Cairn Terriers - the General and the Strange

The General and the Strange

Advice on Cairn Terriers for People in School?
Are Cairn Terriers Good Swimmers?
Biting and Growling in Cairn Terrier puppies?
Cairn  ball was stuck in a tree but the owner didn't bother to retrieve it
Cairn Rescue Organizations (7)
Cairn show themes
Cairn terrier black ear canal
Cairn terrier caught squirrel rabbit bird
Cairn terrier chews on stuffed animal night sleep
Cairn terrier children
Cairn terrier don't neuter for shorter legs
Cairn Terrier Puppy Pointers

When should Cairn Terrier Dogs Teeth be Taken Out? When  I saw this one, my first thought was 'What kind of moron would write a question like this?'......and then I got to thinking about it because it did kind of ring a bell. And then I figured it out. Toy and Teacup canines are notorious for having bad teeth which can end up causing nothing but headaches and lots of expensive trips to the vet. Standard operating procedure for some of these breeds is to pull their teeth when  they get into adulthood and begin exhibiting rotten teeth problems. Believe it or not, dogs with no teeth do just fine digesting dried dog food and this is what happens with some toy breeds. So to answer the question: Cairn terriers are small but they are not a Toy, Teacup or other Mini Breed.  They are a short, stubby hunk of salami bred to go after vermin and for that THEY NEED THEIR TEETH! A Happy Cairn                                                      An Unhappy Cairn - Probably Ball or Poodle Puppy Related Cairn Terriers and Thunderstorms This one has been batted around many times  with the hunting breeds in particular and it hearkens back to an article I read many moons ago about training gun-dogs not to be afraid of the sounds of gunfire.  In the ideal world, pups are introduced  to these sounds at an early age out in the field and they are not all that much different from the crack of lightning. This method of introduction to startling sounds works well. What if you're not a hunter and your dog is frightened of storms? One of the best things I have seen are recordings of thunderstorms which you can buy and play in the privacy of your own home.  I have used them myself in the past.  Pop in a thunderstorm cd and play it initially at a very low volume with the dog present.  As he gets used to the sounds, crank it up over the course of a couple weeks.  If you have a decent stereo with a really good sub woofer, you can even vibrate the windows.  If you're older, consider ACDC's  'Shake the Foundations' or perhaps  'Thunderstruck.' That is the route I would go. I might add that if you are new to the Midwest and are in the middle of a severe thunderstorm, looking around and  wondering what all the fuss is about and you see your dog bolting for shelter - it would be a good idea to follow. Do Cairn Terriers Grunt? Tell Me!! Yep!  Loosely translated, grunting means "I want Attention!" Question: How did Cairn Terriers come to the USA? Answer:  Probably the same way Norway Rats did. Cairn Terriers Running Marathons Sigh............   Size of Crate for a Cairn Terrier Try an entrance of @ 12" wide, 13" tall and about 24" in length for an average sized Cairn.  The dog should be able to go in the crate and have enough room to turn around.  Anything smaller is too small.  Anything larger can hinder potty training.   If the Cairn is peeing or pooping in the crate, the crate is more than likely too large.   Should I Shave my Dead Cairn Terrier? Sigh............ Question: How much do Cairn Terriers Cost? Short Answer:  As much as you want to spend on one. Personal Answer:  $300 - $500 Long Answer (and I could easily turn this into a diatribe but I'll keep it short): It depends on why you want one. You want to rescue a Cairn Terrier. I wouldn't think this option would cost much, other than spay/neuter + a donation, and maybe shipping. Price - $0.00 - $150.00, shipping excluded would be my guess. You want a Pet (Pet Quality). $0.00 - $250.00 is a range I would be looking for and I would not pay more for registration papers. Why no registration?  Because if you are looking for pet quality then you are looking for a dog unsuitable for breeding by AKC standards.  That makes sense, so why am I bringing up registration papers? Because there is this thing called Limited Registration which means you can register your Cairn Terrier with the AKC, but any pups produced by this dog cannot be registered.  Doesn't make much sense to me. I think this is a way for breeders producing substandard pups to try to squeeze a few more dollars out of you and a way for the AKC to generate additional revenue at no extra cost to them.   In my view this is analogous to the gold plated turd question:   What's the difference between a turd and a gold plated turd?  - The gold plate. Some might point out that a Cairn Terrier with limited registration can compete in sporting trials and events, and win titles which are recognized by the AKC.   Imagine what you might do by spending a few extra bucks on a pedigreed dog.    You want Show Quality because You want to Show Cairn Terriers. Show quality is an AKC registered pup with all the bells and whistles.  It has the possibility of being a true asset to the gene pool and breeders can be quite selective as to who they will sell a show quality pup to.  They often limit their sales to people who wish to show Cairn Terriers themselves, which thereby hopefully enhances the value and affirms the quality of the breeder's stock. I would guess, and this is purely a guess because I am really not that interested; somewhere in the range of $800 - $1200 for a Cairn Terrier whose background pedigree contains an excellent lineage with a number of championships. I have actually seen Cairns for sale at starting prices of $1000.00 and these were in no way show quality so you have to use some caution. If you are going to shell out the big bucks for a show quality animal, I would ask for copies of the pedigrees from both sides as a starting point and go from there. You want Show Quality but at a Discount Price, and maybe do some Showing Yourself. This is fertile ground if you have patience and do some research. I'll put a $400 - $800 price tag on this one. I'd be willing to bet there are far more breeders who bought high quality dogs with the intent of breeding, showing and establishing their own line, than ones that did the same and actually followed through. Lets say some of those breeders paid astronomical dollars for their animals which were never shown.  They tend to think because they paid the big bucks for their dogs, any pups produced should be worth that amount as well.  When you buy a pup, you are buying potential. If you don't make use of that potential by showing the animal, what potential do you have?  Not much, other than the pedigrees of your dog's sire and dam.  Quality was proved out by the breeder you got your dog from, but it was not proved out by you.  That leaves a question mark as to the quality of any pups you yourself as a new breeder may produce. People may have serious reservations about paying large sums from a new kennel whose sires and dams have not been proved out in the ring.  This often leaves such a breeder with excess pups. Some of these breeders may also live in a  geographical location not conducive to selling animals.  This in conjunction with people who have major issues with having a dog shipped, can leave a breeder with a number of pups that would due to circumstance be difficult to place..   Third in this area are breeders who have quality, do show but limit themselves in some way.  An example would be a breeder who insists on hand delivering the pup to the prospective owner and performing an inspection of their premises before they agree to a sale.  