Here are some fun and fascinating facts about the Cairn Terriers that will surely surprise a lot of people!
The name of this breed is inspired from the fact that these canines were used to hunt small sized games like rats, mice and other rodents in Scotland when they first came into existence. And the main hiding spots for these small games were the man-made pile of rocks which are known as cairns and they were used as road markers and memorials all over Scotland. These canines used to scare these rodents by barking at them until they came out of the cairns so that their owners could easily eliminate them. And eventually, these piles of rocks were used as an inspiration when deciding the official name for these canines and thus they were labeled as Cairn Terriers.
The forelegs of Cairn Terriers are quite different when compared to their hind legs. Their front paws are visibly large and have a bit more padding than their rear paws which helps them a lot while they are digging the ground. In the past, this used to aid them in hunting down small animals like rats which were hiding under the ground.
The average weight of the Cairn Terriers is only around 6-7 Kilograms. These pooches have an extremely compact and tiny body that was highly helpful to them while they hunted down small-sized animals in the olden times. These canines were able to slide through several burrows and narrow tunnels in order to catch their target and that was only possible because of their closely packed bodies.
It is highly speculated that one of the oldest strains of this breed was created by Captain Martin Macleod, who was a Scottish Highland Sportsman and also an otter hunter. He founded this breed nearly two centuries ago on the Isle of Sky and he even kept a pack of these canines for several years with him.
When the Cairn Terriers first came into existence, they were placed under the same group in which other breeds like Scottish Terriers and West Highland White Terriers were also present. This group and all these breeds were given the name Scotch Terriers because of their Scottish origin. It was only at the end of the 19th century that these breeds were separated and finally the Cairn Terriers were considered to be a distinct and unique breed.
The Cairn Terriers were eventually registered by the United Kennel Club in the year 1959. Although these pooches began to compete in various canine competitions in England in 1912 only.
Cairn Terriers are known to bark a lot. These pooches have a habit of expressing themselves through their voice or bark and they do this quite a lot of times in a day. For some owners, this habit of these canines is endearing but others may find them to be a bit noisy. But the good news is through proper training and guidance, their habit of excessive barking can be controlled to a certain extent.
Cairn Terriers are known to look after and guard their homes very efficiently almost all the time. These pooches are very territorial in nature and whenever they detect someone suspicious or new, they will readily alert their owners and family members. All in all, these small-sized pooches are terrific watchdogs that can protect their homes and property from intruders, trespassers, and burglars.
These canines only shed their fur in a moderate manner but as they do not produce a lot of dander, it keeps the allergen level very low which is highly crucial for the allergy sufferers. There are fewer chances for these canines to trigger an allergic reaction in those people who might get affected by a dog’s skin flakes or hair. And that is why these pooches are considered to be hypoallergenic dogs and thus it is a great breed for the allergy sufferers.
Toto, the dog who starred in the movie Wizard of Oz (1939) was a female Cairn Terrier whose real name was Terry. This pooch actually starred in almost 16 films but it was only credited for Wizard of Oz. She was born in 1933 and after 12 wonderful years, she passed on September 1, 1945.