Cairn Terrier

The Cairn Terrier was bred as a hunting dog, and was widely used in the Scottish Higlands where it originates for hunting rabbits and other burrowing animals. It is one of the oldest terriers.

Appearance
Cairns stand between 9 and 13 inches (23-33 cm)and weigh 13 to 18 pounds (6 to 8 kg). European Cairns tend to be larger than American Cairns. Extremely popular dogs and thus bred by puppy millers, many Cairns are way smaller or larger than these standards.

The Cairn Terrier has a harsh, weather-resistant outer coat that can be cream, wheaten, red, sandy, gray, or brindled in any of these colors. Pure black, black and tan, and white are not permitted by many kennel clubs. Registration of white Cairns was once permitted, after 1917 the American Kennel Club required them to be registered as West Highland White Terriers.

Brindled Cairns often change colour as they age, becoming progressively more black or silver.. The Cairn is double-coated, with a soft, dense undercoat and a harsh outer coat. A well-groomed Cairn has a rough-and-ready appearance.

TemperamentCairn Terriers are intelligent, loyal and fearless. They are all "terrier", stubborn and strong-willed,. They will dig after real or imagined prey. Cairn Terriers have a strong prey instinct and will need comprehensive training.

Although it is often said that they are disobedient, this is not the case provided correct training is applied. They are excellent with children and make wonderful family dogs. These are working dogs and are still used as such in parts of Scotland . They require large amounts of exercise.

Health
These dogs are generally healthy but are susceptible to allergies, especially to corn which should be avoided. This breed also suffers more than usual from dislocated kneecaps and inherited eye diseases. Ocular Melanosis (OM) is an eye disease that is found almost exclusively in Cairns.

Health problems are more common with US strains. UK Cairns tend to be less highly bred and less susceptible to most of the listed problems.