|
STANDARD Official Breed Standard for the Cairn TerrierGeneral Appearance: That of an active, game, hardy, small, working Terrier of the short-legged class; very free in its movements, strongly but not heavily built, standing well for ward on its forelegs, deep in the ribs, well coupled with strong hindquarters and presenting a well-proportioned build with a medium length of back, having a hard, weather-resisting coat; head shorter and wider than any other terrier and well furnished with hair giving a general foxy expression. Dogs should be shown in good hard flesh, well muscled and neither too fat nor thin. Should be in full good coat with plenty of head furnishings, be clean, combed, brushed and tidied up on ears, tail, feet, and general outline. Should move freely and easily on a loose lead, should not cringe on being handled, should stand up on their toes and show with marked terrier characteristics.
Coat and Colour: Coat hard and weather resistant. Must be double-coated with profuse harsh outer coat and short, soft, close furry undercoat. May be of any colour except white. Dark ears, muzzle, and tail tip are desirable. Head: Skull broad in proportion to length with a decided stop and well furnished with hair on the top of the head, which may be somewhat softer than the body coat. Muzzle strong but not too long or heavy. Nose black. Teeth large-mouth neither overshot nor undershot. Eyes set wide apart, rather sunken, with shaggy eyebrows, medium in size, hazel or dark hazel in colour, depending on body colour, with a keen terrier expression. Ears small, pointed, well carried erectly, set wide apart on the side of the head. Free from long hairs. Forequarters: A sloping shoulder, medium length of leg, good not too heavy bone; forelegs should not be out at elbows, and be perfectly straight, but forefeet may be slightly turned out. Forefeet larger than hind feet. Legs must be covered with hard hair. Pads should be thick and strong and dog should stand well up on its feet. Body: Well muscled, strong, active body with well-sprung, deep ribs, with a level back of medium length, giving an impression of strength and activity without heaviness. Hindquarters: Strong Tail: In proportion to head, well furnished with hair but not feathery. Carried gaily but must not curl over back. Set on at back level.
HISTORIC SMALL "EARTH
DOGS," or terriers, as we now know them, have existed in the Western
Highlands and Islands of Scotland for close to 500 years. It is recorded that
every Scottish chieftain had his pack of hounds and his pack of terriers which
were used to control small fur-bearing vermin such as fox, otter, weasels, and
rodents. And while these "earth dogs" may have differed in
appearance from the modern Cairn, it is
Stronghold of the breed was the Isle of Skye, where it is reported that the purest strains were developed and had been known as working terriers since 1810. Thus it seemed appropriate that when the breed made its show debut at Inverness in 1909, the dogs should be classified as "Shorthaired Skyes." This name did not sit well with Skye Terrier adherents, who had laid claim to the "Skye" appellation many years before. A lengthy dispute followed, the issue finally being resolved when one of the breed's strongest supporters suggested that to persist in using "Skye" could lead to confusion. Or, even worse, it might give the impression this should be a long-bodied dog. In 1910 the committee charged with defining breed characteristics was persuaded to rename the breed the Cairn Terrier. Two years later the Cairn was granted official breed status by The Kennel Club (England). Since that time the breed has grown in popularity not only in Great Britain but throughout the world. Fanciers fondly call the Cairn "the best little pal in the world." The first Cairn Terrier was
imported into the United States by a Mrs. Price in 1913, and was registered
with the American Kennel Club. First Canadian registrations were recorded in
The Canadian Kennel Club Stud Book of 1920. Source: CANADIAN KENNEL CLUB
This site is best viewed at 1024 x 768 resolution Graphics, Photos and Texts - Copyright © [GRAFFITI perm reg'd].
|
Size:
Ideal size involves the weight, the height at the withers and the length of
body. Weight for bitches, 13 lb. (5.9 kg); for dogs, 14 lb. (6.4 kg). Height at
the withers-bitches, 91/2 in. (24cm); dogs, 10 in. (25cm). Length of body from
l41/2-l5 in. (37-38 cm) from the front of the chest 10 back of hindquarters. The
dog must be of balanced proportions and appear neither leggy nor too low to
ground; and neither too short nor too long in body. Weight and measurements are
for matured dogs at two years of age. Older dogs may weigh slightly in excess
and growing dogs may be under these weights and measurements.
assumed that it was from these
short-legged, game, and tenacious little dogs that the breed was developed.
Fanciers claim that the Cairn is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, breed
of pure British terrier.