If this breeder is located in DinkyTown, Nevada.....it can be hard to place pups as there would be an extremely finite number of future Cairn owners within the area. In each of these proceeding examples, the breeders have quality (probably) but have difficulty selling it.  If one of these breeders had a litter  of six bouncing baby Cairns, could only sell two and the remaining four are approaching 12 weeks of age, what would the breeder do? A. Sell the pups as pet quality with a spay/neuter contract at a greatly reduced price.  This would be pure desperation. B. Sell the pups with full registration at a reduced price.  There can be plenty of room for dickering with this option. C. Or.....If this is real quality we are dealing with, a shared registration with the breeder at a reduced price. People come down on both sides of the fence on this one.  I at one time had a shared registration and it worked out very well.  I have also heard horror stories.  It all depends on the reason for the contract, the contract itself and the people involved. God please find me my Cairn terrier! Comment:   I hope he does. Question : Should I shave the ears off my Cairn Terrier? Answer:  No Question:  My Cairn Terrier Growls at Me when I get in Bed.  What do I do? Answer:  Well, you could choose a different bedmate,  preferably one with opposable thumbs. That would at least restrict you to the primates and get you back on the road to normalcy. Or  Find a Cairn with a sweeter disposition. Question - How do you keep a Cairn Terrier from Smelling like a Dog? Answer - You're kidding, right? Question - Do Cairn terriers look like poodles? Answer - No.  Question - Does my Cairn need a sweater if the temperature outside is 22 degrees? Moose doesn't seem to mind...... Neither does Dezi.  What you are seeing here is a fashion statement. Answer: No. It was -13 degrees here last week and Turd Dog, I mean Rufus, bright and early in the morning successfully dug a divot through three or four inches of snow and then began tunneling under the fence. He was captured seconds before he made his escape. He spent the rest of the day on a 12' lead attached to a 50' cable which was well within reach of his insulated dog house.  Temperatures never rose above -2 degrees and the dog didn't once seek shelter.  Crashed out on the porch though on a dog blanket for several hours though. We shave our Cairn in the summer and then let the hair grow through October and on well into spring. Never had any frozen Cairn issues.   Can't say I didn't wish I did on the odd occasion...... Question: Can a Cairn terrier be a good choice for deaf people? Answer: Now that's an interesting question and one that I cannot answer with any kind of authority.   I would guess that the question needs to be better defined as to whether the Cairn is intended as a pet or an assistant. Offhand,  I would say that they are quite good at getting your attention when they want it - as in the nose jabs. On the other hand,  it would be difficult to tell when the Cairn is being totally obnoxious outside, jacking up other dogs and in turn jacking up the neighbors. A quick Google search seems to indicate any dog, mixed breed or not,  can be trained to assist the deaf. Of course,  Cairn Terriers are not just 'any dog'. If anyone has experience with Cairns and people who are hearing impaired,  feel free to send  along an opinion..   Question:  How tall of a fence does a Cairn Terrier need? Answer:  As is often the case with Cairn Terriers, you are asking the Wrong Question The question should be:  How deep should I bury the fence to prevent my Cairn from making the Great Escape? Answer:  Sink that baby underground at least 12". If I was actually concerned with a Cairn Terrier jumping over a fence (which somewhat defies imagination), I would take the Cairn's body length and multiply by 1.5, or about 3 feet. Question:  Is it normal for a Cairn Terrier to be Food Aggressive? Answer:  No, and it is a problem with not just Cairns, but for other dogs which have been inadequately trained and socialized as well. What we are talking about here is Resource Protection.  I am not going to spend much time on this - just Google it.  It can be fixed. I will give one example of Resource Protection which I'll bet just about everyone has experienced: You are walking through a Walmart parking lot and happen to walk by a really big sedan, something like a Cadillac with its windows down.  As you are walking by, you see out of the corner of your eye a shape lunge at you, lunge frequently accompanied by high pitched hysterical yapping.   This startles you out of your skin and you turn around to see a senior citizen way past the ability to drive safely, holding on to one of those little *&%&* football dogs, with a half-embarrassed silly grin plastered on his or her face. You can't blame the football, it is only trained to do what it is trained to do.  The football is treating the senior citizen as a resource for food, shelter,  really bad old movies. The blame once again, lies at the feet of the owner, as do most canine personality-related issues. The Cairn Terrier is no Exception. Footnote:  I did get even with one of those ignorant owners in Lakeland, Florida once.  I was walking out of the Walmart with a large soft drink and lunch.  As I was walking past one of those boats some might call automobiles,  a #*%*&! miniature poodle lunged at me.  I didn't know what it was at the time but I stepped back and pivoted violently away from the car.  This resulted in the contents of soft drink cup flying into the boat and onto the football and its owner.  It was a big soft drink and it really sent the football into overdrive when I threw the cup in as well. The owner looked like he was going to have a cardiac event.   Did I feel bad at all that the senior and the football got drenched? No.  Just because you are a senior citizen does not mean that being a responsible dog owner is optional.  If you want to own a football and you don't bother training it, and you think it is cute when your football lunges at innocent citizens going about their business,  do not be surprised when someone else walking by has a much more violent reaction than the one  I had.   #*$&^  football dogs and clueless owners regardless of their age are a major pet peeve of mine if you haven't figured that out yet. The downside to this traumatic event was that I had to go back into Walmart for a new soft drink. Another Footnote: Wow......actually got a couple immediate emails on this one and in this case the emailer's are right.....but solidly off center.  Odds are no one has ever seen or ever will see a Cairn Terrier lunging at you through an open window from a Senior Citizen's lap.  It is not in the genetic makeup.   Take notice that in my example I used a miniature poodle, not a Cairn Terrier.   Can you imagine a Cairn Terrier wiling away the afternoon on anyone's lap in order to try to tear a chunk out of a passerby? I think not. Y'all need to Lighten up a Little. Cairn Terrier don't Neuter for Shorter Legs Uhhh....................Ok................  Question: Do Cairns like to be rubbed at the start of their tails? Answer:  Yes.   I'll leave it to your imagination to figure out why.  Question: What is more affectionate - a Cairn Terrier male or female? Answer: Males Almost Every Time.    Question: Biting and Growling in Cairn Terrier puppies? Answer:  To the uninitiated, this is often referred to as 'Playing'. Question: My Cairn Terrier ran away. What are the chances of me finding him? Answer:  Cairn Terriers are social animals.  