dog.
- Conditioning shampoo
- De-matting comb
- Leave in conditioner
- Nail trimmers
- Pin brush
- Scissors
- Slicker brush
- Stainless steel Greyhound comb with medium and fine-spaced teeth
- Thinning shears
- Dog clipper and 4F blade
- Dog toothbrush
How to Groom a Wheaten Terrier at Home
Follow these steps prior to trimming your dog's coat.
- First, you will need to use the medium toothed comb and dematting comb and work through any tangling or matting in the coat. If this is done regularly, the dog will never have many tangles or shed very much.
- Express your dog's anal glands if necessary.
- Bathe your dog about every other week but no less than once a month. Be sure that you have the tangles out before bathing or they will be even more difficult to get out. Beware of tangling the coat while you are shampooing your dog. Use a sprayer to wet him all over and gently massage the shampoo into the coat working from top to bottom.
- Rinse with a gentle stream, and make sure that all of the shampoo comes out of the coat.
- Press along your dog's body to get rid of excess water. Pat dry with a towel and blow dry the coat in the direction that the hair is growing. This helps the hair lie flat.
- Clean out the ears and around the eyes; check for any potential medical problems.
- Brush your dog's teeth during grooming and at least twice more during the week. This will remove tartar build up and keep your dog's teeth healthy.
- Trim your dog's nails. Keeping the nails short will keep them in good condition.
A Basic Pet Trim
Follow these steps for a basic trim.
- Begin trimming on the top of the head and work your way down. The hair on the head should be trimmed evenly with the tops of the eyes. Leave the "fall" hair that cover the eyes.
- Trim the hair on the dog's face from the front of the ear to the center of the eye.
- Do not trim around the eyes so that it looks like your dog has eyebrows. Do trim any long hair in the corner of the eyes very carefully. Trimming will keep it from getting matted.
- The ears can be clipped with a 4f blade. Make sure you do this gently so you don't cut the dog's inside or outsides of the dog's ears.
- To trim the dog's "beard" area most groomers give about a 1/4 inch of length under the dog's chin.
- Use the thinning shears to help make the coat lie flat.
- The chest, belly, rump and legs can all be shaved using a #You can use a trimmer with a size A snap-on comb. However, many groomers prefer to scissor the legs into a basic cylinder shape for a fluffier look.
- Use a #30 blade to clip the dog's paw pads.
Show Grooming for Wheaten Terriers
Learning how to groom a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier is a basic skill that will benefit owners of these dogs. If you plan on showing your dog, it is important that you learn the proper way to groom one of these dogs for the ring. This is best done under the tutelage of a breeder who is very experienced in the correct techniques. You may also be able to find a show groomer near you who will prepare your dog's coat for the ring, but this can be more difficult and costly. Better to work with a breeder/mentor who can show you all the details of a proper show trim.
