which had no name. Various nomen- clature was assigned to them and dis- carded when these names conflicted with names used by other breeds. With much discussion in the doggy press of the day, finally the name Cairn Terrier was settled on. From that time forward, the Cairn Terrier has stood alone as the “original” old working terrier of Skye, closest in type to the dog the crofters on Skye depended upon to rout the badger and otter from their land. This dog shared the crofter’s fare, meager as it might have been and worked tirelessly in the cold and wet terrain with him. GENERAL APPEARANCE The Cairn is a study in contrasts—he is a “big” dog in a small package; noth- ing about the dog is delicate. He has a medium length of leg—neither short nor long. There should be some day- light under the Cairn. He is a working terrier and needs sufficient length of leg to climb or jump over rough terrain. A great word picture was created when one of the founders of the breed, Mrs. Alastair Campbell, was quoted as saying “They should be light-footed and almost dance along... like polo ponies, sturdy but light in their action and body.” Thus, a Cairn should be lithe, flexible and athletic. BODY AND LEGS The Cairn’s ribs extend well back on his body and the ribs are joined to a strong loin and connected to well-mus- cled hindquarters. He has a medium length of back, decidedly not a short back which would give the impression of squareness. The Cairn is not square. His body length is one and one-half times his height. This medium length of back is essential for a dog that must leap and bound and more critically, be able to turn around inside a cramped earth- en tunnel in order to exit the burrow. The body is strong and substantial, not weedy or coarse. The ribcage is well sprung and tapers to a heart shape, neither barrel shaped nor slab sided. The ribs extend well back on the body and the rib cage should extend to the elbow in a mature dog. The breastbone
should not be too soft, though they may be somewhat softer than the body coat. The eye of a Cairn Terrier is oval in shape, medium in size, widely spaced and deep set, under a brow that creates a pronounced stop. They are not round or prominent. The color is dark hazel. Ear placement is critical to the Cairn’s expression. They are placed on the corners of the skull, not too close together, nor too far apart and they should be carried erectly, at attention. Ideally, the tips of the ears and nose should form an equilateral triangle along which the eyes are aligned. The top one third to one half of the ear should be free of long hair and covered with short velvety hair. The tail of a Cairn is moderate in length, straight, thick and strong, set on at back level. It should be well fur- nished with dense hair and should appear much thicker at the base, taper- ing to the tip. Carriage should be up, though not necessarily vertical and it should never curl over the back. All Cairns should carry their tail above the horizontal when gaiting. MOVEMENT The Cairn should move freely and easily, on a loose lead. There should be good reach in front and power- ful drive from the rear, producing a smooth, ground-covering, effortless movement, with no bouncing of the topline. When viewed from the front, the legs should be a straight column of bones. From the rear the legs should be a straight column, hocks turning nei- ther in nor out and hocks should flex enough to see the pads from behind the dog. The footfall may converge slightly with faster movement, but the straight column from hip to pad should be main- tained. The overall impression should be that of a dog that can trot smoothly and efficiently all day, climbing over piles of rocks, digging for prey. THE ALL-IMPORTANT COAT It is hard to overemphasize how important a Cairn’s hard, profuse dou- ble coat is to the dog’s survival in his native element. Its purpose is to prevent cold and wet from penetrating to the
should be clearly discernible. Length of loin is medium, strong and supple, giv- ing the dog the necessary flexibility to turn in a tight tunnel and to maneuver among the stones and outcroppings of his native habitat. The neck length is medium. The topline is level and the tail is set on at back level. There should be a prominent point of buttocks beneath the tail, extending out beyond the set on of the tail. Well-developed mus- cles should be obvious, especially in the hindquarters. The shoulders are well laid back and fit smoothly on the body, so that the neck and shoulders are smoothly joined. The upper arm should be approximate- ly the same length as the shoulder blade and it should be joined at a 45-degree angle to the shoulder blade. Legs are medium length and should be covered with hard hair of moderate length. Bone in the leg, as in the rest of the Cairn, is medium. Feet must be thick, toes well arched with large, short and strong, black nails. Forelegs are per- fectly straight, but the feet may turn out slightly. Rear legs must be well muscled and the angulation should match that of the front quarter. Hocks are short, per- pendicular to the ground and turn nei- ther in nor out, the rear feet falling only slightly behind a straight line dropped from the point of buttocks. Most importantly is the word “Medi- um.” This is essential in describing the Cairn. He must be balanced and pro- portionate in every aspect. The Cairn should always be considered a working dog, with a natural appearance. He is moderate in every way, without exag- geration in any part. DETAILS The Cairn Terrier’s head is medium in size, like everything else about the Cairn, balanced and in proper propor- tion to the body. The expression is full of life, intelligent and keen. Both skull and muzzle should be broad in propor- tion to length, with a pronounced, deep stop between the eyes. The muzzle is full, holding a full set of large, strong teeth in a scissor or level bite. The fur- nishings on the skull and muzzle serve to shield the dog from briars and thus
S how S ight M agazine , J uly 2018 • 199
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