Your chances of finding the runaway dramatically increase if you are a social animal yourself.  Good insurance is to regularly walk your Cairn Terrier on lead multiple times around the neighborhood, introducing yourself and your Cairn to the community at large.  That way, odds will dramatically increase that someone someday will knock on your door with Cairn in outstretched arms, offering to return your little bundle of joy to you free of charge. I need to emphasize here that this is not a joke, intended to provide a bit of humor.  This is serious advice and please take it in that context. Also, don't forget to regularly check to ensure your eventual runaway is adequately tagged with all the information required to properly assist in the joyful reunion of you with your Cairn Terrier. Question: Advice on Cairn Terriers for people in school? Answer:  Refer to my Cairn IQ commentary. Question: Do Cairn Terriers eat Ferrets? Answer:  They Might, but Odds are the Cairn will Pay a Heavy price.. Known Cairn Terrier Issues - Let's Change this a bit to 'General Questions' and 'Issues' Below is a random sampling of 3 weeks worth of queries (Updated with 2011 sample): Issue Hits General Question Hits 2 year old cairn diagnosed with arthritis 1 6 year old cairn terrier no longer wanting to sleep in crate 1 cairn growls 1 age cairn terrier 1 cairn losing teeth age 2 another name for cairn terrier 1 cairn stinks after being outside 1 are cairn terriers easy to potty train 1 cairn suddenly peeing indoors 1 are cairn terriers good for seniors 1 cairn terrie puppies biting 1 are cairn terriers lap dogs 1 cairn terrier acts wierd when needs to go to the loo 1 are cairn terriers mean dogs 1 cairn terrier aggressive behavior 1 are cairn terriers yappy 2 cairn terrier attacks 1 at what age do cairn terriers get full size 1 cairn terrier back pain 1 at what age does a cairn terrier puppy s ears start to lift? 1 cairn terrier bad teeth 1 best dog food for cairn terriers 3 cairn terrier barking issues 3 best food for cairn terrier dogs 2 cairn terrier barking stop 1 best organic dog food for cairn terrier puppies 1 cairn terrier behavior problems 1 black cairn terrier 1 cairn terrier died from inflamatory bowel 1 cairn dog 1 cairn terrier does not sleep in bed 1 cairn food size 1 cairn terrier dog running round same path behavours 1 cairn puppies clinginess 1 cairn terrier ear problems 6 cairn puppy hides his toys 1 cairn terrier gray smelly skin 1 cairn terrier 4 cairn terrier growl 1 cairn terrier 3 months 1 cairn terrier growling out window 1 cairn terrier 5 months 1 cairn terrier has bad body odor 1 cairn terrier agility 1 cairn terrier intestine disease 1 cairn terrier and can i shave 2 cairn terrier is a terror 1 cairn terrier and mini poodle intelligence 1 cairn terrier males behaviour problems 1 cairn terrier and shaving 1 cairn terrier odor 1 cairn terrier and working owners 1 cairn terrier pee 1 cairn terrier behavior 1 cairn terrier peed on my leg 1 cairn terrier behaviour 1 cairn terrier prevent chewing 1 cairn terrier breed smelly? 1 cairn terrier puppy biting 1 cairn terrier coloring pages 1 cairn terrier puppy biting problem 1 cairn terrier colors 1 cairn terrier smell 3 cairn terrier cost for the vet 1 cairn terrier smells after going outside 2 cairn terrier costs 1 cairn terrier soils crate 1 cairn terrier disposition 6 cairn terrier training not to snap 1 cairn terrier doesn t get along with wheaten 1 cairn terrier vicious 1 cairn terrier dog/shaving 1 cairn terrier will not poo if someone is behind him 1 cairn terrier ear mites 1 cairn terriers boys pee 1 cairn terrier eats grass 1 cairn terriers cannot be let off lead 1 cairn terrier excitement 1 cairn terriers yappy 1 cairn terrier female behavior 1 cairn terrior ears won t standup why? 1 cairn terrier full grown 3 cairns terrier growl 1 cairn terrier full grown size 2 cant train my cairn terrier to come 1 cairn terrier full size 1 do cairn terriers ever calm down 1 cairn terrier heat tolerance 1 do cairn terriers pee on themselves alot? 1 cairn terrier how much $ 1 dog food for smelly cairn 1 cairn terrier how to walk without a lead 1 excessive gas in cairn terrier 1 cairn terrier hyperactive 1 growling cairn terrier 1 cairn terrier in season 1 how can i keep a cairn terrier from running away 1 cairn terrier intelligence 3 how do i stop being afraid of cairn terriers 1 cairn terrier intelligence level 2 how do i stop my cairn terrier barking 1 cairn terrier killed by car black country 1 how long does a cairn terrier sleep a day 1 cairn terrier old age 1 how much should i feed my cairn terrier who needs to lose weight 1 cairn terrier on heat 1 how to stop your cairn terrier from chasing 1 cairn terrier personality 1 how to train an aggressive 10 year old cairn terrier mix 1 cairn terrier poodle mix what to feed 1 keep cairn terrier from getting gas 1 cairn terrier puppies disposition 1 mean cairn terrier 1 cairn terrier rufus 1 my 18 year old cairn terrier male is suddenly peeing in the house when he never did before 1 cairn terrier rufus runs away 1 my 7 week old cairn terrier is not eating 1 cairn terrier shedding 2 my cairn terrier barks alot 1 cairn terrier size 1 my cairn terrier bites me 1 cairn terrier sleeping 1 my cairn terrier doesn t pee often 1 cairn terrier sleeping habits 1 my cairn terrier is aggressive 1 cairn terrier spins and chases tail 1 my cairn terrier keeps rolling in stinkly stuff 1 cairn terrier standard poodle mix 1 my cairn terrier runs away 2 cairn terrier terriers house 1 my cairn terrier s eye is oozing 1 cairn terrier weight 1 my cairn terrior is an alpha dog i donk knoe how to deal with her 1 cairn terrier what size crate 1 puppy tantrums in cairn terrier 1 cairn terrier wheaten color 1 rotten smell cairn terrier 1 cairn terrier wheaton 1 running away cairn terrier 2 cairn terrier with no undercoat 1 skin problems for cairn terriers due to poor grooming 1 cairn terrier with squirrel in mouth 1 stinks like cairn 1 cairn terriers 3 why do cairn terriers drop when tired? 1 cairn terriers and heat 1 why do cairn terriers run away 1 cairn terriers be left in the house 1 why does my cairn terrier eat oregeno plants 1 cairn terriers eat human food 1 why is my dog more hyper since he has been fixed? cairne terrier 1 cairn terriers in winter 1 will neutering my cairn terrier calm him down 1 cairn terriers male or female 1 yappy cairn terrior 1 cairn terriers named duffy 1 cairn terriers northeast ohio cleveland 1 cairn terriers shaved image 1 cairn terriers teething 1 cairne terriers intelligence 1 can a cairn terrier die of a broken heart 1 can cairn terriers die of a broken heart? 1 can cairn terriers ears not stick up? 1 can cairn terriers jump 1 can i leave my cairn terrier at home 1 can i let my my cairn off the lead 2 can i shave a cairn terrier? 1 can i shave my cairn terrier 1 can i shave my cairn terrier? 1 can i train a cairn terrier to be off leash? 1 can you crate a cairn terrier when at work 1 can you potty train a 2 yr old cairn terrier 1 can you pull a cairn terriers tail 1 can you shave a cairn terrior 2 cost to get cairn terriers fixed 1 crate training an adopted 2 yr old cairn terrier 1 ddgnevada.com cairn terries 1 disposition of cairn terriers 1 do all cairn terriers sleep on thier backs 1 do cairn terriers and poodles make good mix 1 do cairn terriers bite 1 do cairn terriers bite and bark a lot? 1 do cairn terriers drink milk 1 do cairn terriers grunt? 