Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier vs Staffordshire Bull Terrier

A Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Photo: SusanSmithGSU
A Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Photo: W.carter

Side by side

Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Adult weight
Males 16–18 kg (35–40 lb); females 14–16 kg (30–35 lb) (breed club figure)1
Males 13–17 kg (29–37 lb); females 11–15 kg (24–34 lb) (breed club figure)2
Height
No sourced figure
Males 36–41 cm; females 36–41 cm (breed club figure)2
Lifespan
Median 13.7 years3
Median 12 years3
Fully grown
11 months, both sexes4
Group
Terriers5
Terriers6
Coat
Wavy coat5
Short coat6
Shedding
Sheds through the year
Grooming
Brushing a few times a week
A brush once a week
Exercise
A moderate amount
Health
Blood-vessel cancer of the spleen (much more likely)7
Mast cell tumour (much more likely); Demodectic mange starting young, dogs under 2 (much more likely)8,9
Class
Family
Family

Which suits you

Lifespan
In UK vet records the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier lives longer: a median of 13.7 years, against 12 for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Grooming
The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier needs more grooming, brushing a few times a week, where the Staffordshire Bull Terrier needs a brush once a week.
Temperament
They differ most on voice (Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier: barks to alert, then settles; Staffordshire Bull Terrier: quiet) and on prey drive (Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier: chases; needs managing; Staffordshire Bull Terrier: likely to chase small pets).
Alike
They are much the same size as adults, about 16 kg (35 lb) for the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier and 14 kg (31 lb) for the Staffordshire Bull Terrier.
Alike
Both are rated the same on affection: a lap or leaning dog.
Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.
Take the breed matcher

What they're like

Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Terriers · Medium

In temperament the breed is friendly, cheerful and closely attached to its family. It is generally less combative than many terriers but keeps the terrier's quick energy and urge to chase.

Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Terriers · Medium

Temperamentally the Staffie is bold, tenacious and very attached to people. The Kennel Club standard notes its fondness for children, though its fighting past can show as intolerance of other dogs.

The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier page →The Staffordshire Bull Terrier page →

Breed traits

Day to day
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Activity
A good daily walk and play
A good daily walk and play
Intelligence
Learns readily, likes games
Learns readily, likes games
Handler demand
Needs steady training
Needs steady training
With people
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Affection
A lap or leaning dog
A lap or leaning dog
Loyalty
Bonded to its family
Bonded to its family
Independence
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Cooperative, with its own ideas
Around the home
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
Sensitivity
Average
Average
Voice
Differs
Barks to alert, then settles
Quiet
Prey drive
Differs
Chases; needs managing
Likely to chase small pets
Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour10. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home11,12.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes
The Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier grows to the heavier adult, about 16 kg against the Staffordshire Bull Terrier's 14 kg.
Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier
Staffordshire Bull Terrier
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More comparisons

Compare the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier with
American Staffordshire Terrier vs Staffordshire Bull TerrierAmerican Pit Bull Terrier vs Staffordshire Bull TerrierAmerican Bully vs Staffordshire Bull TerrierSoft Coated Wheaten Terrier vs Standard SchnauzerBull Terrier vs Staffordshire Bull TerrierKerry Blue Terrier vs Soft Coated Wheaten TerrierAll breed comparisons →

Sources

Parts of this page were written by AI ·