A BREEDERS PERSPECTIVE ON JUDGING THE CAIRN TERRIER “ S eventy eight little haystacks to evalu- ate, and in the end I had learned this breed”, this if somewhat para- ity of the animal to perform its ancestral task. For the Cairn that defines desired attributes such as su ffi cient coat for protec- tion, lithe and agile structure and a height at the withers and su ffi cient back length for mobility in confined spaces. Also, of course, proportionally large teeth for both o ff ensive as well as defensive purposes. By Tom Godwin
that is often more interested in its sur- roundings than the coaxing of a judge for its attention. Th e desire to interact with other dogs in its “space” and the confi- dence to stand its ground speak the Cairn’s game and hardy demeanor. Th e Cairn should exude these three words in an atti- tude often seen in the group ring that says to a group of other terriers, ‘Come on and follow me.’ Can “active, game, hardy” be judged with a dog posed on a table for examination? If so then expression here is the key indicator, it’s the desired penetrat- ing “foxy” glance that reveals much about a Cairn’s possession of the sought after game and active nature so admired in the breed. While General Appearance defines the essence of breed type for a Cairn, many other conformational characteristics must be considered in evaluating the best breeding or show exhibit. As one would expect, the standard rather concisely describes proper eyes, nose, ears, mouth, tail and other anatomical features, many that are amplified in parent club clarifica- tions. Beyond these specific features how- ever are desired attributes that help define the quality of an exhibit. A Cairn Terrier, while often referred to as a member of the “Short Legged” class of terriers should not be viewed a short legged. Breeders are often quick to clarify that Cairns do not themselves have short legs in proportion to their overall body size and in fact point out that the word medium is used several times in the breed standard to stress that the breed should be viewed as one with no extremes. Cairn Terriers, as with several of their terrier cousins, developed from a linage of go-to-ground ancestors. While not all Cairns today have the opportunity to play out their natural instincts, evaluators of the breed should always reflect of the abil-
phrased quote, came from a breed semi- nar presented to the Cairn Terrier Club of America by the beloved judge Ms. Ann Rogers Clark, recalling her first size- able entry of Cairn Terriers to adjudicate. While few will ever possess the skills that Ms. Clark had mastered to evaluate breeds, I share her comment here as it was presented to remind us that no amount of preparation and study can substitute for knowledge gained by the opportunity to immerse your- self in the challenges faced in having to sort through a substantial breed entry. So with so few, or most likely no, opportunities for the majority of us to ever evaluate an entry the size just referred to, where can we look for the key to the essence of breed type. Th e AKC Cairn Terrier Breed Stan- dard (unchanged since 1938) seeks, as most standards do, to paint a word pic- ture in its opening “General Appearance” paragraph. All as breeders are challenged to produce animals that display the great- est number of these most essential char- acteristics. Beyond the described physical characteristics that can be more or less easily identified such as, profuse harsh coat, a head wide in proportion to muzzle length, and a well-proportioned body of medium back length, are the more subtle, and often elusive, especially when evaluat- ing in photographic terms, attributes that reveal the true character of the dog that is a Cairn Terrier. Th e more elusive, yet so essential to the proper nature of the Cairn, are traits revealed in the opening words of the standard; “active, game, hardy”. Th e three simple words may truly reveal themselves in the show exhibit
With any discussion of Type we must address the attributes of proper movement. Th e key here is clearly “no wasted motion”. Th e gait is free and easy, when viewed from the side, with no bounce in the top line and equal front reach as compared to rear drive. An extended front reach without compensating rear population results in wasted motion. Dogs should move along easily and not be “speed gaited” to create the appearance of greater ground covering action. Coming and going is most impor- tant and should be viewed as straight from the shoulder/hip to the ground with no side to side movement or structural weak- ness (cow hock). Cairns were not field dogs but rather the Crofter’s companion to bolt quickly between obstacles in search of vermin. In general appearance the Cairn car- ries a natural trim. Evened up, but nev- er scissored or sculpted, hair of a uni- form length of two inches over the body is desired. BIO Tom and his wife Karin have bred Cairns under the Terriwood prefix since 1985. Avid owner handlers the God- win’s are proud to have bred and shown nearly seventy champions including many multiple specialty and group winners. A true highlight is to have attained #1 in the breed five di ff erent years. Tom has served the CTCA as VP and Secretary as well as worked on Judges Education for many years.
4 )08 4 *()5 . "(";*/& + 6/& t
Powered by FlippingBook