1 do cairn terriers have hair or fur 1 do cairn terriers poodle 1 do cairn terriers smell 4 do cairn terriers try to escape fence 1 do cairn terriers whine alot? 1 do cairns need haircuts 1 do yorkies smell like cairn terriers 1 dog food for cairn terriers 1 feeding a cairn terrier eggs 1 feeding cairn terriers 1 food for cairn 1 full grown cairn terrie 1 full grown cairn terrier 1 funny cairn terrier diary 1 german shepherd get along with cairn terrier 1 gray hair on black cairn terrier sign of age? 1 grooming cairn terrier mix 1 grooming my cairn terrier 3 grown cairn terrier 1 house training cairn 2 how big is a 3 month cairn terrier 2 how can i get my 9 week old cairn terrier puppy to eat 1 how early can you neuter a male cairn terrier? 1 how far can a 5 month old cairn terrier walk 1 how far can a cairn terrier run 1 how far can a cairn terrier walk? 1 how far can cairn terriers walk 2 how fast can a cairn terrier run 1 how long can a cairn terrier stay in its cage 1 how long can i breed my cairn terrier 1 how long did your cairn terrier live 1 how long do cairn terriers grow 1 how long is a cairn terrier season 1 how long should cairn terriers be walked.for 1 how many hours a day do cairn terriers sleep 1 how many times a day should i walk my cairn puppy 1 how much are cairn terriers 1 how much do cairn terriers cost 1 how much does a female cairn terrier weigh? 1 how much food should a 2 year old cairn terrier eat? 1 how much food should a 6 month old cairn puppy eat 1 how much is a cairn terrier puppy? 1 how much meat or protein should a cairn terrier have each day? 1 how much should 2 year old cairn terrier cost 1 how much should 7 month old cairn puppy eat 1 how much should a cairn terrier weigh at 6 months 1 how much should a male cairn weigh at 6 months of age? 1 how much should an 8lb cairn terrier eat a day 1 how much should cairn puppies drink per day 1 how much should i feed my cairn terrier puppy 1 how much should my cairn puppy gain per week 2 how much sleep cairn terrier 1 how much to feed 3 month cairn terrier 1 how much to feed cairn terrier a day 1 how much will my cairn terrier pup weigh 2 how much would it cost to stay the night in cairns 1 how often can you bathe your cairn terrier 1 how often do cairn terrier dogs go into heat 1 how often do you have to groom a cairn terrier? 1 how often should i feed my cairn terrier 1 how often should you walk a cairn terrier 1 how often wash cairn terrier 1 how old until a cairn terrier can hold their bladder 1 how should i groom my cairn terrier 1 how strong is a cairn terriers bite 1 how tall should my 9 week old cairn pup be 1 how to clip cairn terrier fur 2 how to give a haircut to a cairn terrier 1 how to potty train a cairn terrier puppy 1 how to train your cairn terrier to come to you 1 i have a cairn terrier and just got a second one any suggestions 1 images of cairn terriers shaved 1 is a cairn terrier the right dog for me 1 is it better to keep dog inside or outside during day small cairn terrier 1 is it okay to groom my cairn terrier short for summer 2 is the cairn terrier the breed for me 1 keeping cairn terriers 1 kirkshire farms cairn 1 mometamax ear drops dosage for cairn terrier 1 my cairn terrier always stares at me 1 my cairn terrier bit my daughter 1 orijen cairn 1 owning a cairn terrier 1 pictures of cairn terriers teeth 1 preparing for a cairn terrier puppy 1 reading cairn terrier expression 1 recall cairn terrier 1 sard blindness in cairn terriers 1 shave cairn terrier 2 shaved cairn terrier 2 shaved cairn terrier pictures 1 shaving cairn terrier 2 shedding long leg long tail cairn terrier mix 1 should i get a cairn terrier 1 should you bathe a cairn terrier 1 should you shave a cairn terrier 1 size and weight of an 8 yr old cairn terrier 1 stinky cairn terrier 1 symptoms cairn terrier in heat 1 the cairn terrier ear 1 tubes van cairn terriers 1 video a cairn terrier jump while running 1 walking cairn terrier 1 wet cairn terrier 1 what a cairn terrier actions mean 1 what age does a cairn terrier puppy stop growing 1 what age should you first groom your cairn terrier 1 what age to cairns ears stand up 1 what allergies do cairn terriers have 1 what are cairn terriers worth 1 what can cairn terriers eat 2 what do 14 weeks old cairn terrier look like 1 what do cairne terreirs look like when they are born 1 what do full grown cairn terriers look like 1 what does a cairn terrier look like 2 what does a cairn terrier look like? 3 what food should cairn terrier eat 1 what food should i feed my cairn terrier? 2 what is the ideal weight for a 2 year old cairn terrier 1 what kind of dog food does a cairn terrier like to eat 2 what kind off games u should play with cairn terrier 1 what should cairn ears look like 1 what to feed cairn terriers 1 what to feed my cairn terrier 2 whats the best dog food for cairn terrier 1 wheaten cairn terrier pictures 1 wheaten/cairn terrier mix 1 when are cairn terrier dogs fully grown 1 when do a cairn terrier s ears come up? 1 when do cairn terrier puppies ears stand up 1 when do cairn terriers calm down? delivery truck 1 when do cairn terriers lose their baby teething 2 when do cairn terriers mature? 1 when do cairn terriers stop growing 1 when do cairns calm down a bit from their puppy stage 1 when does a cairn terrier mature 1 when does a cairn terrier puppy first go into heat 2 when does a cairn terrier puppy reach full size 1 when does a cairn terrier reach full size 1 when to clip a six month old cairn terrier 1 when will my cairn terrier bitch come on heat for the first time 1 when will my cairn terriers ears come up? 1 whiny cairn terrier puppy 1 why can t cairn terrier be bathed frequently 1 why did a lab attack my cairn terrier? 1 why do cairn terriers chew on your fingers 1 why my cairn terrier is small and skinny 1 why not to buy a cairn terrier 1 why would cairne terrier need 7 teeth out 1 will cairn terriers eat roaches ? 1 will striping a cairn terrier cool it down 1 working cairn terriers 1 2009 Statistics: Total Queries: 114  General Questions:  59.6%  Issues: 40.4% 2009 Comment: I would say that this is about right. A lesson I learned was to pay a bit more attention to the right column than to the left one and this applies to any breed.   If anyone has stats of this sort for other breeds, that would make for an interesting comparison. It's kind of like 'things they don't tell you about in school" - learn those kinds of lessons vicariously.   With the advent of the internet,  it's easy and doesn't cost a thing. 2011 Statistics Total Queries: 336 General Questions:  76.86% Issues: 21.79% 2011 Comment:  Taking the 'Glass is half full' approach,  it seems people are doing more research on Cairn Terriers before buying Cairn Terriers and this is a good thing. I know Home(ly) doesn't want to hear this,  but it also seems the page is garnering a larger chunk of the cairn opinion piece pie. It would be nice to see more sites pop up, promoting  responsible Cairn Terrier breeding and the ethical and humane handling of those animals of questionable benefit to any gene pool,  thus minimizing the need for the cairn rescue nazis at all.   Question: How big is a Toy Cairn Terrier? Answer: The same size as a Normal Cairn Terrier.  There is no such thing as a Toy Cairn Terrier. Question: Are Cairn Terriers Good Swimmers? Answer: It depends on the Cairn.... Some of them have issues...... Some don't. Helpful hint:  A ball or other floating toy can make a big difference.    Search: Cairn Terrier Strippers in Orange County, CA Comment:  Assuming you find one, I'd be most curious as to how all those pasties are attached.   Question:  How many Cairns are too many? Answer: It depends on your tolerance level......... and......if you are interested in seeing Cairn terriers in action, doing what they were bred to do: (pics used with permission from the site owner) Please pay a visit to Lots of Earth Dogge information, pics and events.   Been meaning to provide info on this site for a while.

