Cairn Terriers: Are they right for you?

Many times mommy and I are out and about and people see me and ask what kind of dog that I am.  They are impressed by how well I behave and my personality.  Mommy tells them the truth about me.  I can be very independent and I admit, I have a mind of my own sometimes.  She has worked very hard to train me. We are together most of the time and she doesn’t let me get away with much.  If you have a Cairn, you have to let them know who the boss is!  I love my mommy and I know I have a good life so she can let me off leash and I don’t go anywhere.  Why would I?  Mommy and I have a great and trusting relationship and I would never want to be with anyone else.

To build that trust took a lot of years of being together.  I wasn’t always like this. When I was a puppy, I would chase bunnies all of the time.  Mommy called it my bunny bark because I have a high pitched bark that just naturally comes out when I am chasing bunnies or kitties.  She was embarrassed more than once by this bark because it is pretty loud!  Now when I get the urge to chase something, mommy can usually stop me pretty quick especially if she thinks that I shouldn’t chase it.  She did let me chase the squirrels last week when we went camping and it was really fun!

Cairn Terriers are sturdy dogs.  Mommy got me because I was described as a big dog in a small body.  That is why Animal Planet did a story on me called “Mighty Dog” because I am pretty mighty!  I used to go mountain biking with mommy and I even hiked to the second highest peak in the lower 48 states when I was 10 years old!!

When mommy was researching dogs, she was told that I would be hard to train because I was so independent.   So if you want a dog and are not going to take time to train them or give them exercise, you may not want to get a Cairn Terrier.  We like to have regular exercise or else we get in trouble.  We don’t necessarily like to play with other dogs because we like to be the boss but we will be friends with them.  We may even show off in front of them!

Mommy liked the fact that I don’t really shed.  I have weather resistant hair and it does get matted if she doesn’t comb me, which she doesn’t really do because I don’t like it!  She was supposed to “hand strip” my hair but she never did. I am pretty low maintenance.  She gets my hair cut short in the summer because it keeps me cooler and it makes me even lower maintenance because lets face it,  I like to get dirty!

Cairn Terriers are diggers and I sure do like to dig!

We were originally from Scotland and are known as ratters.  I have never caught a rat but I sure do like to chase anything that is moving including lizards and gophers.   According to Wikepedia, The Cairn Terrier is one of the oldest of the terrier breeds originating in the Scottish Highlands and recognized as one of Scotland’s earliest working dogs. The breed was given the name cairn, because the breed’s function was to hunt and chase quarry between the cairns in the Scottish highlands.

The moral of the story is, if you want a dog that is active, likes exercise, that you are willing to train, can be low maintenance, then a Cairn Terrier may work for you.  If you want a lap dog, probably not!

I am anything but a lap dog.  Honestly, I  don’t really like to be touched but I tolerate it because mommy likes to hug me.  But I am very loyal and I love my mommy and I don’t like it when she leaves me so I wait for her until she gets home!

Before you get a dog, think about what you want to do with your dog.  That way your life together will be a lot happier!  Do you have a Cairn Terrier?  We would like to know if you have anything to add….

Thanks,