A Short Story of Wheaten Beginnings

A Short History of Wheaten Beginnings

The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier was the last of the terriers of Ireland to make its appearance in the show ring. Even so, said Wheaten pioneer Maureen Holmes (Holmenocks), the Wheaten is the oldest of the native Irish terriers. Some have suggested that the Wheaten evolved when Portuguese Water Dogs, used as couriers between ships of the Spanish Armada, swam to Ireland after their ships sank. Those survivors may have mated with some of the local terriers.

For over two hundred years Wheatens lived on farms of Southern Ireland where they herded cattle and sheep, pursued and destroyed vermin, and enjoyed a day's shooting with their masters. The alert Wheaten was valued especially for its ability to respond to silent hand signals, very helpful when the hunter was poaching!

Because the Wheaten was simply an all-purpose farm dog, there are no records about its origin. Thus, it is almost certain the breed was not maintained with any semblance of purity. However, the general character of the dog was retained as well as color, and to less extent, type. The Wheaten was so helpful with farm work that it's descendants, the Kerry Blue and Irish Terrier, preceded it to show ring and breed recognition.

Dr. J.G. Pierce, a terrier fancier residing in Kerry, is credited with bringing the Wheaten to public notice. Pierce could trace the breed back into the 18th century. Pierce and Patrick Black, both Kerry fanciers, decided to promote the Wheaten, no small task since Wheatens were spread all over Ireland and varied in many aspects by this time.

The Irish Kennel Club finally found terrier experts to examine and approve Wheatens that were, in their opinion, good specimens of the breed. With no guidelines for a Standard, this procedure was the only way in which uniformity could be gained to build a breed foundation.

In August, 1937, the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier was recognized by the Irish Kennel Club. Gradually, some uniformity was achieved. But many breeders still continued to crossbreed the Wheaten with other dogs because of the Wheaten's ability to perform in field trials and hunting. Thus, many who saw the Wheaten in the ring did not know they were sometimes viewing poor specimens. The beautiful, golden Wheaten was a rarity, a situation that exists even today.

In the early 1940s, Maureen Holmes became an active sponsor/breeder of Wheatens, and later, Irish Kennel Club Representative. Thanks to Mrs. Holmes and others, Wheatens kept their natural appearance in Ireland and Europe. (Mrs. Holmes died in 1996 at age 92)

Through 1940-1942 Wheatens were introduced in England, and several were brought to the U.S. But it was not until 1956 when Ann Hagen imported a dog and bitch (Gads Hill and Holmenocks Hallmark) that the Wheaten was here to stay. Later, when Ms Hagen was unable to keep her dogs, her neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Arnold (Sunset Hill), took them to Connecticut where Sunset Hill Wheatens became one of the foundation lines in the U.S.

In 1961 the first Wheaten club was formed, The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America (SCWTCA). It is still active and is the parent club of many regional Wheaten clubs.

Ms. Margaret O'Connor (Gramachree) was the first club president and, until her death in 1966, kept an accurate Stud Book and made SCWTCA the official registry in the U.S. Her mother and brother, Father O'Connor, helped her, as did the Arnolds, to exhibit the Wheaten in Miscellaneous class at dog shows.

Ms. O'Connor's Gramachree line was built on the breeding in 1962 of her Holmenock's Gramachree to Arnolds' Gads Hill. Of that litter, Gramachree's Minute Man and Gramachree's Little Firecracker became the foundation of the O'Connor line.

A second line was established by breeding Gramachree's Minute Man to Holmenock's Hispaniola, imported by Mrs. Juanita Wurtzberger (Leprecaun). Then, the Arnolds in 1963 imported two dogs from George Bourke's Croom kennel: Cobalt Bourcro Bally Nilty. These dogs were another U.S. foundation line and, with Arnold's Sunset Hill dogs, bred foundation stock for most Wheaten fanciers in the mid-60s. In about 1965, Dorothy Goodale, Melrose, CO (Berdot) bred Wheatens using Gramachree & Sunset Hill stock. By 1967 a growing number of exhibitors had joined the ranks. In October, 1973, the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier was welcomed to the AKC show ring in Terrier Group.