The wirehaired coat is the newest of the three, developed in Germany in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by crossing smooth dachshunds with hard-coated terriers and the German Wirehaired Pinscher, among others. The goal was a dog that could work in brambles, cold and water without the smooth's vulnerability.
The result is a double coat: a soft insulating undercoat beneath a tight, harsh, flat outer coat, plus distinctive furnishings — bushy eyebrows and a beard. Only the ears carry short, near-smooth hair.
Coat care means stripping
A correct wire coat is maintained by hand-stripping — plucking out the dead outer hairs a few times a year so new harsh coat grows in. Clipping instead of stripping is quicker but softens the texture and fades the colour over time, and it removes the weatherproofing.
Between strips, a weekly brush and a tidy of the beard (which collects food and water) is enough. Some pet owners accept a clipped, softer coat as a fair trade for less work; show and working homes strip.
The terrier in the mix
The terrier ancestry shows. Wirehairs are often the busiest, gamest and most vocal of the varieties — quick to dig, quick to chase, quick to tell you about the postman. Owners tend to use the word "clown".
For an active household that wants a dog with drive and doesn't mind the noise, the wire is a wonderful choice. For a quiet flat, think hard.
