The Isle of Skye located in Scotland has been known to keep little hunting dog breeds for as long as 200 years. Some of these breeds are currently famous among canine enthusiasts by the names of Skye Terrier and West Highland Terriers. From these breeds, another small hunting terrier comes to exist and it is known around the world as the Cairn terrier, which is also the last of the Scottish Highlands terriers to be introduced to the kennel clubs.
The Cairn terrier remains as one of the oldest working breeds in Scotland. Decades back, this breed has been used as vermin catcher and would often vigorously dig out burrows underneath big rock piles, a place where rodents and other pests live in, in order to flush out pests. The rock piles are called cairn in Scotland and this is what the Cairn Terrier was named after.
This little breed, with its dense coat and smart looking eyes, appears adorably shaggy and vigilant. According to the breed standard, the Cairn terrier should stand between 10 to 13 inches in height and should weigh between 14 to 18 pounds. Due to some irresponsible breeding, however, there are several Cairns that weigh and stand more than the breed standards would allow.
The coat of this breed appears dense and shaggy on the outside and soft and tamed underneath. This coat protects the dog from harsh weather and other rough objects and it often comes out in colors of red, wheaten, gray and cream. Some coat colors also appear in brindles of black, white, and black and tan.
Interestingly, the coat color of a Cairn can never really be predicted during its early stages because the coat colors tend to change infinitely over the whole span of the dogs life. There are coat colors that become lighter while there are some colors that become darker, some even to a point of being pure black. If there is a pure white-colored Cairn, the American Kennel Club lists this type as a West Highland White terrier.
Even then until today, the Cairn still manifests that same interest in hunting and digging out preys. Although these dogs are now mostly domesticated, you can still see them trying to hunt down rodents, rat, otters and other small games. Today, the Cairn is regarded as a household pet but its hunting skill is still as strong and excellent as before.
The Cairn terrier has a superb intelligence that is why it can be trained to do tasks and commands. However, this breed is also known to have an independent and stubborn spirit that’s why trainings may take a while before fully accomplished. Take note, however, that even though the Cairn has a mischievous side to it, positive and gentle reinforcements should only be done in order to avoid hurting the feelings of this tiny lovable creature.
Today, the Cairn terrier can often be seen living amongst humans in small apartments or big households. It adapts well with children that’s why many families opt for it as a family pet. It does not take too much to groom this dog as well for it only needs its coat to be hand stripped in order to keep it in shaggy style and keep the dead hair away at the same time.
