Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Puppies: Adopt or Buy?

Should you adopt or buy a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier?

Either route can work. The Dogs Australia breed standard, which places the breed in Group 2 (Terriers), describes “a natural terrier with strong sporting instincts, hardy and of strong constitution”, and its temperament line reads: “Good-tempered, spirited and game. Full of confidence and humour; a delightful, affectionate, intelligent companion.” Dogs Victoria calls it the traditional Irish farm dog, which would hunt, herd, stand guard and be a companion.

A registered breeder who DNA tests for PLN, screens urine and blood, and scores hips gives you the best odds with a puppy. Rescue gives you a dog whose energy and manners you can see first; check the live listings, as numbers change daily. The route to avoid is an online ad for a cheap “wheaten” with no health results and no breeder you can check.

Reference figures: the RSPCA Victoria adoption page, read 12 November 2026. Not a quote. Breeders and rescues set their own prices and change them, so check with them.

What is a Wheaten like to live with?

Cheerful, bouncy and in need of training. Dogs Victoria says the Wheaten is a happy and steady dog given early, consistent and positive training, but that it does require training to become a reliable pet, can be formidable when it comes to hunting, may forget you off lead if it sees something worth chasing, and will be tempted by small pets like rabbits and chickens. It calls a well-trained Wheaten a versatile companion and family dog for active owners, a good watch dog but not an excessive barker.

Dogs NSW says Wheatens keep medium to high energy throughout their lives, and recommends that parents with small children wait until the children are older, because the breed's exuberance may overwhelm them. Always supervise children and dogs together.

Sources: Dogs Australia breed standard, Dogs Victoria and Dogs NSW, read 12 November 2026.

Our Wheaten grooming and coat care guide covers the weekly routine.

What does the research say about kidney and gut disease in Wheatens?

It is the health issue every Wheaten buyer should know about. A study by Littman and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania, published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2000, reviewed the records and pedigrees of 222 affected Wheatens identified over 1983 to 1997 with protein-losing enteropathy (PLE, protein lost through the gut), protein-losing nephropathy (PLN, protein lost through the kidneys) or both. We read the abstract. Its main findings:

• PLE was diagnosed at an average age of 4.7 years (76 dogs), PLN at 6.3 years (84 dogs), and both diseases together at 5.9 years (62 dogs).
• Affected females outnumbered males 1.6 to 1.
• Signs included vomiting, diarrhoea, weight loss and fluid build-up in the chest and abdomen.
• The authors called both diseases common in the breed, said the prognosis is poor, and traced the pedigrees of 188 dogs to a common male ancestor.

A later study by the same group, published in Mammalian Genome in 2013, found variants in two kidney genes, NPHS1 and KIRREL2. The authors report that risk of the kidney disease was highest in dogs carrying two copies of the variants (homozygous), with an odds ratio of 9.06. The authors describe the disease as genetically complex, so a DNA result shows risk rather than certainty, which is why breeders also screen blood and urine.

Dogs NSW names PLN and PLE as conditions with a higher than normal incidence in Wheatens, and also mentions Addison's disease and renal dysplasia. Both studies came from a US veterinary school and are not a measure of Australian Wheatens today. Our Wheaten health issues guide covers the signs to watch for; see your vet promptly about vomiting, diarrhoea or weight loss.

Which health tests should a Wheaten breeder show you?

Dogs Victoria recommends asking breeders about the breed's health and what testing they do. We found no Australian club test list we could read directly, so here is what the US national breed club recommends, as published by the American Kennel Club. It is a guide for questions, not an Australian rule:

Source: the American Kennel Club's list of national breed club recommendations, read 12 November 2026. A buying checklist, not veterinary advice.

Ask to see the reports for both parents, with names or microchip numbers that match the litter, and ask how recent the urine and blood tests are. Ask too how long the dogs in the pedigree lived and whether any had kidney or gut disease. Dogs Australia also suggests asking whether your own vet can check the puppy.

Are Wheaten Terriers hypoallergenic?

No dog is. The Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) says: “All dog breeds cause allergies, although some do not shed as much dander, and therefore less allergen is spread.” It also says the main source of dog allergen is saliva. RSPCA South Australia lists the Soft-coated Wheaten Terrier among breeds it says are “considered hypoallergenic”, and adds that “no furry friend is 100% allergen free”. ASCIA's point stands: a low-shedding coat cannot remove the allergen.

