A TRAINABLE DOG –  LIVING TO LOVE YOU.

Descended from farm dogs who used their “smarts” to earn their way into the hearts and homes of Irish farm families, our Alinex Wheatens still live to please their people. Although they were used for everything including herding, Wheatens should not be instinct driven. Their identity should be one of “team” and their devotion is to the family and the home. They can be trained to do almost anything, but they should not naturally be “drivey” in ways that are annoying (like rounding up the kids, pulling all the washing off the line, digging holes everywhere). Modern companionship-focussed Wheatens generally know how to dial in to humans and make us happy. For those who like to classify dog types, they are considered to be a submissive breed.

UNDERSTANDING THE “EXUBERANCE WINDOW”.

Most people love the extreme friendliness of a Wheaten Terrier. Wheatens typically display abounding enthusiasm and joy, especially in the first five minutes of a change of setting or a change of company. It is helpful to think of Wheatens having something we call the “exuberance window”, because the rest of the time they are typically gentle, settled and restful. As owners we have a choice how to value and manage (encourage or condition away from) this “window” with our dogs. Most Wheaten owners see it as part of the delight of the breed. Many actually love it when they themselves are greeted by their wheaten in this way. Less so perhaps when visitors are met with the same boundless love. In order to have the Wheaten sit still, not jump up on visitors, or act calm through this period of intense enthusiasm, good training or clever management is best. Some people successfully give their dog “work” in this moment (eg. sit and raise a paw to shake hands). Others prefer to crate (bed) their Wheaten for five minutes while the owner attends to the social niceties. The “exuberance window” dissipates and the Wheaten emerges in a much more contained way. Many strategies are available and effective.

The “exuberance window” is also evident when a Wheaten is taken for a walk. In true farm dog style the going “out” on the walk is an expression of the dog’s extreme enthusiasm at the prospect of “working in the fields” with you its “farmer”. The way home is typically a more gentle stroll back to the “farmhouse”, the Wheaten  basking in memories of the hard day’s work it imagines it has done.  If a person does not understand how dogs are motivated, this pattern can develop into a dog who pulls on the lead, especially on the way “out”.

Our Wheaten pups learn “walking at heel” in no more than three or four short training sessions. It becomes a solid habit after a couple of months of consistent reinforcement.

In our opinion the process of training a Wheaten to walk on a loose lead does not combine well with walking children in prams/strollers, and perhaps even with any other task for up to the first year of the Wheaten’s life. We do not suggest getting a Wheaten when kids are really young, not in any way because they are not good with children, but because they need intentional “building” as a great family pet. They need “quality time”. A Wheaten is most likely to be successful if the adult overseeing the training and walking has time to do that without having to enfold the “Wheaten time” into another activity eg. walking children to school.

WHEATENS ARE FAST LEARNERS AND WILL GET BORED OF SLOW TRAINERS.

Wheatens are often so fast on the uptake that trainers who are used to less intelligent dogs will miss a Wheaten’s pup’s first offered response to  a cue. It is important that Wheaten owners watch carefully and “catch them at it” because Wheatens succeed quickly. In puppy class or obedience lessons, it is common that Wheaten puppies offer up the required behavior immediately, but because their new owner didn’t recognize their effort, and the trainer was busy trying to coax another pup to think for itself, the Wheaten’s effort went unnoticed. It is important to have a basic understanding of dog training so that your Wheaten can suceed as quickly as he or she wants to. For this reason we require our puppy buyers to have read at least one book on how to raise a great puppy using positive reinforcement. One of the great joys of Wheaten ownership is that they possess both the intelligence and train-ability of the working dog breeds, but are happy to spend most of the day resting, sleeping or quietly enjoying their family. They are “high enthusiasm” and playful throughout their life. We would not refer to our Wheatens as “high energy”. Aside from their “exuberance window” they are generally amenable and reflect the energy around them. A twenty minute walk morning and night is enough for most Wheatens. Some would be grateful if that could be stretched to 30 minutes. If you have another dog that can play with your Wheaten, then one twenty minute walk a day should be enough.

INDEPENDENT MINDEDNESS, OBEDIENCE, AND WHY YOU SHOULD GET USED TO REWARDING THE BEHAVIOURS YOU LIKE.

We ALWAYS give our dogs a small food reward when they: 

1. Come when we call them.

2. Potty on command.

3. Finish a grooming session.

4. Go into their crates at night.

The reason we almost always reward these behaviors for the life of the dog is because a Wheaten is not a robot dog. They are always free thinking and clever.  Mostly they are thinking about what they can do to help steward and celebrate a happy life. “Thoughtful support” of their people is always their flavour rather than cloneish compliance or unquestioning obedience. 

Have you heard people say  “I like a dog that respects the true master/dog bond.”? Sometimes people express things in terms of morality: “I want a dog to do what I ask just because they want to – I don’t want them to do it for a reward!”  Many people have ideas about how canines should be that have very little to do with the reality of dogs.  If you have these kinds of ideas, please process through them with your breeder before your puppy comes home.   

A Wheaten is always its own independent little being and no matter how devoted or how in love with you the Wheaten is (and yes even science has confirmed that dogs feel love!) a Wheaten will always think for his or herself.  A Wheaten Terrier believes it is on a mission to make sure you have the best life possible. Sometimes that means your dog will want to dash inside super fast so you can all go to bed.  Other times it means he or she must do one last trot around the garden to make sure that the faint scent they picked up does not belong to a potential intruder. Sometimes they just know that it would be good for you to watch how happy they are dashing around the garden one more time. People who have a Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier have all the benefits of a smart, loyal, devoted dog who is snuggly and affectionate AND thinks for itself.  

SENSITIVITY AND THE NEED TO USE POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT TRAINING.

In her excellent book “The Culture Clash”, Author Jean Donaldson describes how dog training has lagged at least sixty years behind the scientific understanding of animal behavior. She attributes this lag to the fact that dogs are so adaptable and so able to “get by” and find a way to morph around our needs, responses, reactions and lack of ability to communicate clearly what we need.  But she argues that dogs are not at their best having to work so hard around our lack of knowledge.

Wheatens love the mutual benefit that comes from us knowing how to train them. Wheatens like to do the right thing and they like to make their owners happy. They do not do so well when they get punished or harshly reprimanded. They do not do well in a home where fear is used for control. The more opportunity they have to be an impressive companion, the happier they are. Positive reinforcement training is a MUST for Wheatens. We recommend the “must read” “The Other End of the Leash” by Patricia McConnell.

WHEN PUPPY COMES HOME IT IS TIME FOR SCHOOL.

When a puppy comes home to their family at 8 weeks of age, they are ready to start structured training sessions, albeit in short bursts when they are well fed and rested.  We love the teaching genius of many times world agility champion Susan Garret, her online training resources and her video blog.  The links below are to get you started but please consider doing her homeschool with your puppy.  We strongly believe both you and your puppy will be better off for the experience.