The Cairn Terrier originated in the 1500s which makes it one of Scotland’s first Terriers. It wasn’t considered a separate breed from the Scottish Terrier and the West Highland White Terrier until much later in the 1900s when it began to be bred separately. It was named as the Cairn Terrier due to its ability to squeeze down into cairns (rock dens) and bark at small animals and prey so the farmer was alerted and able to come over and kill them. It was a Cairn Terrier that was used in the role of “Toto” in “The Wizard of Oz”.
Appearance
The Cairn Terrier is a hardy little dog, like most terriers. It has a strong muzzle that is medium length and a black nose. It has hazel coloured eyes that are set quite far apart and are accompanied by quite shaggy eyebrows. They have very erect ears that sit usually erect on their heads and covered in short hairs. Their tails are also covered in the same short hairs found on their ears. They have double coats with a weather resistant outer coat that is quite rough to touch, and a much softer undercoat that is more silky and feathered to the touch. They come in most colours including red, black, sand and various shades of grey. The are not born white however. Their coats do change colour during their maturity, sometimes quite dramatically.
Temperament
Cairn Terriers are very alert and friendly dogs. They are loyal to their owners and great with children and strangers, as long as they understand their position in the pack. They are cheerful and devoted and will greet you always with a wagging tail. They are intelligent which makes training them good fun. You can even teach these little dogs to do all sorts of various tricks. They sometimes will chase small animals like rabbits if they pick up a smell, so it is best to train them and socialize them with other animals from as young as possible. They are very good vermin hunters and totally fearless too. They love digging holes which is something to be aware of if you have a prized garden or lawn at your home! Overall these curious and lovable dogs make excellent family pets.
Working and Tasks
Cairn Terriers make excellent vermin hunters. They used to be taken by farmers hunting in Scotland where they would squeeze down in between the rocks in cairns and alert the farmer with barking if there was something there like a rabbit. They are good at hunting, tracking and go-to-ground trials. They are very agile dogs, and make excellent watch dogs too. They do with competitive obedience and can learn ad perform tricks with ease.