Terrier group · Scotland
Cairn Terrier
Also called Cairn.
Small dog, high energy, trains well with consistency.
- Alert
- Cheerful
- Busy
- Hardy
- Assertive
- Size
- Small
- Weight
- 6 to 6 kg13 to 14 lb
- Lives
- 13 to 15 years
- Energy
- High
- Trains
- Moderate
- Barks
- High
Training
Training a Cairn Terrier
Terrier breeds. Impulse control and a rock-solid leave it. Short, high-value sessions; they bore fast.
Consistent Training
Start here
Cairns are smart but stubborn. Be patient and consistent, they test limits but respond to fairness.
Manage Digging
Born diggers, provide a designated digging area or sandbox rather than trying to eliminate the behaviour.
Recall Training
High prey drive means off-lead reliability is challenging. Always train in safe, enclosed areas.
The app turns this into five to fifteen minutes a day.
Add your Cairn Terrier and it builds the plan around their age, where they came from and what they already know, on video with Atlas and Shango.
Free to start. iPhone. No card needed.
At home
Living with one
Bred to go to ground after vermin. Fearless, quick, and not built to back down.
Gets on with
- ChildrenHigh
- Other dogsModerate
- StrangersModerate
- CatsLow
Breed averages. Early socialisation and the individual dog matter more.
- Exercise
- 45-60 minutes daily. Walks, play sessions, and mental stimulation. Love to explore.
- Grooming
- Weekly brushing. Hand-stripping several times yearly for proper coat texture. Never clipper cut.
- Drool
- Low
- Coat
- Double coat, Wiry outer coat, Soft undercoatCream, Wheaten, Red, Grey, Brindle, Black
- In a flat
- Can work, with enough exercise outside it.
Health
Things to ask a breeder or vet about
Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy
Severe
Krabbe disease, fatal neurological condition with DNA test available
Luxating Patella
Moderate
Kneecap dislocation common in small breeds
Portosystemic Shunt
Severe
Liver blood vessel abnormality requiring surgery
Where they come from
History
One of the oldest terrier breeds, originating on the Isle of Skye in Scotland over 200 years ago. Named for the cairns (rock piles) where they hunted vermin. They were originally grouped with Scottish and West Highland White Terriers before being recognised separately.
- Toto · Dorothy's loyal companion in The Wizard of Oz, played by a female Cairn named Terry