Email: About Cairn Rescue Organizations Email from Tom: Hi Dan, we were thinking about the purchase of a cairn terrier and a friend mentioned adoptions from cairn rescue organizations.  Do you know anything about those cairn rescue organizations and are there any that you can recommend? Tks, Tom My Response: Dear Tom, Congratulations!  You touched on a topic whereupon my response is doubtlessly going generate hate mail from the cairn rescue crowd but since you asked, I will assume the moral high ground and gladly provide totally unbiased, thoroughly thought provoking and original commentary. I think I will use a Q&A format.   Q. What comprises a typical Cairn Rescue (or any breed for that matter) organization?   A. Middle aged soccer moms suffering the ravages of empty nester syndrome.   Q. Are there any requisite assets or skills for joining such an organization?   A. An SUV, a cell phone, internet access and crappy email composition.   Q. Crappy email composition.  - what do you mean by that?   A. This is best answered in steps:     1. Locate potential victim, er......prospect.           2. Cut and paste links and info from half a dozen or so emails into a jumbled up mess of font styles,font colors and moronic crap.            Oh yeah and let's not forfget about insipid references to the 'golden rainbow or rainbow bridge.'           (For the unitiated, think Kwanza or golden showers..)              3. Add a gazillion stupid little doggy icons, a touch of frenzy and fire that email off to the victim on the spam list.     4.  Follow up with more frenetic, mind-numbing emails.             5. Wonder why nobody ever responds.                        Q. Any other requirements?   A. Fanaticism and an aversion to Slim Fast.   Q. What kind of quality can one expect from a rescued cairn?        A. What kind of quality can you expect when adopting a child from a Russian foster home.   Rhetorical question.      When you buy a cairn pup from a reputable breeder, you are getting potential.           When you rescue a cairn........I doubt the odds of a successful outcome would play well in Vegas.   Q. Why then would one bother at all with a rescued cairn?      A. Ignorance (I would guess 90%) or Altruism (make that about 10%).   Q. So you are saying these rescue organizations possess no virtuous qualities at all?   A.   I am saying that they are great outfits for people who otherwise have no life and need something to fill the void left behind by                     kids who were finally kicked out of the coop in a few circumstances, escaped the coop in the majority of others.   Q. That's a very low opinion of rescue  organizations.  You're  serious?   A. Well lets just say that if a person:          a.  Cannot properly construct an email                  b.  Is devoid of original thought          c.   Cannot insert enough stupid little cartoon doggy images            d.  Doesn't check the validity of their links and has no idea what a Dead Link is          e.  Has no clue as to what  font consistency is          f.  Thinks flashing text is cool          g,  The correct  sizing of images is a foreign concept          h.  Has nevrr herd of the trm 'spell checker'          i.   And most importantly doesn't even take the time to get my name right................ It would be best to take me off their spam list or one of these days I might get reeaaalllllyyyy  testy. Ok.  I'm  done.  I'll go take my pills now. ............ Follow Ups (Gee, I never would have imagined that)   From denise745       "No.   I am not going to take the time to get your name right.  I won't even use your name. What you said is totally insulting and                       you  don't know what you  are talking  about.  And no  I am not going to use a spell checker because I can spell.  Someone needs to                 take care of the dogs that  people leaves behind and  abandoned........................blah, blah, blah   Comment: You didn't mention whether or not you have an aversion to Slim Fast.  Inquiring minds wish to know.    ------------------- Next Up is an Opinion from Barb, Contributer and Proponent of All things Cairn Terrier:     Hi Dan I had to run earlier.. sent you an email so you could correct your typo. (Not good for your image,  hee hee.) Yes, I am sure over cocktails, and among friends.... discussions about these "Rescue" organizations can become colorful My work with Archetypes, shows that the population of folks out there who identify with the "Victim" and "Rescuer" and "Addict" too strongly, then feel they are saving the world, and they get a high from the "feel good vibes" they think they create.  a more highly evolved Victim, Rescuer, or Addict, will see it for what it is.... move on.  Not wallow around in the Woundology of being a Victim in this life.. (poor me syndrome) . sigh. Personally, I am not gonna hang around miserable people.   We all have perhaps, the Inner Victim.  the inner victim, is quick to recognize when we are in danger of being victimized, and then we can sidestep the whole scenario.  THAT is a more highly evolved approach.  Likewise, the Addict.  If someone has recovered, then they are more evolved and know enough to simply avoid their drug of choice.  Addicts are sometimes hoarders, though.  Cats are easy to hoard, puppies and dogs are a little tougher to hide.. but an Addict can hide behind the mask of being a "Rescuer", and avoid being caught red-handed.  not good, that person needs serious help. How did you get so jaded by a Rescue person?  did you try to step in, and give Authentic, Valid Help to someone? and because you were too healthy and well-rounded.... you did not fit their little niche? SUV or soccer mom van full of stickers? Wow, Dan...hmmm.  they are prob the same supporters of PETA, or SPCA lovers, and delusional about reality. (did one of them run you over?) Personally, I feel that if ANY dog (or cat or animal) is "rescued" by any shelter or other entity... if the dog or animal does not have good health, then euthanize the thing.  There are 100 or 1,000 others waiting in line, just behind that one... waiting for a good home.  Dollars spent on "special needs" or "special surgery" is just bull shit.  (do you agree?)  by throwing away money to help just "one", then hundreds others are killed, due to lack of funds. in a shelter that is over-populated, they  must make snap decisions, and allow the healthiest to be given a chance. (perhaps that is how they should approach things?)  I dunno. True Story:   there was a woman up north, who stepped in to take charge of Northern Lights Rescue.  She was poor at business decisions, fell in love with an older German Shepherd with hip dysplasia hip, and abused the money donated to THAT organization.  she felt, it was her right to spend $1500 - $2,000 on "fixing" the ONE DOG..... never mind the reality of the short life span for this un-healthy animal... STILL homeless by the way.  Meanwhile, the Northern Lights rescue org, had no money to feed healthy, homeless puppies.  no money to VACCINATE them!!!!    duh. If she was able to step back from her Ego, and be a better decision maker, she would have clearly seen that $2,000 would go a long way towards spaying and neutering puppies and kittens, with a long healthy life ahead of them... puppies are a lot easier to place in homes.. and yet, she single-handledly drove that org into the ground, and who knows if it survived that financial setback. so, that is my spin on the whole "Rescue" mentality. Who wants to hear about misappropriation of funds?   Nobody.  Donors would stop shoveling out their money to support idiots.  I am not wanting to sound judgmental, but if it was me, and my money... personally, I would choose to "save" healthy puppies for placement in homes.  too bad for older or adult dogs with health issues, let them go peacefully and stop their painful existence.  