Cairn Terrier

Show Breed

Find

Compare with

Size: Small
Other Names: Cairn
Country of Origin: Scotland
Accreditation:
American Kennel Club (AKC): Terrier
Canadian Kennel Club (CKC): Terriers
United Kennel Club (UKC): Terrier
Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC): Terriers
The Kennel Club (KC): Terrier
Kennel Union of Southern Africa (KUSA): Terrier
National Kennel Club (NKC): Recognized
New Zealand Kennel Club (NZKC): Terrier

The Cairn Terrier is a small, shaggy working terrier with a broad head, small erect ears, and a weather-resistant double coat. The body is short-legged and sturdy, built for going to ground among rocks.

A small, shaggy working terrier who can share an apartment if walked and given a job; expect some coat work and a busy voice at the door and in the yard.

The Cairn Terrier comes from the Western Highlands of Scotland, where it was used to bolt otter and fox from cairns (rock piles). It is one of the older Scottish terriers and the breed that played Toto in the 1939 film of The Wizard of Oz. The AKC and UKC both place it in the Terrier Group.

Height: 9½–13 inches
Weight: 13–18 pounds
Color: Any color except white; commonly cream, red, gray, or brindle
Coat: Harsh, profuse outer coat with a short, soft undercoat
Lifespan: 13–16 years
Litter size: 3–5 puppies

Temperament

Cairns are typically busy, game, and cheerful with their own people. They will hunt vermin if given the chance and may bark to announce visitors. They are hardy little farm dogs, not delicate toys.

Training

They learn quickly and will take advantage of soft rules. Keep sessions short and give the dog a job, even if the job is a walk and a puzzle toy.

Care and grooming

Brush weekly and strip or trim the harsh coat a few times a year. Check the feet after work in brush.

Shedding

Low to moderate.

Health

Cairn Terriers may develop patellar luxation, eye disease, and a liver condition (portosystemic shunt) in some lines. Keep them lean.

Crosses that include the Cairn Terrier

These hybrid pages list this breed as a parent. Open a name to see the other contributing breed.

Top

Creature.com accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of the advertisements placed on the Creature.com website or for the contents of any website to which a hypertext link from Creature.com links. The Seller Ads and links to products and/or services are provided as a service, and Creature.com gives no warranties, expressed or implied, about the information and/or policies of the Seller Ads or the linked-to webites, or of the information shown.

Creature.com is the sole owner of the services and of all information provided by and posted to the Creature.com website. The use, reproduction, or storing of content for any purpose other than to contact a Seller, purchase a product or service, or compare prices is prohibited. You cannot use the information provided by Creature.com to recreate a directory, rebrand the informaton or redistribute the information in any way. Information provided by Creature.com is for individual, non-commercial use only. All information, processes and content contained within and that make up the services are the sole property of Creature.com. You may not reproduce, duplicate or redistribute any information provided by Creature.com for profit or personal gain of any kind. You may not frame any content or pages contained within the Creature.com website unless expressly granted permission by Creature.com.