Cairn Terrier

This peppy dog with the bottle-brush face was originally a friend to farmers. Even though he's small, he eagerly kept the farms of Scotland free from the predators of the farmers' livestock: otters, foxes, and rats.

The Cairn is closely related to the Scottish and West Highland White Terriers. All come from Scotland, and they often came from the same litters. Earlier in their histories, the types were defined as different from each other by color only.

Though the Cairn is small, he's not much for the pampered life. He is likely to wriggle out of laps or long hugs. He prefers to explore and play lively games, and can be equally happy in the city or on the farm. Ultimately, the Cairn deeply desires to be a part of his beloved family, even if he does seem independent at times.

The Cairn Terrier's wiry coat could blend with the Scottish landscape of rocks, heathers, and brush. Its colors include tans, browns, and grays, often with black sprinkled in.

Excerpts from the Standard

General Appearance: An active, fearless, sturdy, but small terrier; strong but not heavy.

Size, Proportion, and Substance: Height - males, 10 inches at the withers; females, 9 1/2 inches. Weight -males, 14 pounds; females, 13 pounds. Length from chest to tail -14 1/2 to 15 inches. These are the ideal sizes at two years of age.

Fun Facts

A cairn is a small monument made of stones piled into a mound. In Scotland, these were traditionally created as memorials to family members. They were also landmarks to guide travelers. Cairns provided handy places for small mammals to hide after robbing hen-houses or granaries. Farmers trained their terriers to invade the cairns to get at their "enemies."

The dog Toto in the movie The Wizard of Oz was a Cairn Terrier.

Excerpted from The Complete Dog Book For Kids © 1996, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.