If anyone at home has asthma or a dog allergy, see a doctor before you choose a dog, spend long, repeated visits with the actual dog, and read our guides to hypoallergenic dogs in Australia and dogs that don't shed.

How much is a Wheaten puppy from a registered breeder?

We quote no breeder price, because we found none we could confirm as current. In November 2026 we read the own websites of Wheaten breeders who show membership of a Dogs Australia state body, leaving out listing and classified sites, “contact us” pages and any price we could not show was current for 2026. Not every breeder has a website of its own, and we found no guide price from a breed club or state body. We cannot speak for every breeder, so ask each one.

Ask for the price in writing and compare what it includes: the parents' PLN DNA, urine, blood, hip and eye results, vaccinations and microchip, whether the puppy is on the Limited Register with a desexing agreement, and whether the breeder will take the dog back if your circumstances change.

You may need to wait for a litter. Dogs Australia's registration figures show 88 Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers registered in 2025, against 147 in 2018 (registrations, not litters bred). The dog cost calculator gives a first-year budget beyond the purchase, and regular trims are a cost for this breed.

Survey of member breeders' own websites, November 2026. Any price a breeder gives you is theirs to set; prices change, so check with them. Nothing here is a quote.

What do Wheatens in rescue look like?

It varies. Check the live listings, as numbers change daily; a Wheaten in rescue may be an adult or a terrier cross, and a good rescue will tell you how the dog is with children, small pets, recall and grooming. If you adopt an adult, ask whether anything is known about its health history, and ask your vet whether a urine test belongs in its first check-up. Our Sydney Wheaten adoption guide covers the local side.

If the coat is what draws you, low-shedding dogs of every type are listed by city here: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide.

What does a rescue dog cost?

Reference only, not a quote. These are the fees each rescue published on the date shown; fees change and some dogs are priced individually, so check with the rescue. Read our guide to adopting a dog in Australia.

How do Wheaten puppy scams work?

Scamwatch warns that scammers set up fake websites, and fake profiles on social media and online marketplaces, for pets that do not exist, and that if a pet is very cheap it is likely a scam. Dogs Victoria's puppy scam fact sheet adds that fake ads may display microchip, source or membership numbers lifted from legitimate breeders. Checks to make before you pay:

• “Hypoallergenic” guarantees. ASCIA says all dog breeds cause allergies.
• “PLN clear” with no paperwork. Ask for the laboratory DNA reports and recent urine results for both parents.
• Borrowed numbers. Dogs Victoria says to contact the organisation a seller claims membership of and check the number is valid and matches the breeder's name, location and breed.
• Copied photos. Dogs Victoria passes on the ACCC's advice to use a reverse image search to check whether the photos appear on other websites.

Our guide to puppies for sale in Australia has the state-by-state table of breeder numbers, how to check each one, and what to do if you have already paid.

When is a registered breeder the better choice?

Rescue is not right for everyone, and if you want a Wheaten puppy specifically, waiting for a registered breeder is reasonable. Check these before you pay:

1. Registration. Ask for the breeder's prefix and membership number and check them through Dogs Australia's breeder search or your state body.
2. PLN DNA results for both parents, from the laboratory.
3. Recent urine and blood screening for both parents.
4. Hip scores and an eye examination for both parents.
5. A written contract covering health problems, register type, desexing and whether the breeder will take the dog back.

Is a Wheaten the right dog for you?

The appeal is real: a happy, affectionate, low-shedding terrier that stays playful for life. Be honest about three things before you apply anywhere: training, because a Wheaten needs it to become a reliable pet; grooming, with weekly combing and regular trims; and health, which means budgeting for vet checks and asking hard questions about kidney and gut disease. Not sure? Try the what dog breed is right for me quiz and the adoption readiness check, and compare with our guide to family dogs.

Find a Wheaten Terrier near you

Each page shows Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers listed right now by rescues in that city, and each listing links to the rescue where you apply directly.

• Wheaten Terriers for adoption in Sydney
• Wheaten Terriers for adoption in Melbourne
• Wheaten Terriers for adoption in Brisbane
• Wheaten Terriers for adoption in Perth
• Wheaten Terriers for adoption in Adelaide

Local guides to adopting a Wheaten: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast.

More adopt-or-buy guides: Airedale Terrier, Miniature Schnauzer, Portuguese Water Dog, Lagotto Romagnolo, Border Terrier.