Cairn Terrier Breed Magazine - Showsight

WITH PAM DAVIS, LYDIA COLEMAN HUTCHINSON, KENNETH KAUFFMAN, KARI LOKEN, DESI MURPHY, RICHARD POWELL & JOSEPH VERNUCCIO

JV: The dogs today are much sounder movers than 15 years ago. They have better bone and substance as well. The size has crept up a lot which is a concern for many purists, but the overall quality I feel is definitely up, not down. The importation of Scandinavian dogs has cer- tainly influenced this breed in the last 15 years. 5. Do you spar Cairns? Why or why not? PD: I ask exhibitors to bring their dogs out to look at each other but not to spar. LCH: Yes, I am a strong proponent of using the technique of having dogs spar or interact when I judge. It can make a world of difference in assessing the attitude and appear- ance of particular dogs. KK: Absolutely! The standard states that a Cairn should “...stand up on their toes and show with marked terrier characteristics.” There is no better way to see this than by sparring. KL: I do not; Cairns are a pack dog, to me sparring a Cairn does not accomplish anything. DM: I normally do not spar, unless I have a close decision to be made. Or I want the ringside to see some top speci- mens being compared together. JV: Sure, why not? When done correctly, a sparring Terrier that pulls itself together is a beautiful thing to watch. Sparring bitches is acceptable as long as the judge knows that they may not react the same way that males do. What I resent is when judges spar dogs without a pur- pose, put the dogs at risk of getting aggressive and don’t learn anything from the exercise. 6. What do you think new judges misunderstand about the breed? LCH: Very often Cairns are not given their due in Terrier Group competition, which is quite frustrating. Consider- ing the overall excellence of the breed, it seems unfair that they are not recognized more frequently. Possibly it is because they are not as fancy as some other Terriers. However, I would caution judges not to reward over- groomed and stylized Cairns.

were closer to the Standard for size. Many of today’s dogs are well over the size prescribed in the Standard. KK: They are definitely better, overall. Breeders are paying closer attention to construction and presentation. When I first started, many dogs looked like they had not had a comb run through their coats until right before the show. Breeders are also showing dogs with better fronts and rears. European, specifically Scandinavian imports have had a huge influence in correcting some of our structural problems. KL: I have been judging for a short time, so I would say the quality hasn’t changed. However, from when I started exhibiting and breeding Cairns the overall quality has lessened. I say this because over the years our breed, like many, have too many varying types, which saddens me. Type is essential to pure bred dogs. It is what makes each breed unique. When type varies too much, we end up with generic dogs. DM: Yes, I think we see more good Cairns today. American breeders have used some very good Scandinavian stock to improve our overall quality. So many of our top ones recently have come from Sweden. RP: The breed is in good shape. There are good Cairns everywhere. I think they have benefited from the imports of other countries, particularly in Scandinavia. I judged them in Sweden a few months back and I was blown away by the quality of the dogs shown there by several breeders. “THE BREED IS IN GOOD SHAPE. THERE ARE GOOD CAIRNS EVERYWHERE.”

“THE IMPORTATION OF SCANDINAVIAN DOGS HAS CERTAINLY INFLUENCED THIS BREED IN THE LAST 15 YEARS.”

S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , J ANUARY 2017 • 183

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