# Cairn Terrier Also known as: Cairn, Short-haired Skye Terrier - **Group:** Terrier (FCI group 3) - **Size:** Small - **Origin:** Scotland - **Height:** 28–31 cm - **Weight:** 6–7.5 kg - **Life expectancy:** 13–15 years - **Temperament:** Cheerful, Bold, Curious, Hardy, Loyal - **FCI standard:** No. 4 The Cairn Terrier is a small, shaggy, weatherproof Scottish working terrier that hunted vermin among the rocky cairns of the Highlands. It is bold, busy and cheerful. ## Overview The Cairn Terrier is one of Scotland's oldest working terriers. It was bred to bolt vermin from among piles of stones, and it still has the pluck and digging instincts of a determined little hunter. Today it is a lively, sturdy companion with a scruffy, rough-and-ready look that many owners find irresistible. ## History Cairns came from the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye. They first reached the show ring around 1909 as the Short-haired Skye Terrier, but Skye Terrier breeders objected, so the name Cairn Terrier was chosen after the stone cairns where these dogs hunted. The American Kennel Club registered the breed in 1903 and the British Kennel Club gave it a separate register in 1912. The FCI accepted it in 1963. It is now listed as a Vulnerable Native Breed in the UK. ## Appearance The Cairn is a small, compact dog with a shaggy double coat: a harsh, weather-resistant outer coat over a soft, dense undercoat. The head is fox-like with a short muzzle, dark eyes, small pricked ears and bushy brows. Ideal height is about 28 to 31 cm and weight usually 6 to 7.5 kg. Colours include cream, wheaten, red, sandy, grey and brindle, and brindle dogs often darken with age. ## Temperament Cairns are cheerful, curious and fearless, with a lot of personality for their size. They are affectionate with their family and usually do well with considerate children. They are independent and can be stubborn, and they like to dig and chase small animals. They bark to announce visitors. ## Care and exercise A Cairn needs a daily walk and play, and enjoys games and scent work. Keep the dog on a lead or in a secure garden, because the hunting instinct is strong. The coat is easy but not effortless: brush weekly and hand-strip a couple of times a year to keep its harsh texture. ## Health The breed is generally hardy and long-lived. Conditions seen include luxating patella, cataracts and other eye problems, hypothyroidism, atopic dermatitis, craniomandibular osteopathy, von Willebrand disease, portosystemic shunt and Krabbe disease. Health-tested parents are worth seeking. ## Ratings (1 to 5) - Energy: 3 - Exercise needs: 3 - Grooming: 3 - Shedding: 2 - Trainability: 3 - Barking: 3 - Good with children: 4 - Good with other dogs: 3 Page: https://techtools.cz/tools/dog-atlas/cairn-terrier Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairn_Terrier · https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37888 Photo: Ronald Müller-Hagen (Ketterechts) (CC BY-SA 3.0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cairn-Terrier-Garten1.jpg Profile written by an AI model from the sources above.