Wheaten Terrier vs Scottish Terrier - Breed Comparison

Wheaten Terrier vs Scottish Terrier - Breed ComparisonWheaten Terrier is originated from Ireland but Scottish Terrier is originated from United Kingdom. Wheaten Terrier may grow 24 cm / 10 inches higher than Scottish Terrier. Wheaten Terrier may weigh 10 kg / 23 pounds more than Scottish Terrier. Both Wheaten Terrier and Scottish Terrier has almost same life span. Both Wheaten Terrier and Scottish Terrier has same litter size. Both Wheaten Terrier and Scottish Terrier requires Moderate maintenance.

History

The Wheaten Terrier hails from Ireland, some 200 years ago.

wheaten terrier - historyThe dog was bred to be a useful dog to have around the farm. He was needed to help with the guarding and herding of livestock and to keep the rat population down.

This little dog has a long history, but in spite of this, he wasn’t recognized as a breed in his home country by the Irish Kennel Club until 1937.

It was in 1943 that the Wheaten was recognized by the British Kennel Club. They were exported to the United States in the 1940s and recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1973.

scottish terrier - historyThe Scottish Terrier is also known as the Aberdeen Terrier but people who love and know him refer to him fondly as the Scottie.

These little dogs were originally bred to hunt vermin on farms and their actual origin is ancient. It is believed that the first descriptions of these dogs date way back to 1436 with there being 2 varieties - a rough-haired Scotch Terrier and a smooth-haired English Terrier.

In 1881 the Scottish Terrier Club of England was founded with the Scottish Terrier Club of Scotland being founded in 1888. Scotties were introduced to America in the early 1890s.

Basic Information

Group:
Terrier dog
Terrier dog
Origin:
Ireland
United Kingdom
Height Male:
43 - 50 cm
16 - 20 inches
23 - 26 cm
9 - 11 inches
Height Female:
43 - 50 cm
16 - 20 inches
23 - 26 cm
9 - 11 inches
Weight Male:
13 - 20 kg
28 - 45 pounds
8 - 10 kg
17 - 23 pounds
Weight Female:
13 - 20 kg
28 - 45 pounds
8 - 10 kg
17 - 23 pounds
Life Span:
10 - 12 Years
11 - 13 Years
Litter Size:
2 - 8
2 - 8
Size:
Medium dog
Small dog
Other Names:
The Wheaten
Scottie, Aberdeen Terrier
Colors Available:
Wheaten, gingery
black-grey, Black, brindle, wheaten
Coat:
Soft single coat
wiry, medium length
Shedding:
Minimal
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Responsive, Social
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Independent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Responsive, Social, Stubborn, Territorial
Grooming:
Moderate maintenance
Moderate maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Moderate
Hypoallergenic:
Yes
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

Description

wheaten terrier puppy - descriptionThe Wheaten Terrier is a robustly built, medium-sized dog with males and females standing at between 43 to 50cm in height and weighing between 13 to 20kg.

The soft, single coat is a silky texture and a wheaten, gingery color. A bonus is that the coat doesn’t shed much. Puppies are born with darkish coats of a reddish-brown color but the coat lightens significantly as the puppy grows older.

Most Wheaten Terrier owners opt to have the dog professionally groomed. Their tails have always been docked.

Temperament:

Your Wheaten Terrier is a smart dog, albeit headstrong and stubborn. His intelligence makes it easy to have him trained.

They love their human family and aren’t known for any aggression issues. They’re energetic, playful dogs and are sometimes even looked upon as being hyperactive. They’re able to get along well with other dogs and cats in the house. They generally make great family pets.

These dogs are well suited to life in the city as well as the countryside just so long as he gets his daily walks and other forms of exercise.

scottish terrier puppy - descriptionThe Scottish Terrier is a small dog, fairly robustly built but with short legs. He has a wiry, weather-resistant coat and a soft undercoat. The coat is essentially black but there are other colors too such as a wheaten shade, grey-black and brindle too.

The ears are erect, the eyes small and bright. The tail isn’t docked but is of medium length and is nearly always held up, without curling over the back.

Height at withers for both males and females should be roughly 23 to 26cm and weight in the region of 8 – 10 kg.

Temperament:

The Scottie is a an independent, robust breed. He is playful as a puppy, but as he matures he becomes more dignified and dour. He is stubborn, but being a terrier he is alert and makes a good watchdog. For a small dog he has a powerful bark.

He is smart too. Have him trained and socialized if you want him to be obedient.

