Cairn Terrier

Overview and History:

Cairn Terriers originate on the Isle of Skye and the Highlands as a vermin killing dog.Distinguishes itself by removing rats and other rodents from the stone cairns commonly found on Scottish farms. These dogs were not bred for looks, but rather to work. Gradually, different strains of terrier was Scottie, West Highland White, the original is defined as a Cairn Terrier.Cairn is closest to his ancestors, and still excels in flushing out vermin. It may not be very practical in modern life, but it can be very funny. Today, Cairn is more a companion animal. Like all terriers, they are frisky, independent bundles of energy. They are long lived dogs with few health problems, and many live well into their late teens. They are also very robust and is much harder than their small size suggests.

General Information:

Breed Standard for Cairn Terriers in the U.S. states that the dog will be 9-1/2 to 10 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs thirteen to fourteen lbs., With females slightly smaller. But there are some out there Cairns weighing up to eighteen lbs. Because of the influence of British breeding.Cairns also has big teeth for their size, large feet and strong nails. They have muscular shoulders and strong legs for digging. Cairns is short, shaggy dogs, quite a long time for their height, with large heads and erect ears.They have a waterproof, rough coat, and not stable. They come in many different colors with brindle shades dominate. (Brindle means black hair mixed with other hair color) A Cairn can be any color but white. Adult color can not be reliably predicted on the basis of puppy fur, as the adult coat may be significantly darker, gradually approaching black. Cairn Terriers are "people" dogs. They thrive indoors with the family and soak up attention. If you are not careful, your Cairn sneak between you and your keyboard every time you sit down to write a pure-FAQ! They love children, activity and play, although you will need to ensure that children are not trying to ride the dog. Although they really are a "big dog in a small dog's body, riding such a little dog want to squish him. Because Cairns thrives on attention, they are not suitable for people with "no time for a dog." If left alone 12 hours a day, they will surely find a way to let you know how unhappy they are. And like all terriers, they are greedy chew. Be warned. (On a more positive note, I occasionally left my previous Cairn uncrated for up to twelve consecutive hours while I was working without problems. But I have lavished attention on the dog when I came back and I kept long days at a minimum. I regularly leave my current Cairn lines in eight hours without any problems.) A Cairn is not a suitable dog to an outdoor life. He really needs to stay in the house with his people. (I got a note from someone in California, which includes his Cairn outdoors, but I really think that this is a far less than ideal situation. In New England, where I live, it would be impossible to make your Outdoor Living Cairn ) Cairns is also quite famous for their ability to dig. A separate area of the yard without the coveted shrubs and flowers will be suitable for your Cairn. Some people will fill the holes with water or other things to stop digging. In my opinion, a better policy would be to find out how the area for your dog to dig, and not worry about it. Cairn Terrier can be quite verbal. This does not mean that they are problem barkers, but they will "talk", and murmur, and plates to communicate. It is a very easy thing to train your Cairn to "talk" and "quiet" for a treat. A Cairn left on a line in the backyard may well become a problem Barker, because of loneliness. He will also be eaten by the big dogs in the neighborhood because he did not know when to back down. Cairns are very territorial. It is good for safety but can be problematic if precautions are not taken. Charging a Cairn run loose, can give him the impression that an entire neighborhood belongs to him, and woe to a strange dog went on his land. Also, if you have a multiple dog household, a male Cairn Terrier should not live with another (unneutered) male dog of any breed.(A Cairn really have no idea that he is so small). As mentioned above, Cairns chew. They have also been known to dig and climb. That is the bad sides. If given plenty of exercise, and appropriate things to chew, these features need not be a problem. It is very easy to exercise a Cairn while watching television. Just throw a tennis ball around on the floor and say "Gimme that ball." ;-) Unlike many of the working breeds need a Cairn is not gone miles each day. If you want to walk for miles, your dog will be thrilled, but it is not required. But, it's really not a dog to walk long distance races. Not only will people laugh at you, it is too much for the dog's little legs.

Obedience Training:

It is highly advisable to obedience train your Cairn. (Actually, I believe that basic obedience training should be mandatory for each dog, if only that it makes living with your dog a lot more comfortable). Cairns learn very quickly, and the few default commands may soon be supplemented with some tricks. Training of a Cairn is not like training for a Lab or Golden.Cairns will not fifty sit / stay in a row, just for the heck of it. If you keep the training fun and not repetitive, you will both have a great time. Cairns wants you to be the alpha and as such they really strive to please you. Cairns can be easy to house train, mainly because of their desire to please their people. I strongly recommend using a reward system to house train your Cairn. In short, take one every time the puppy out to do his business, give a 'potty' command (using some words that you will not feel silly to say publicly. I use "do it.") When the dog produces be lavish with praise, and maybe even give a treat. If / When the dog has an accident in the house, not punish the dog, and clean the spot with an enzyme cleaner. (It is important that you use an enzyme cleaner - dogs can smell a strong spot otherwise, and will continue to ground your home) the key to this method is that you take the dog out, not just let him out, and all the praise. Your Cairn will quickly learn to go outside makes him a reward, and go in the house get him something. Every person I have spoken to who use this method faithfully reported success in a very short time. But every person I have spoken to using only a portion of this method has had terrible house breaking problems. The most common mistake is to let the dog out and not take the dog out with you (This applies not only to Cairns, I think all dogs and owners that I know), I know it's a pain, but a month or thereabouts , it is absolutely worth it.

