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Written by T Vernon
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Wednesday, 23 April 2008 15:59 |
CAIRN TERRIER
One of the oldest terrier breeds is the Cairn Terrier. This breed originated in the Scotland highlands and is recognized as one of Scotlandās earliest working dogs, used for the purposes of hunting burrowing prey among the cairns.
The Cairn Terrier Club of America website shows the breed standard. The current standard was approved on the 10th May 1938, and it was adopted from the Kennel Club of Great Britain. The American standard states that the dogs should weight 14 pounds and stand 10 inches at the withers. Females should weight 13 pounds, and stand 9.5 inches at the withers.
The appearance of a Cairn Terrier may vary from this standard. The common height of this breed is between 9 to 13 inches at the withers, and weight 13 to 18 pounds. The European Cairn Terrier tends to be bigger than the American Cairns. Because of the irresponsible breeding that takes place today, Cairn Terriers are available much smaller or much larger than the breed standard. Cairn Terriers that have had puppy mill backgrounds can weigh as little as 7 pounds or as much as 27 pounds.
The Cairn Terrier is double-coated breed of dog, with a soft dense undercoat and a harsh and weather-resistant outer coat which is either cream, wheaten, red, sandy, gray, or brindled in any of these colors. Many kennel clubs do not permit pure black, black and tan, and white. One of the characteristics that are notable in the Cairns Terrier is that brindled Cairns frequently change color throughout their lifetime. It is not uncommon for a brindled Cairn to become more black or silver as it ages.
This breed is highly intelligent, lively, strong, and loyal. Like most terriers, the Cairn Terrier is stubborn and strong-minded, and they love to dig after real or imaginary prey. Cairns have a strong prey instinct and require ample training. Although it is very often said that Cairns are disobedient, this is not the case when they are given the correct training. However, they are headstrong and should always be walked on a leash.
Cairn Terriers should always be hand stripped. The dogās rugged outer coat can be ruined when using scissors or shears. Hand stripping involves pulling the old dead hair out by the roots. The dog is not harmed in any way when doing this. By removing the dead hair in this way, new growth develops. This new growth helps to protect the dog from water and dirt.
Cairn Terriers are generally a healthy breed and live on average approximately fifteen years. However, breeders, owners, and veterinarians have identified several health problems. Some of these diseases are hereditary whilst others occur because of nonspecific factors such as infections, toxins, injuries, or advanced age.
Some of the more hereditary health issues that can be found in Cairn Terriers include:
- Cataracts
- Corneal dystrophy
- Entropion
- Hip dystrophy
- Hypothyroidism
- Krabbe disease
- Legg-CalvƩ-Perthes syndrome
- Lion Jaw
- Luxating patella
- Ocular Melanosis
- Portosystemic shunt
- Progressive retinal atrophy
- Von Willebrand disease
There have been many Cairn Terriers that have appeared in movies and television. It is possible that the most famous Cairn was Terry the dog who played Toto in the 1939 screening of The Wizard of Oz. Due to the identification of the State of Kansas with the original story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a resident of Wichita, Kansas has started a drive in an attempt of making the Cairn Terrier the official dog of the State of Kansas. |
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Last Updated on Sunday, 26 April 2009 10:56 |
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