Brave, loving and loyal, he can fit into life in the city or the countryside so long has he has his human family close by. He doesn’t take kindly to strangers and he he slightly aggressive with other dogs he doesn’t know. He makes a great playmate for children but he certainly doesn’t like being prodded, sat on and poked by small children.

Characteristics

wheaten terrier dog - characteristicsThe Wheaten Terrier is such a bouncy, lively little dog that he brings joy into any home.

He is energetic, playful and full of the joys of living but you don’t want to take advantage of his good nature.

Don’t leave him stuck in your back yard but include him in all your family activities. He’s your best friend, providing you with unconditional love that few humans can equal.

scottish terrier dog - characteristicsThe Scottie is strong willed and independent, and training and socialization is important if you don’t want your Scottie believing he has the final say.

These dogs are stubborn and dominant and will need a strong, firm but kind owner. They’re aggressive with other dogs, but get on well with their human family.

When you bring one of these distinctive looking dogs into your home, he’ll be a loving, loyal friend.

Health Problems

wheaten terrier puppies - health problemsYour Wheaten Terrier is a dog breed that can live healthily with you for a good number of years.

Just like most other dogs, they are prone to some heritable diseases. Perhaps a condition to look out for with this particular dog is protein wasting conditions - protein-losing nephropathy (PLN) and protein-losing enteropathy (PLE).

Both of these diseases are actually fatal but if caught early enough, they can be managed with dietary changes and medication.

Your dog produces proteins known as enzymes, one group being digestive enzymes that help with the breakdown and digestion of food. When your pet battles with malabsorption, digestive enzymes don’t absorb protein and it passes through the large intestine into the faeces. Your dog will have inflammatory bowel disease.

Dogs with PLE for instance, will have vomiting, diarrhoea and weight loss.

scottish terrier puppies - health problemsYour Scottie is looked upon as being a generally healthy dog breed, but as with any other healthy dogs, he can succumb to some of the conditions and diseases that dogs get -

Von Willebrand's Disease:

This is an inherited blood disorder where the blood doesn’t clot properly. The dog will bleed excessively after an injury. Fortunately, while there isn’t a cure, dogs can lead normal lives.

Cancer:

Scottish Terriers are more prone to developing cancer than other dogs. Bladder cancer, lymphosarcoma and malignant melanoma are just some of the cancers they can get. Some cancers are treatable and there is a good success rate in dogs receiving chemotherapy.

When you brush your Scottie, look out for new, unusual lumps that could be indicative of cancer.

Scotty Cramp:

Scotty Cramp isn’t serious but uncomfortable for your pet. When your dog becomes worked up, you’ll see him arching his spine and he walks around for a few minutes with a stiff unnatural gait.

Obesity:

Obesity is regarded as a serious disease as it puts strain on the dogs joints and also creates back pain and digestive disorders.

Caring The Pet

wheaten terrier dogs - caringBrush your pet’s coat twice a week to keep it healthy and have him professionally trimmed to keep him looking nice and groomed.

Dental disease is a common problem with dogs, and more specifically small dogs. Dental problems start with tartar build-up on the teeth and then infection of the gums and roots can set in too. The teeth have to be kept in good condition as rotten teeth can have a negative impact on other important body parts like the heart and kidneys.

Have your pet vaccinated against bacterial and viral infections such as rabies and parvo.

Speak to your vet about the many worms and other parasites that can invade your pet’s body.

Have your Wheaten spayed or neutered if you want to avoid unwanted puppies.

Provide your Wheaten with the best food there is to encourage good health and longevity. Keep his meals simple and consistent and always go for high-quality foods that are in keeping with your dog’s age, Kibble as well as home-made food are good choices. Never leave your pet without a constant source of fresh, cool water.

Provide your Wheaten Terrier with good exercise. Remember though that these dogs are sensitive to warm temperatures, and you don’t want to have him exercising in hot weather because of the fear of heat stress.

Exercise:

scottish terrier dogs - caringScotties were once bred as working dogs, and they will certainly require daily exercise and stimulation. He will love a walk but you can’t expect him to run with you as he has short legs.

Grooming:

The Scottie sheds, so he will need to be brushed at least twice weekly. He will require quite a bit of grooming in terms of having the coat professionally trimmed and clipped.

His eyes and ears will need to be checked as well as his teeth. He can’t tell you if he has terrible toothache and while brushing him, check the teeth. Trim his nails too.

