Cairn Terrier. Robert Jamieson

       The Cairn’s instinctive keenness is well displayed by Dhoran, seen here with Miss Margaret Warner, granddaughter of Lord Borwick who was so influential in the development of the Cairn Terrier.

      This may not be the dog for everyone as terriers are active, busy dogs and this breed is no exception. However, if you like a lively dog, one who will be a devoted family member, this may be the dog for you. And, as is true with most other breeds, once you give your heart and home to a Cairn Terrier, you will remain a devotee to the breed for a lifetime.

       HISTORY OF THE BREED

      In the history of the dog world, the Cairn Terrier is a fairly ancient breed. However, its official beginnings with The Kennel Club of England, dating back to the early 1900s, places it as one of the more recently recognized terrier breeds. The Cairn Terrier belongs to the group of dogs described as terriers, from the Latin word terra, meaning earth. The terrier is a dog that has been bred to work beneath the ground to drive out small and large rodents and other animals that can be a nuisance to country living.

      All of the dogs in the Terrier Group originated in the British Isles with the exception of the Miniature Schnauzer, whose origins, of course, trace to Germany. Many of the terrier breeds were derived from a similar ancestor. As recently as the mid-1800s, the terriers fell roughly into two basic categories: the rough-coated, short-legged dogs of Scotland and the longer legged, smooth-coated dogs of England.

      The family of Scotch Terriers—those bred in Scotland—divide themselves into the modern Scottish Terrier, the West Highland White Terrier, the Cairn Terrier and the Skye Terrier. In the early 1800s, dogs referred to as Scotch Terriers could be any one of these breeds. Interbreeding was common among these breeds, and it was not unusual during the 1800s that all of these breeds could come from one litter with color being the deciding factor as to how a particular pup should be classified. J. W. Benyon wrote in his book The Cairn Terrier, “The Cairn, the West Highland White and the Scottish Terrier were so similar in the early days that the three were inbred with impunity. Early pedigrees of these breeds would show all three breeds in the lineage of a single dog and the three breeds often came from the same litter, sold according to what the buyer wanted.” As breeders started exhibiting at dog shows, it was realized that there must be more uniformity within the breed, i.e., all pups in a litter should look alike as well as being of the same type as their sire and dam.

       The West Highland White Terrier arguably derived from the Cairn Terrier, originally varying only in color.

      WHAT’S IN A NAME

      What is a cairn? Webster’s Dictionary defines cairn as a “heap of stone piled up as a memorial or as a landmark.” Piles of stones in the Highlands marked the graves of the ancient Roman soldiers. In time, brambles, bushes and brush over-grew the rocks and the cairns became ideal places where vermin could make their homes, unseen by man. This was the terrain where the little dog, which was eventually called the Cairn Terrier, plied his skill and earned his name.

       The Cairn was probably developed on the Isle of Skye, as was another Scotch Terrier, the Skye Terrier. The Skye is distinctive for his large geometric head and long caterpillar-like body.

      Much of the early history of the Cairn centers on the Isle of Skye. Take a look at your map of the British Isles and note the remoteness of Skye. It is located to the west of the Highlands and it is part of the Inner Hebrides, a land noted for its rugged typography and tough Scotsmen, where a fearless and tough dog was required to keep the vermin under control. The Cairn, with his large heart and a larger amount of courage, fit the bill for cleaning out vermin in the houses and stables and for clearing the fields and surrounding areas of badgers and foxes. The Cairn history may be a bit convoluted, as the history of many canine breeds is, but it is thought that the oldest strain came from Captain Mac Leod of Drynock on the Isle of Skye.

      In the early years the Cairn was called the Short-haired Skye Terrier and on the mainland he was often called the Tod-hunter. In addition to the Mac Leods, who preferred the dogs of silver-gray color, other strains of the Cairn were bred by the Mac Donalds of Watermist, who bred dogs of gray and brindle color, and the Mac Kinnons of Kilbride, who bred the cream, red and dark brindle dogs. All three of these strains form the basis for our present-day Cairn.

      The other breed on the Isle of Skye was the Skye Terrier, the long-backed, heavy-bodied dog with the flowing coat. The Skye Terrier breeders did not like it that the newcomer should be called the Short-haired Skye Terrier! An early pioneer and ardent supporter of the breed was Mrs. Alastair Campbell, founder of the Brocaire Kennels, who had made frequent trips to the Isle of Skye where she purchased her original dogs. She was the first to enter the breed in a dog show. In 1907, she registered Calla Mhor and Cuillean Bhan as Prick-eared Skye Terriers and entered them in a dog show. Later she registered Rog Mhor, who became the sire of one of the first winners of Challenge Certificates (CC), the “tickets” required to gain a championship in the UK. By 1910, The Kennel Club moved the breed to the classification at dog shows of “Any other breed or variety” and 24 dogs were registered. The breed was rapidly gaining in popularity even though it still did not have an official name and there was still confusion about which class the dogs should be entered in at dog shows.

       The Scottish Terrier, one of the four modern-day breeds that derived from the Scotch Terrier family, is a blood relative of the Cairn.

       One of England’s most popular ladies in the 1920s was Miss Joyce Pilkington. She owned a red Cairn known as Mickie that went wherever Miss Pilkington went.

      In the meantime, the Skye Terrier fancy was still disturbed by the name “Short-haired Skye Terriers” and protested to The Kennel Club. It was suggested that the breed be called the “Cairn Terrier of Skye,” which eventually was shortened to Cairn Terrier. Through the efforts of Mrs. Campbell, who worked prodigiously on the background of the breed and its breeders, The Kennel Club transferred all Short-haired Skyes to the new registry of Cairn Terriers. In the meantime, in October 1911, an official standard was drawn up for the Cairn at the Scottish Kennel Club show in Edinburgh as breeders realized that there must be uniformity within the breed. By May 29, 1912, the Cairn Terrier had finally obtained his official status with The Kennel Club and Challenge Certificates were now offered at specific shows.

      THE COURAGEOUS CAIRN

      The late Dr. Dieter Fleig in his book History of Fighting Dogs wrote, “Specialists for rat killing in England

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