Terrier breed; Cairn Terrier
Posted by admin on
June 11, 2010
The Cairn terrier
History
The Cairn terrier is one of the oldest Terrier breeds dating back to the 1500’s, originating from Scotland and more
specifically the Isle of Skye. For many years they were known as Skye terriers until they were renamed cairn terriers. The name Cairn comes from the word Cairn used by Scots to describe a small pile of rock marking the edge of a farmers land, where foxes and badgers used to make their home.
Personality and character
The cairn terrier is a very happy, playful and easy going breed, has a real genuine love for children and is both tough and resilient, Cairns are highly intelligent and will catch on to their terrier training very quickly, although they can be stubborn at times and absolutely love to dig, (garden lovers beware). They are quite an independent breed and are quite happy to spend time on their own and are not as emotionally dependent as other breeds. They do share the same hunting instinct as the other terrier breeds however it is not as strong in the cairn and would require more focused training for hunting.
Profile
T
he height of the Cairn terrier is roughly 10 to 13 inches for a male, and 9 to 12 inches for a bitch. The male dog weighs in at an average 14 to 18 pounds and the female bitch, 13 to 17 pounds. Their life expectancy is between 12 and 15 years.
Their litter size is generally between 4 and 6 pups but 8 pups are not unheard of.
The Cairn Terriers coat is double layered, a rough and weather resistant outer coat and a soft under coat, and needs to be groomed on a regular basis to keep its fur looking good and to avoid the shaggy coat from becoming matted.
Cairns do not shed much of their fur, good news for people who suffer from pet allergies or eczema as the possibility of a reaction is greatly reduced. Cairns are among the few terrier breeds that are considered to be hypoallergenic.
The Cairn terrier is recommended as a good family pet, due to its love of children, easy going nature, endless energy and compact size, they are also very affectionate. They are extremely loyal which also makes them excellent guard dogs.
Terrier training
Cairn terrier training is most effective when you are firm and authorative but not too harsh, training must begin from day one and start as you mean to go on. This little terrier does need firm boundaries or he will get out of hand and can become quite destructive. Do not worry, Cairns are very quick learners and adjust to new homes and owners very quickly.
Keep your training sessions to around 5-10 minutes, 3 to 4 times a day and make sure they are both fun and active to keep them mentally stimulated. Make sure to reward and praise them for any good work or behaviour, Cairns love positive energy as do most terrier breeds.
A word of warning, cairns have a very charming trait about them and it is very easy to spoil them, remember they are clever little dogs and they know what they are doing so beware of his/her cute little face.
Clicker techniques are recommended for terrier training as they do very well with positive reinforce
ment. If you would like to read more about clicker training Click Here.
For breeder information on where you can get a Cairn terrier you can check out these links below.
http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/services/ For the United Kingdom
http://www.akc.org/ If you are in the United States
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Monday 21 June 2010
Terrier breed; Cairn Terrier
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