Diet:

It is always recommended that you feed dogs according to size, age and activity levels. Dogs are individuals and they don’t all need the same food.

The quality of the dog food you provide makes a huge difference on your dog’s health. It always pays to go with the better quality kibble available to dogs. Your Scottish Terrier will be depending on your for quality kibble with the right blend of vitamins and minerals.

Dogs thrive on simplicity and consistency and you want to provide him with some home-made food too that gels well with his digestive system. A little bit of raw meat occasionally can also do him the world of good.

Make sure he always has cool, fresh water to drink.

Comparison with other breeds

  1. Wheaten Terrier vs American Pit Bull Terrier - Breed Comparison
  2. Wheaten Terrier vs Bull Terrier - Breed Comparison
  3. Wheaten Terrier vs Schnauzer - Breed Comparison
  4. Wheaten Terrier vs Airedale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  5. Wheaten Terrier vs Fox Terrier - Breed Comparison
  6. Wheaten Terrier vs Bull and Terrier - Breed Comparison
  7. Wheaten Terrier vs Bedlington Terrier - Breed Comparison
  8. Wheaten Terrier vs Irish Terrier - Breed Comparison
  9. Wheaten Terrier vs Fox Terrier (Smooth) - Breed Comparison
  10. Wheaten Terrier vs Kerry Blue Terrier - Breed Comparison
  11. Wheaten Terrier vs Austrian Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  12. Wheaten Terrier vs Lakeland Terrier - Breed Comparison
  13. Wheaten Terrier vs Atlas Terrier - Breed Comparison
  14. Wheaten Terrier vs Jagdterrier - Breed Comparison
  15. Wheaten Terrier vs Blue Paul Terrier - Breed Comparison
  16. Wheaten Terrier vs Indian Bull Terrier - Breed Comparison
  17. Wheaten Terrier vs Irish Bull Terrier - Breed Comparison
  18. Wheaten Terrier vs Japanese Terrier - Breed Comparison
  19. Wheaten Terrier vs Brazilian Terrier - Breed Comparison
  20. Wheaten Terrier vs Old English Terrier - Breed Comparison
  21. Wheaten Terrier vs Scoland Terrier - Breed Comparison
  22. Wheaten Terrier vs Skye Terrier - Breed Comparison
  23. Wheaten Terrier vs Irish Staffordshire Bull Terrier - Breed Comparison
  24. Wheaten Terrier vs Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier - Breed Comparison
  25. Wheaten Terrier vs Staffordshire Bull Terrier - Breed Comparison
  26. Scottish Terrier vs Boston Terrier - Breed Comparison
  27. Scottish Terrier vs Jack Russell Terrier - Breed Comparison
  28. Scottish Terrier vs West Highland White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  29. Scottish Terrier vs Miniature Schnauzer - Breed Comparison
  30. Scottish Terrier vs Cairn Terrier - Breed Comparison
  31. Scottish Terrier vs Border Terrier - Breed Comparison
  32. Scottish Terrier vs Rat Terrier - Breed Comparison
  33. Scottish Terrier vs Australian Terrier - Breed Comparison
  34. Scottish Terrier vs Patterdale Terrier - Breed Comparison
  35. Scottish Terrier vs American Hairless Terrier - Breed Comparison
  36. Scottish Terrier vs Bull Terrier Miniature - Breed Comparison
  37. Scottish Terrier vs Norwich Terrier - Breed Comparison
  38. Scottish Terrier vs Norfolk Terrier - Breed Comparison
  39. Scottish Terrier vs English White Terrier - Breed Comparison
  40. Scottish Terrier vs Parson Russell Terrier - Breed Comparison
  41. Scottish Terrier vs Russell Terrier - Breed Comparison
  42. Scottish Terrier vs Feist - Breed Comparison
  43. Scottish Terrier vs Manchester Terrier - Breed Comparison
  44. Scottish Terrier vs Dandie Dinmont Terrier - Breed Comparison
  45. Scottish Terrier vs Miniature Fox Terrier - Breed Comparison
  46. Scottish Terrier vs Cesky Terrier - Breed Comparison
  47. Scottish Terrier vs Glen of Imaal Terrier - Breed Comparison
  48. Scottish Terrier vs Schnorkie - Breed Comparison
  49. Scottish Terrier vs Chilean Fox Terrier - Breed Comparison
  50. Scottish Terrier vs Black and Tan Terrier - Breed Comparison

View/Compare Breeds

Popular Dog Breeds