It is easy, Pembroke! Garden centers make a big deal out of rose pruning, not because it is difficult, but because they want to get you into their store to buy something. As campanula said, Dead, diseased, dodgy, and go lightly until you feel confident. You can always take a little more off, but you can't glue it back on! :)

We really need some pictures to be sure of anything. Pictures of the whole plant, the base of the plant and the canes you are concerned about would help. If it is Dr. Huey there are some things you can do to save it but we need to know for sure that's what's happening.

ash, in our zone you don't have to do much protecting. But don't cut them back now, they are not dormant yet and will start to grow and could be damaged by a hard frost. Wait until we get a very hard frost and temps are consistently low at night and not too warm during the day, probably the beginning of December. Then cut back by 1/2, just to keep the canes from blowing around in winter storms. Sometime in February, you can do your spring pruning. My roses are still blooming, believe it or not.

I'm not at all sure there is a definitive resource on wisteria.....a good many horticulturists specializing in this plant are of the opinion that many common cultivars are in fact hybrids of sinensis and floribunda and are designated as x formosa. Apparently these two species will hybridize quite readily and the distinctions of the hybrids compared to the species are very slight, at least to the non-specialized or untrained eye. One can find various cultivars listed as either sinensis, floribunda or x formosa, depending on who is doing the classifying. Regardless, root pruning can't hurt and is often recommended to encourage a recalcitrant vine into blooming. I've encountered a lot of mature wisteria vines over the years and only one produced any significant shooting, so while possible, I'd have to say it is not very probable. IME, the thuggishness associated with wisteria in our area is due to its extremely rapid growth in season and the fact that it produces such a heavy structure and top growth that easily swamps or uproots too small support systems.