Health:

Cairns are generally very healthy dogs. There are rare cases of hereditary diseases such as von Will brand's disease, a bleeding disorder similar to Hemophilia. Cairn Terrier Clearinghouse has identified other genetic conditions that may exist in Cairns. This is not to say that they are unhealthy or exposed to disease in any way. This means that Cairn community actively trying to eradicate hereditary disease in their dogs. Overall, compared to some other breeds, Cairns is quite healthy dogs. That said, the most notable common problem in Cairns is that they tend to have a flea allergy.People wisdom says that this can be combated with a teaspoon of tomato sauce in daily food.(YMMV) Normal flea prevention is far more effective. (Darker colors Cairns is known for being less prone to flea allergies) Like most small breeds, are susceptible to your Cairn luxating patella, or as is more commonly called, floatin kneecaps. This means that the kneecap ligaments are loose, and the joint is not as deeply furrowed as it should be. A veterinarian can diagnose the problem during a routine medical examination. A diagnosis of luxating patella can mean anything from no limitation of activity at all, to quite debilitating. Fortunately, most of the time, the condition is less serious.Even a severe case of floating kneecaps can be treated with surgery. (This is obviously a very condensed description, and is not intended to be the definitive answer to a common condition in your dog. For more information, please contact your veterinarian) A Cairn can thrive in a high quality dry dog food. Most adult dogs can be maintained at 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of a cup of food a day, usually in two small meals. Cairns is likely to get fat, so keep an eye on their weight is a must. And as with humans, good daily exercise is key to maintain the correct weight of your Cairn. As a practical guide, get my Cairn 1 / 2 cup of food per day, which means an eight lb. bag lasts about five weeks. Cairn Terriers originate on the Isle of Skye and the Highlands as a vermin killing dog.Distinguishes itself by removing rats and other rodents from the stone cairns commonly found on Scottish farms. These dogs were not bred for looks, but rather to work. Gradually, different strains of terrier was Scottie, West Highland White, the original is defined as a Cairn Terrier.Cairn is closest to his ancestors, and still excels in flushing out vermin. It may not be very practical in modern life, but it can be very funny. Today, Cairn is more a companion animal. Like all terriers, they are frisky, independent bundles of energy. They are long lived dogs with few health problems, and many live well into their late teens. They are also very robust and is much harder than their small size suggests.

General Information:

Breed Standard for Cairn Terriers in the U.S. states that the dog will be 9-1/2 to 10 inches tall at the shoulder and weighs thirteen to fourteen lbs., With females slightly smaller. But there are some out there Cairns weighing up to eighteen lbs. Because of the influence of British breeding.Cairns also has big teeth for their size, large feet and strong nails. They have muscular shoulders and strong legs for digging. Cairns is short, shaggy dogs, quite a long time for their height, with large heads and erect ears.They have a waterproof, rough coat, and not stable. They come in many different colors with brindle shades dominate. (Brindle means black hair mixed with other hair color) A Cairn can be any color but white. Adult color can not be reliably predicted on the basis of puppy fur, as the adult coat may be significantly darker, gradually approaching black. Cairn Terriers are "people" dogs. They thrive indoors with the family and soak up attention. If you are not careful, your Cairn sneak between you and your keyboard every time you sit down to write a pure-FAQ! They love children, activity and play, although you will need to ensure that children are not trying to ride the dog. Although they really are a "big dog in a small dog's body, riding such a little dog want to squish him. Because Cairns thrives on attention, they are not suitable for people with "no time for a dog." If left alone 12 hours a day, they will surely find a way to let you know how unhappy they are. And like all terriers, they are greedy chew. Be warned. (On a more positive note, I occasionally left my previous Cairn uncrated for up to twelve consecutive hours while I was working without problems. But I have lavished attention on the dog when I came back and I kept long days at a minimum. I regularly leave my current Cairn lines in eight hours without any problems.) A Cairn is not a suitable dog to an outdoor life. He really needs to stay in the house with his people. (I got a note from someone in California, which includes his Cairn outdoors, but I really think that this is a far less than ideal situation. In New England, where I live, it would be impossible to make your Outdoor Living Cairn ) Cairns is also quite famous for their ability to dig. A separate area of the yard without the coveted shrubs and flowers will be suitable for your Cairn. Some people will fill the holes with water or other things to stop digging. In my opinion, a better policy would be to find out how the area for your dog to dig, and not worry about it. Cairn Terrier can be quite verbal. This does not mean that they are problem barkers, but they will "talk", and murmur, and plates to communicate. It is a very easy thing to train your Cairn to "talk" and "quiet" for a treat. A Cairn left on a line in the backyard may well become a problem Barker, because of loneliness. He will also be eaten by the big dogs in the neighborhood because he did not know when to back down. Cairns are very territorial. It is good for safety but can be problematic if precautions are not taken. Charging a Cairn run loose, can give him the impression that an entire neighborhood belongs to him, and woe to a strange dog went on his land. Also, if you have a multiple dog household, a male Cairn Terrier should not live with another (unneutered) male dog of any breed.(A Cairn really have no idea that he is so small). As mentioned above, Cairns chew. They have also been known to dig and climb. That is the bad sides. If given plenty of exercise, and appropriate things to chew, these features need not be a problem. It is very easy to exercise a Cairn while watching television. Just throw a tennis ball around on the floor and say "Gimme that ball." ;-) Unlike many of the working breeds need a Cairn is not gone miles each day. If you want to walk for miles, your dog will be thrilled, but it is not required. But, it's really not a dog to walk long distance races. Not only will people laugh at you, it is too much for the dog's little legs.

