Welcome to Hannah's Page for the Dogs! Here you can find out everything needed to know about Cairn Terriers. I have a Cairn of my own named China. There's a picture of her above. China is amazing, and she is sweet and loving to everyone, just like all Cairns. And in case you didn't know, the little dog, Toto, from the Wizard of Oz, was a Cairn Terrier! Now I hope you enjoy my site and learn a thing or two from it!
~~THE FACTS~~
Cairn Terriers originated in Scotland. The Scotish people trained Cairns to chase down and kill rats and other rodents that hid in houses. Today, if you take a Cairn out for a walk and it sees a squirrel, rabbit, etc., hang on beacause this dog will chase after it like a rocket. Cairns can hurt there neck doing this chasing, so it's best to get a harness for your Cairn because the Cairn Terrier has a wild natural instinct!
~~BUYING A CAIRN~~
There's not a lot to say about buying a Cairn. But if you buy your Cairn from a pro breeder or someone fancy like that, it's going to cost you. It's going to cost you because it will cost something between 500-800 dollars. But I got my Cairn out of the paper from a lady who had to many dogs to keep. In fact, my dog was free! But if you're looking to buy a Cairn, good luck!
~~CARING FOR A CAIRN~~
To keep a Cairn happy, you're going to need these things: bowls for food and water, food that is quality brand, brushes and combs, a crate, bedding (old blankets or towels), urine cleaner, a collar, leash and nametag, and toys. Some toys are dangerous for Cairns though. Since Cairns were taught to kill rodents, they have extremely powerful jaws, and with these powerful jaws, a Cairn can rip up toys and swallow them, choke, and maybe even die if you don't get to a vet fast enough. So for safety, don't get your Cairn these toys: bones, rawhides, rubber things, or squeaky things. But you are allowed to get these toys: durable rubber balls, rope toys with knots at both ends, Kongs, fuzzy balls, fabric throwing disks, and fleece or fuzzy animal shaped toys. And remember to brush your Cairn everyday to prevent ticks and flees.
~~TRAINING~~
To get a Cairn to come, just slap your leg and loudly say, "Come!" If your Cairn doesn't get it the first time, hold on to it's collar and walk it around from one spot to another and continue saying "Come!" To get your Cairn to stay, just say, "Stay!" and walk away. If your Cairn doesn't get it the first time, say,"No, Boy/girl!" and try again. To get your Cairn to sit, just push it's lower back down and say, "Sit!" Your Cairn will get this command through it's head pretty quickly, so don't worry. Okay, then. That's pretty much everything a Cairn should know.
~~EXERCISES AND ACTIVITIES~~
Cairns don't need much excercise. At least two walks everyday should do it. But if you ever go to a playground or something, let your Cairn go down the slide, run around and do what it needs to do. But if you have extra time do something with your Cairn. Tell your Cairn you love it by giving it a treat every time it goes poop outside for you (and if your Cairn goes poop or pee inside the house, don't worry, my Cairn pooped twice, peed twice, and throwup once indoors). Thanks!