they can be reincarnated later on in some other lifetime (or whatever somebody wants to believe.)., or go on to heaven and just hang out... whatever.  why some people allow their Ego to get all wrapped up and run around claiming to be a martyr, or turning away potential homes.. just stop it. There are a few honest, good Cairn Rescue people...... a few.  not many!  but they are out there.  Some of my  club members are trying to shake out the good little Cairns sitting in a shelter somewhere, and a few good breeders will take in a foster dog... and then simply find a home for it.. QUICKLY, and  not make a career out of it.  .. these are few and far between... I can think of  two Cairn Rescue outfits have built a large corporation that makes it VERY hard to penetrate the castle walls.   Col Potter, and  CRUSA.  Daunting. vThey are not exactly, friendly and inviting to anyone who sincerely wants to help. without naming names, you wrote a statement, and I am only taking a wild guess... that one of these outfits offended you.. (would love to hear the real story!  if you can share with me.) Sigh. Well, Cairn Rescue aside.... 100% Health should be the goal of ALL dog breeders... no matter if they are backyard breeders, mom and pop, or whoever.. the puppy populaters should just stop breeding at random, and choose healthy dogs.. no matter the breed, mix or mutte... does not matter.... health should be the focus. (Mutt -  "designer dog", pile of crap to create a mutt and then call it a Designer dog...this type of breeder is really out for a fast buck, regardless of the inhumane, unhealthy, gimpy hip dysplastic creatures they create.) Dan, if you wanted to tell your faithful blog followers about a nice organization. here is one: It's the Morris Animal Foundation, they study diseases and try to figure out how to prevent heritable diseases.. also.. why not find the dogs who are RESISTANT to such things as Hip Dysplasia?  Brilliant! Okay dokey.. getting off my soap box... I was super surprised to see you tackle Rescue orgs... Good luck!  you have a good blog going, well rounded. ~B ------------------------------ Comment: Huh.  Addicts and hoarding cats - that makes sense.  I never gave much thought to behaviours which might induce the need to rescue the wretched refuse from teeming animal shelters,  mobile homes and the like.  I liked the much simpler explanation  - nut jobs.  I'll have to think a bit on that one. As to what really p!$$ed me off.......  Think of it like this....sort of.....because no other analogy currently comes to mind....  Imagine you are a Hollywood starlet wannabe and you finally land that role which gets you some acclaim.  All of a sudden you are surrounded by  reporters, admirers and those who wish to 'assist' you in your carreer.   What is one of the things these nut jobs first advise?  Why you need to get behind a cause, speak up for the 'rights' of some underprivileged group or other. In other words, ensure you suitably embarass yourself with your total ignorance of your new-found cause and make it known to the world on the 'Drudge Report'. That in a roundabout fashion is what mildly upset me  with one of those cairn  rescue groups.  Because I happen to know a little something about Cairn terriers doesn't mean I need to join some fascistic Cairn Terrier rescue orgainization  in order to give validity to anything I have to say - their personal stamp of approval, so to speak.   In my view I am providing cairn terrier advice far more beneficial than that obtained from the cairn terrier rescue crowd. Think about it - Do you really think there would be a purpose for a Cairn Rescue organization at all if people understood what they were getting into at the outset?  I think not. Ok,  time for me to get off my soap box as well. .........I need to get off it anyway so I can watch the rapture (it's happening in 15 minutes).  I know for a fact I'm not going to get raptured up and I can pretty well guess what my own personal version of hell is going to be - caring for all the cairn terriers left behind. Ah well, maybe I'll earn some brownie points after all. -------------------------------------- Email  from Pam Hello Dan, When I first read you criticism of Cairn Rescue Organizations, you made me so angry that if I would have had a can of Slim Fast,  I would have thrown it and broke my computer screen. I have always loved dogs but was never able to own one because my husband was allergic to dander. When my husband passed, I found myself with little to do and I wanted to make myself feel useful. I ended up adopting a Cairn terrier that came from one of those mobile homes with dozens of dogs trapped inside.  I am sure you have seen those kinds of puppy mills. That was three years ago and it has been a hard three years but Sam and I get along fine now. I am not going to say which rescue organization I belong to but it is in your state.  I do know several other Cairn rescue organizations and if I was to be objective, your term "fascistic" is a little bit over done although in general terms, I think you are right. Some rescue groups think they are more important than the dogs they are placing.  That is just not right but I think the attitude is more common than people know. You made me so mad that I read your entire advice blog.  Sometimes you made me laugh and I thank you for that. I did find your comments on Cairn smell helpful and am trying that out now. My Sam stinks! I will email you if it changes. Pam Comment:  Pam, my sympathies for your loss. I do try to provide a bit of humour when I write because I get tired of the negative product that is the norm everywhere you look.   In my experience, people either totally deny they have a cairn terrier smell problem, or they give up on a cure.  Please do let me know how my advice pans out.  I suspect that if you use a quality dry food, give up on the treats and don't give your animal people food, you may be pleasantly surprised. Dan --------------------------------- What about a little Humility?                 From Home(ly) to me  (formatted for readability)     I really dont know what to say after reading your blogs! Most of what you say about cairn terriers would keep just about anyone from adopting one!  I assume your on some kind of a mission to contribute to the demise of the breed or at least all of the dogs that you dont personally own.  I totally agree that people should do their due diligence when selecting a breed to adopt, but your negativity is not clever or witty its just downright snotty and mean!  What the hell does anyones weight have to do with their intelligence!  Shouldnt we be encouraging rescue work? Some of these animals are abused, and end up damaged physically as well as emotionally, should we just dig a hole and throw them all in? If there are people out there willing to go through what it takes to help these "disposable" pets, then I am all for it.  It goes without saying that spaying and neutering is the responsible way to go to reduce unwanted animals, but just like a child who never asked to be born, they have a right to life. I just cannot believe how full of yourself you are,   I would never ask you a question about cairn terriers even though I have one I adore, Id be afraid of being humiliated.  I am sure you know what you are talking about and Have probably help many cairn owners,  but what is wrong with a little dose of kindness and maybe even a bit of respect for your fellow human being. My cairn is the joy of my life and without one of these "Slim fast avoiding soccer moms " I wouldnt have her in my previously very lonely dog free exsistence! Comment:  Boy I must be far closer to the truth than I realized....especially concerning the Slim Fast. -------------------------- From Ms Barb: Hi Dan good job on your part to point out the verrrrry dysfunctional, uneducated folks who seem to be the rescuers. a Rescuer, when not fully evolved, is someone who gets a "high" on rescuing "things". a more evolved Rescuer, will be able to distinguish whether or not they are doing a Rescue for all the  RIGHT reasons. the un-evolved Rescuer will continue to "save" dogs, and then be too focused on the dogs, and unable to perform the other end of their duty, which is to re-home these pathetic, sick, disabled dogs. or ... more humanely, some of them should really be put down, and then use the thousands of dollars that would have been spent on one dog, to save many more.  (if that makes sense).  some people get sucked in when they see a dog who is in a dire situation, and are unable to make the decision, they simply keep tossing more hard earned money on a dog who would have been happier to finally make the journey to the "other side". (someone coined the phrase Rainbow Bridge- that sounds too corny for me) the Rescuer is an Archetypal pattern commonly found in a person who is also labeled a Co-dependent. nice to see one of them, actually making the effort to educate herself.  Good job, Dan!  you are the honest one delivering a message that is hard to hear for these people. Keep up the good work, and your humor is working. ~Barb Comment:  Rainbow Bridge........I feel the blood pressure upping itself a notch... ----------------------------- From Charles: Hello Dan, I stumbled upon your web site when searching for information about foaming from my dog's mouth.  My dog isn't a Cairn terrier but the foam was caused by my dog probably biting a toad, or so my vet thinks.  Thanks for the tip. I ended up reading many of your Cairn pages, and your travels to Canada.  I got a real chuckle reading about Cairn Hairballs and I have an experience that matches yours when you went to the camps in Alberta.   It is apparent to me that you like to write and you do a good job at it.   I think what turned your screws was not so much the cairn rescue orgs themselves,  but the badly composed emails you receive from them. By the way, nice toad pictures. Charles Comment:  OMG!  I've been found out!  Give the man a cigar.  I shall go back and make it a bit more obvious. PS:  I also went back and added a couple better pics of Toad Parotid Glands from a toad I found whilst vacationing in Kansas. ---------------   Time to close this thread out.    Takeaways from today's discussion.....must be something useful gained from the verbiage it produced........  Slim Fast is a Touchy Subject.   Question: How can I tell if a Cairn Terrier is right for me? Answer: Research If you stop and think about it,  many pitfalls in life could have been avoided if one first did a little research.  I think it is safe to say as a rule we humans are by nature an impulsive bunch. How much time did you spend that first time researching an investment,  choosing your first pet, choosing a mate.   How much do you think that ended up costing you financially, physically and emotionally. These examples are important and life changing events. On the Flip Side: How much time and effort are you going to spend planning this summer's vacation,  getting the most enjoymnent out of it you can for the dollars you have to spend.   Probably far more time researching the vacation than researching life changing decisions. Research Here is an example from a woman who chose to do a little research: Hi, I loved reading your info  (on Cairn terriers).  It was very helpful.  I saw a puppy and she was super cute.  I almost changed my mind to buy her but after reading the article,  I knew it would be a mistake for me and my family. Thank you Mon'$ Because this woman didn't get immediately sucked in by the cuteness of a Cairn Terrier pup and elected to come to the right place to do research on all things cairn terrier;  one cairn terrier  may end up going to a home that understands the joys of cairn terrier ownership and one family is now spared from an animal that could have guaranteed at least two years of cairn terrier hell. That is what I would call a Happy Ending. Question: What if my 3 year old Cairn Terrier is not shaking hands with me? Answer:  Maybe you need to kiss and make up? As an aside,  teaching any dog to shake hands while it may seem cute at the outset,  isn't once the dog starts initiating the learned behavior on its own.  The novelty wears off quickly.   Time would be better served teaching dogs something useful,  like where to do their duty. Query: I can't decide between a Cairn Terrier and a Toy Poodle. Help! Answer: Boy, that is something of a dilemma, isn't it..... Observations: Smarter:  Toy Poodle (note: toys are not as smart as standards but they do live longer). Stronger (less prone to injury):  Cairn Terriers Basic Training Requirements for civility in the household:  Cairn Terriers need more,  Toy Poodles less. Grooming: Toy Poodles need more, Cairn Terriers need less. Longevity:  A toss-up. Health:  I would have to say a quality Cairn Terrier in general has less health related issues than a quality Toy Poodle. Housebreaking:  The Toy Poodle.  Cairn Terriers are perfectly capable but do often need refresher courses. Minimal Shedding and Skin Related Problems:   The Toy Poodle in any color other than white.  The Cairn Terrier is a low shedding breed but it still sheds. General Aggravation and other Blood Pressure related factors (for the owner):   The Toy Poodle produces less.   The Cairn Terrier..... epic stories have been written about same. Food Related Issues and Gas Attacks: The Cairn Terrier wins this one hands down but it must be noted that Toy Poodles generally have a more delicate constitution. Summary:  You have to decide which is more suitable for your lifestyle: Beauty or the Beast. . Good Luck! Footnote:  Ok, Ok, no this is not hypocritcal.  This is supposed to be a bit humorous so I shall elaborate for those who have no sense of humour. I do have a definite bias against white toy poodles.  At a young age I back-kicked one of those obnoxious ankle-biter footballs  off a flight of stairs when it nailed me in the achilles tendon as I was delivering newspapers and I have had less than desirable experiences with them since.  It all falls back on the owner in that the owner either thinks it's cute to see their little ball of fluff going after innocent citizens or he or she is too stupid and ignorant to do anything about it. That aside, owning a white anything in high altitude climates is just asking for skin cancer and other skin related problems.  If I was looking for a toy poodle,  the darker in color the better.   I've done the skin cancer thing and am not going to repeat it in this lifetime. As to choosing a picture of a white poodle, like it or not.......it is a beautiful dog. ~finis Question: What are the basic differences between Cairn and Jack Russell Terriers? Answer:  See Below: Question: How did Rufus Catch the Rabbit? Well.......he had a little help and help came in the form of a standard poodle named Max. Max is a relatively large standard and his joy in life is to race out of the house in the morning to the back and dive through Mormon Tea, Sagebrush and other bushes in hopes of scaring  up breakfast on the wing, which usually comes in the form of California Quail.   Max is fast enough to nab a cottontail and one day he got a piece of an ear.  He'll wind up with the entire rabbit sooner or later. Rufus has long since given up trying to keep up with Max but he does make something of an effort most mornings, especially if he knows you're watching. One morning while Max was doing his tear-assing thorough the sagebrush thing,  he totally surprised a rabbit.  The rabbit instead of bolting forward,  jumped and spun around doing a 180 and took off straight into the jaws of Rufus  who was about 10 feet away. The resulting cacophony was  epic, but short lived.   That is how Rufus caught the rabbit.   Announcement: Your Opportunity for a Quality Cairn Terrier Pup (Home Found!) I don't normally do this but Ms Barb from Ohio is well known to me as a contributer to the site and as a proponent of the responsible breeding of Cairn Terriers.  