Beware of the seller who does not have a copy of the puppy's pedigree for your inspection prior to buying the puppy. The best guarantee of a healthy dog is a careful, well-planned breeding program. Traditionally, a kennel is an area where dogs are kept and bred. A hobby breeder who owns two Wheatens is a kennel. A kennel may also be an establishment in which several hundred breeding dogs are kept to supply pups for commercial sale.
Some kennels are large scale retailers who breed their own stock for retail sales.
A dog's pedigree lists his ancestors, usually five generations. A pedigree is important since it shows the relationships between the dogs in a puppy's background and their accomplishments. ROM following a dog's name means Register of Merit Top Producer, an award given by the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier Club of America to males producing 15 or more Champion offspring or bitches producing 8 or more Champion offspring. Breeders use a kennel name and the registered names of the dogs they breed include that name. Thus, a pedigree can show who bred the dogs listed in it.