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Cairn Terrier

alert / cheerful / busy
Terrier Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

10 inches (male)

9.5 inches (female)

Weight

14 pounds (male)

13 pounds (female)

Life Expectancy

13-15 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    80% 80%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    40% 40%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    80% 80%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    80% 80%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    70% 70%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    80% 80%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    60% 60%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    40% 40%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    40% 40%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    20% 20%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    60% 60%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    80% 80%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    80% 80%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    80% 80%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    70% 70%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Cairn Terrier is a cheerful, active little earth dog that was developed to confidently hunt foxes and other small, furry prey in the rugged Scottish terrain. Cairns enjoy having a space to explore and dig because they are alert and curious. The Cairn is characterized by its distinctive features, known as “Cairnishness,” which include a short, wide head and a free-moving, short-legged body that radiates power but not weight. The double coat is downy underneath and rough and wiry on top. A Cairn appears as a little, alert, shaggy dog with its head, tail, and ears up with intelligently flashing eyes. Cairns is marketed as the “best little friend in the world” by a British breed association. Cairns are strong enough for a fun romp on the grass and small enough for a lap-top snuggle. They thrive with a lot of frequent, intimate family contact. No other breed will do for owners who value the terrier traits of gameness, independence, and unwavering loyalty.

What To Expect When Caring For a Cairn Terrier

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Cairn Terriers are typically healthy animals, and responsible breeders frequently check their stock for diseases and keep in touch with other devoted breeders to promote the wellbeing of the breed as a whole.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Patella Evaluation
  • Kidney Ultrasound for Missing Kidney (aplasia) or Deformed Kidney (dysplasia)
  • Liver Portosystemic Vascular Anomaly (PSVA) and Microvascular Dysplasia (MVD)
  • Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy (GCL) DNA Test
  • Ocular Melanosis (OM) Eye Exam
  • Cardiac Exam

Grooming

Cairn Terriers are often easy to maintain, however weekly brushing and combing as well as sporadic hand-stripping are advised to maintain the texture of the coat. The grooming duties will be facilitated by having a comb and a soft slicker brush on hand. Spending time grooming a new puppy together helps to acclimatize him or her to being worked with and provides an opportunity to strengthen your relationship. Regular nail trimming is advised because lengthy nails can be uncomfortable for the dog.  

Exercise

Cairns require a moderate amount of exercise and can adapt well to various living situations when given daily outings. They can thrive anywhere from a Highlands farm to an urban high-rise and are excellent all-around dogs. Training for dog sports provides an ideal outlet for their energy. The breed exercises body and mind by participating in obedience, tracking, herding, agility, earthdog events, coursing ability tests, and other activities that dog and owner can enjoy together.
 

Training

Cairns are very smart and love their families, but they may try to test their owner's limits, so obedience training is necessary. Although they learn quickly, the Cairn may always have the instinct to dig and chase small animals, so new owners should be prepared for these behaviors. Early socialization and puppy training classes are recommended and help to ensure that the dog grows into a well-adjusted, well-mannered companion.
 

Nutrition

The Cairn Terrier should thrive on premium dog food, whether it is produced commercially or is made at home under the guidance and consent of your veterinarian. Whatever the dog's age (puppy, adult, or senior), the diet should be suitable. Watch your dog's calorie intake and weight level because certain dogs are prone to obesity. Treats can be a valuable training tool, but offering them in excess might lead to obesity. Discover which foods fit the bill for canine consumption and which don't. If you have any worries about your dog's weight or diet, consult your veterinarian. Fresh water that is clean should always be accessible.  

History

The Cairn is one of many terrier breeds that have long patrolled Scotland’s farms and game preserves, some of which are still alive and some of which are extinct. It is challenging to piece together the histories of these breeds because for so long they were grouped together as Scotch terriers. Breed enthusiasts didn’t create specific breeding regimens and classifications for this resilient family of exterminators until the late 1800s. Although the Cairn-type terrier had been around for a while at that point, the name Cairn Terrier did not first appear in print until 1887. Since at least the 1600s, it has been documented that Cairns lived in the Western Highlands, particularly on the Isle of Skye, where their kin, the Skye Terrier, was born.

On Highland game preserves, rats would live within and beneath these rock mounds, known as “cairns,” which were once used as boundaries or to mark graves. The Cairn Terrier was created to route out animals from cairns and is one of the smallest of the go-to-ground terriers. These resourceful little hunters also hunted foxes, otters, and other predators when they were in packs. When working alone in a cairn and facing sharp-toothed mammals, the Cairn’s independence, bravery, toughness, and awareness were assets.

The many Scotch earth dogs had been sorted out by the turn of the 20th century by Britain’s terrier enthusiasts, who then started breeding the Cairn, Scottish, Skye, and West Highland White terriers as unique pure breeds. At the time, Cairns was displayed at dog exhibitions in Britain, and the AKC recognized the breed in 1913.

When Terry, a Cairn, was chosen to portray Toto in MGM’s production of “The Wizard of Oz,” the breed’s public status gained a significant boost.