She has two males and one female for sale and although they are older pups,  they are certainly preferable to offerings from the Cairn Rescue Squad.  These pups will have been vetted six ways to Sunday in terms of health, general conformation and personality.  She has one male that didn't quite make the breeder's cup in terms of size and the other two...you will have to contact her. Here is some info from Barb: Hi Dan do you know of anyone who would like to buy a Cairn Terrier? I took an older boy home with me, to help network and connect the right people with these pups.  the pups available are 1 female, 2 males.  Born Feb 9, 2011 the one pup I took for a road trip is nicknamed Frosty.  he is approx 20 lbs. solid.  loves all dogs... the bigger the better.  very cute, eager to please. Home in Ohio, I have been working on some basic manners for this little guy..  he is extremely well-versed in dog-dog social interactions.  my female is a real bitch (pun intended) and he knows all the warning signals of a dog who is saying "back off kiddo". he loves to play!  all he wants is a loving home, with lots of playtime, exercise..best home would have a fenced in yard, and perhaps another dog to play with. he is up to date on vaccines,  health 100 percent guaranteed.  his AKC Champion pedigree displays his heritage proudly.  he is the cream of the crop.  He was supposed to be a show dog, but that did not pan out.. okay to be a pet for a nice family. he is a big teddy bear, very cuddly.  he will be an awesome obedience dog if someone wants to explore any AKC obedience stuff.  smart,, but being a puppy he is clumsy, goofy, clowns all the time.. very good sense of humor. he is at that "ugly:" stage.  he is frosty silver and black brindle, with a black mask, black legs... as he gets older he will get darker. in your All Things Cairn dealings............ have you run across anyone in this neck of the woods who might be interested? ~~ Barb - A Home was found.  I would take this down but I liked the picture. Email:  Cairn Terrier Puppy Pointers? ~I've fallen in love with this breed and have an appointment with a lady who lives way out in the country to go visit her since she has 2 little boy pups ready for taking home - BUT NOW I'M TERRIFIED WHAT AM I DOING YOUR WEBSITE HAS SCARED ME!!! In all honesty, I'm trying to psych myself up - "I'm up for a challenge! I grew up with a Westie!" but ...but... omg the running and the barking. I'm just not sure. Any advice for someone about to embark on this puppy-rearing adventure? :-/ Response: That was pretty funny and it brightened up my Wednesday morning (trying to rain here). So I caused a little fear and trepidation?  Good!  That means I got your attention  and and if you are an impulse buyer,  you probably aren't now.  That's a good way to approach potential cairn terrier ownership. If you've been around Westies then you have a good idea as to what a Cairn terrier would be like personality- wise so I can't tell you anything you already know there. I can give you some basic things to look for - questions to ask. Parents: My advice is to place the majority of your attention on the sire and dam.  What you see there is more than likely what you will end up getting. 1.  Look at the Sire (if he's there) and the Dam and interact with them.  They should be friendly and outgoing and probably obnoxiously so. 2.  Look at the parent's size.  They should be around 14-16 pounds and preferably on the wiry side - not too chunky. 3.  Look at the fur / skin and ask about any allergy problems (this can be a costly nightmare later on).  If the coat is stripped, it should appear wiry. If they shave their cairns like we do,  the coat will be smoother.  Either way, the coat should not appear oily, too dry or patchy. 4.  Ask about the eyes.  Is there any history of blindness.  I've been getting emails regarding this and there is a condition called Ocular Melanosis which is peculiar to cairn terriers and it does cause blindness.  Most of these emails come from Europe but a few come from the US and a couple universities in the Midwest have research programs into the condition.  5.  Cairns can come in any color but their tips should be black - ears and muzzle. In the Blonde or wheaton colored cairns, the tips may not be black but they should be darker than the rest of the fur and in pups it is generally quite distinctive. Kids: 1.  Pups should be playful and I would stay away from a pup that keeps to itself.  They may not immediatly come up to you and that's ok as long as they are happy and playful with their litter mates. 2.  Are there any guarantees with the pups...is there an OFA certification or anything else?  How about vaccinations / worming - anything already provided? A lot of this depends on the price range and what you are looking at.  If the dogs are purebred and have little or no pedigree history,  you might not get much more than the person's word and the price will reflect that.  Then it becomes more of a judgment call. 3.  The pup's eyes should appear as shiny black marbles and you should not see a hazy or dullish look. Conclusion: If you are familiar with terriers then you know what you are getting into.  They are tough little dogs with attitudes. I think cairn terriers are probably more obnoxious than other terrier breeds but they are also friendlier than most. One of the biggest complaints / observations from other first time cairn owners is that gosh, they just aren't loving and loyal lap dogs or......the dog pays absolutely no attention to them even though they feed and care for him! Many of these people were expecting the personality of a Yorkie or Toy Poodle when they purchased the cairn terrier. Big mistake. It is very hard not to get sucked in immediately by the cuteness of a cairn pup but I think it's always better to sit on it for a night. Anyway, good luck with your cairn quest and I'd be interested in your final decision.  As an added bonus if you like,  take a few decent quality pictures  - particularly of the parent(s) and send them along.  I'll have a look and tell you if anything really sticks out. Good luck! Question: Is it okay for your cairn terrier to catch and eat cockroaches in your home? Answer: Well let me think on this one for about two seconds.......YES. If you've got roaches to spare then it's a rhetorical question.   The cairn gets more exercise, extra protein and it's a free way to check your cairn  terrier's eyesight. What more could one ask for! Question: What is the main difference between pet and show quality Cairn Terriers? Can you be succinct? Succinct Answer: If  I wanted show  quality, the inference is  that I would want to show  myself and contribute to  enhancing and refining the bloodlines of the stock.    Pet quality to me is  an animal still testing free of the major problems  and is structurally close enough to what the breed standard is, but probably never going to make it to the show  ring.   Say for example I really liked the 20 pound version of the cairn terrier found in Euroland and decided I wanted to breed for 20 pound cairn terriers..  I personally would have no issue with that at all, as  long as  I produced healthy stock.The 20 pounders would never show in the ring, but they could make for fine family dogs. and they are still cairn terriers. This is what I would term 'Pet Quality'.  How's that for Succinct....and that's a first.  I don't believe I've ever been asked to be succinct before. Question: Hey Dan - What's your favorite Cairn Terrier Quote? Answer:  I've heard a lot of good ones over the years but I would have to say the one that makes me chuckle every time I think about it is more recent from across the pond in England: "I'm off to let the Hellhound back in before the neighbours flatten his face with a coal shovel. "