Cairn Terrier

Description:
The Cairn Terrier is a short-legged dog with a strong build, a rough coat and small pointy ears. This dog does not have a heavy build but it is pretty muscular and has all the physical conditions it needs to in order to work. If you are considering getting one of these dogs, there are some things you must check into to make sure you get the appropriate one. Its head must be wide in proportion to the longitude of the skull, not too narrow and must have a defined stop. The hair on top of this dog's head should be a little softer than it is on the rest of its body. It should have a strong looking nose but it should not look too heavy or long. Check to make sure its ears aren't too big or rounded on the tip; they should be well separated over the head and should not be too covered in hair. This dog has a large thorax, a medium sized leveled torso, which should not be too long and weak. The insertion of the tail should be over the dogs back. These dogs are double coated and have an abundant outer coat and a softer more dense undercoat. There are some that have more wavy hair but this dog's hair should never be curly or silky. They come in different colors except white; the ears, tail and nose should be darker. The height of this dog is approximately twenty eight to thirty one centimeters from the wicher down to its legs and its ideal weight is between six to seven and a half kilograms.

Ideal owner:
The Cairn Terrier is a great dog for children however keep in mind that it does not like being touched too much and it will be necessary to let the kids know when the games have to end. This dog is a lot smarter than most would think. Like most family dogs, it will most likely choose one member of the family it shows more affection towards, but don't worry it does like showing its affection towards the whole family. This dog isn't a lap dog and it isn't very cuddly and it can be quite independent, active, decided and stubborn at times. The type of discipline and training it requires is soft and firm, it works well to choose some words to talk to the dog in a firm way. Since it is a terrier, the owner will need to understand that it like and needs to dig; if you have a garden where you grow vegetables its natural instincts will kick in. the cairn terrier is also very territorial especially in the case of the males.

Growth:
When picking out a puppy cairn terrier it is important that it is balanced in its behavior. During its first year of life it may go through a time of unbalanced growth. As a matter a fact it may go through a time in which its ears, legs and tail seem too big. This phase should be over with at around the age of one. It will continue to gain body substance until around three years of age. The tail must never be docked. The hind spurs must be cut as soon as possible, the front ones are optional. The males reach sexual maturity at a young age. It will be necessary to strip the puppy's coat when it looks like it is loose. The coat should be somewhat rough to the touch at the age of three months. As its adult coat grows in its coat starts to darken and some of the lighter colored ones' coat continues to darker each time it sheds. Make sure to keep a check on its teeth as it changes from its baby teeth to its adult teeth. On some occasions these dogs' baby teeth don't come out and when this happens veterinary intervention is needed to pull them out. Make sure to not overfeed this dog as it can turn into a problem, and limit the amount of dog treats you give it. At a young age this dog has a tendency to bark a lot and it will be necessary to train it so its stops.

General health:
The good thing about this dog is that it has a long life span and it can live up to fourteen or fifteen years. The Cairn Terrier requires of a lot of outside exercise. The amount of work that must go into its hair is not very demanding but it will be necessary to strip its outer coat. As with all breeds it does have some hereditary abnormalities that can affect it but nowadays they are a lot less common. One of the problems that can affect this dog, although it is unusual is CMO, which affects puppies and manifests itself with a sudden swelling of the lower jawbone. It can however, be treated and on some occasions it even goes away on its own, however on some occasions it can be mortal. Krabbe disease affects puppies at a few weeks of birth and it's a blood abnormality that causes death. Another unusual abnormality that can arise is a disease known as brain hypoplasia that is a hereditary problem, however it is pretty rare and sometimes it worsens while on other occasions it goes away on its own. Another problem can be hemophilia A and B, inguinal hernias, as well as progressive retina atrophy, Von Willebrand disease and Legg-Perthes.