Obedience Training:

It is highly advisable to obedience train your Cairn. (Actually, I believe that basic obedience training should be mandatory for each dog, if only that it makes living with your dog a lot more comfortable). Cairns learn very quickly, and the few default commands may soon be supplemented with some tricks. Training of a Cairn is not like training for a Lab or Golden.Cairns will not fifty sit / stay in a row, just for the heck of it. If you keep the training fun and not repetitive, you will both have a great time. Cairns wants you to be the alpha and as such they really strive to please you. Cairns can be easy to house train, mainly because of their desire to please their people. I strongly recommend using a reward system to house train your Cairn. In short, take one every time the puppy out to do his business, give a 'potty' command (using some words that you will not feel silly to say publicly. I use "do it.") When the dog produces be lavish with praise, and maybe even give a treat. If / When the dog has an accident in the house, not punish the dog, and clean the spot with an enzyme cleaner. (It is important that you use an enzyme cleaner - dogs can smell a strong spot otherwise, and will continue to ground your home) the key to this method is that you take the dog out, not just let him out, and all the praise. Your Cairn will quickly learn to go outside makes him a reward, and go in the house get him something. Every person I have spoken to who use this method faithfully reported success in a very short time. But every person I have spoken to using only a portion of this method has had terrible house breaking problems. The most common mistake is to let the dog out and not take the dog out with you (This applies not only to Cairns, I think all dogs and owners that I know), I know it's a pain, but a month or thereabouts , it is absolutely worth it.

Health:

Cairns are generally very healthy dogs. There are rare cases of hereditary diseases such as von Will brand's disease, a bleeding disorder similar to Hemophilia. Cairn Terrier Clearinghouse has identified other genetic conditions that may exist in Cairns. This is not to say that they are unhealthy or exposed to disease in any way. This means that Cairn community actively trying to eradicate hereditary disease in their dogs. Overall, compared to some other breeds, Cairns is quite healthy dogs. That said, the most notable common problem in Cairns is that they tend to have a flea allergy.People wisdom says that this can be combated with a teaspoon of tomato sauce in daily food.(YMMV) Normal flea prevention is far more effective. (Darker colors Cairns is known for being less prone to flea allergies) Like most small breeds, are susceptible to your Cairn luxating patella, or as is more commonly called, floating kneecaps. This means that the kneecap ligaments are loose, and the joint is not as deeply furrowed as it should be. A veterinarian can diagnose the problem during a routine medical examination. A diagnosis of luxating patella can mean anything from no limitation of activity at all, to quite debilitating. Fortunately, most of the time, the condition is less serious.Even a severe case of floating kneecaps can be treated with surgery. (This is obviously a very condensed description, and is not intended to be the definitive answer to a common condition in your dog. For more information, please contact your veterinarian) A Cairn can thrive in a high quality dry dog food. Most adult dogs can be maintained at 1 / 2 to 2 / 3 of a cup of food a day, usually in two small meals. Cairns is likely to get fat, so keep an eye on their weight is a must. And as with humans, good daily exercise is key to maintain the correct weight of your Cairn. As a practical guide, get my Cairn 1 / 2 cup of food per day, which means an eight lb. bag lasts about five weeks.