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Home Breed Standard History Potty Training Barking Help Nipping & Biting The Cairn Terrier Breed Standard
Thanks for joining us as we look at the breed standard of the lovely Cairn Terrier. The Cairn Terrier is an athletic dog that historically has been used for hunting small vermin and rodents. Current breed standards strive to keep the Cairn Terrier looking as similar to the original terrier stock as possible, and attitude and athletic appearance is very important in the show ring. The terrier should look ready to bound into action at a moments notice. Overall the Cairn Terrier should have all the desirable qualities of any of the terrier breeds and should be attentive and alert as to what is going on around them. They should respond quickly to verbal commands and should be attentive to the handler.
Coat The hair and coat of the Cairn Terrier should be hard or rough and weather-resistant. The hair should be very thick, and the hair on the head should give the Cairn Terrier a foxy type appearance. The coat can be any color except white, with darker markings on the tail, ears and muzzle as the most desirable on light colors. The coat is double, so the outer coat should protect a soft and furry undercoat.
Head The skull should be broader than it is long but still in proportion to the length of muzzle. The stop should be evident and there should be lots of hair framing the face to give a fox like appearance, as previously mentioned. The eyes are slightly sunken and should be framed by thick eyebrows. The eyes themselves may be either light or dark hazel, depending on the coat color. The nose should be all black, while the teeth should be large and strong, with a good bite that is neither overshot nor undershot. The ears are erect and pointed and are trimmed of any long hairs. They should be alert looking, and are fairly widely spaced on the sides of the skull.
Body The body should be level from the shoulders to the tail and should be medium in length. The average weight is 13 - 14 pounds (5.5 - 6.4kg), while the average height is 9½ -10 inches The ribs should be well sprung to give the appearance of a good lung capacity and endurance. The Cairn Terrier should appear to be muscular and strong without being overly heavy or clumsy.
Front legs The front legs should be perfectly straight and not turned out at the elbows. It is acceptable for the feet to be slightly turned out but should never turn inwards. The legs should have a sturdy look but not be too heavy or too thick. The long, hard hair should cover the front legs and the front feet will have pads that are slightly larger than the hind feet.
Hind legs The hind legs should be both muscular and parallel and should give the impression of strength and athletic ability. The hind feet should be slightly smaller than the front and the dog should stand squarely on the pads of the feet.
I am sorry if that was all a bit "dry" but it is a little tricky to make the breed standard exciting. Feel free to look around some more at our other pages on our website. For further detailed information, please consider the Insider's Complete Guide To The Cairn Terrier This ebook and audio package includes detailed training guidance and tips and other extensive resources to best care for your Cairn Terrier. There is also a FREE online Cairn Terrier course available from the homepage. Just Click Here for more details. Thanks again for visiting.
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