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The Cairn Terrier
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The Best Pal In The World
History Cairn Terriers originated on the Isle of Skye and in the Scottish Highlands. They were bred to kill vermin and removing rats and other rodents from the stone piles (cairns) found on Scottish farms. They were not bred for good looks but for their ability to work. Gradually separate strains became the Scottish Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, West Highland White Terrier and the Cairn Terrier. The Cairn Terrier is the closest to its ancestors and still excels in flushing out vermin. Today the Cairn is more a companion animal. Like most Terriers, they are happy, with a mind of its own and full of energy. They are long lived dogs with few health problems. They are quite sturdy and are much tougher than their size suggests. The most famous example of a Cairn terrier is Toto from the wizard of Oz. General Information The Breed Standard for Cairn Terrier in Australia (also English Standard) states that they should have a height approx. 28 – 31 cm. (11 – 12 in.) at withers but in proportion to weight. Weight should be ideally 6 – 7.5 kg. (14 – 16 lb.) A cairn has got large teeth for their size, large feet, strong nails, muscular shoulders and very strong legs for digging. Cairns are short shaggy dogs, with a head large in appearance with pricked up ears. They have a waterproof rough coat and do not shed. They come in a variety of colours with or without brindling. They can be any colour but white, pure black or black and tan. Adult colour can’t be reliably predicted based on the puppy coat as the adult coat can change to darker with years. Cairn Terriers are people dogs. They love being indoors with the family and soak up attention. They love children, activity and play, but under Like most other terriers cairns are well known for their digging ability. A separate area of the yard, without prized shrubs or flowers would be suitable for your Cairn. It is better to find an out of the way area for your dog to dig and not to worry about it. They can be quite verbal. This does not mean that they are problem barkers but will “talk”, grumble and arf. And they want to have the last word!! It is easy to train your cairn to “speak” and to “ask” for treat. He may turn out to a problem barker due to loneliness. It is very easy to exercise a cairn, just throw a ball around the floor or outside. They do not need to be walked for miles each day. If you want to walk for miles your dog will be thrilled but it is not required. This is not a dog for long distance running. Its little legs wouldn’t cope. Obedience Training It is highly advisable to obedience train your Cairn. Basic obedience training should be mandatory for every dog. It is more pleasant for you and for everyone around you with a dog that knows how to behave. Cairns learn very quickly and the few standard commands can be quickly supplemented with some tricks. Just remember, a cairn won’t do it for the heck of it. If you keep the training fun and not repetitive you both will have a great time. They are easy to house train. I strongly recommend using reward system to house train your cairn. Each time you take your puppy out to do his business, give a “potty” command. Any word will do! I use “go-to-toilet”. When the dog does something, PRAISE!!!! If the dog accidentally does it inside, don’t punish. Take him for a trip outside and then clean up the mess, cursing quietly by yourself if needed. Your cairn will soon learn that going outside gets him reward and going in the house gets him nothing.
Cairns do not shed and don’t require an awful lot of special grooming. A few minutes with a steel comb or brush every other day usually does it. Here is a site that will give you a good insight in caring for your cairn.
Health Cairns are generally very healthy dogs without many genetic diseases. All dogs pure bred or cross bred carry defective genes. If breeders tell you they never produced a defect, their dogs has most likely only produced very few litters, or they don't follow up on puppies, don't know their own dogs or are not being truthful. I would stay away from these type of breeders. A Cairn can live on a high quality dry food only. I don’t like the idea of a dog living on dry food for the rest of its life. How would you feel living on packed food every day? The dog is a member of the order carnivora so is made to eat meat. But we can call them an omnivore in some of their eating habits. They love fresh chicken wings, necks, and any raw bones but do not feed cooked bones. Vegetables are also good to mix in with their food and so is fruit. Variety is the big key word and you will have a healthy dog. And don’t forget exercise, we all need it in some form.
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supervision as with all dogs. Because Cairns thrive on attention, they are not suitable for people with ”no time for a dog”. It is not a dog left outside for guard and thrown some food every day. A cairn needs to interact with its family!!! 
Grooming 
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