While the Cairn Terrier is certainly a very popular dog, owning one is not for everyone! The breed is extremely energetic, excitable, and notoriously stubborn. However, if you have the time and patience to breed a Cairn Terrier, it will be one of the most rewarding decisions you will ever make.
The first step in acquiring a new Cairn Terrier as a pet is to decide where you are going to get your dog. Would you rather get a puppy from a breeder or rescue an adult dog from a shelter? If you choose to go with a breeder, you should do your research. You wouldn’t buy a new car without checking out dealers, would you? When you find a breeder who has a litter, ask for references. Talk to people who have bought their puppies in the past. Be sure to get copies of the AKC record of the father and mother. These steps are important because the popularity of the Cairn Terrier has led many people to attempt to breed without the knowledge or experience necessary to make a quick buck. Irresponsible breeding can lead to a number of health and temperament problems in the future. For this reason, it is imperative that you thoroughly research your breeder.
If you decide you want to rescue a dog and adopt your Cairn Terrier from a shelter, you should always make sure the dog has been properly vaccinated beforehand. If you have children or other pets at home, you should bring them to the shelter to make sure your potential new dog doesn’t have any aggression issues. Sometimes adult dogs that weren’t raised with children or other animals can’t get used to living with them. Adult Cairn Terriers can be more difficult to train than puppies, and will certainly be harder to find at a shelter than through a breeder, but rescuing a dog will save a life and warm your heart.
To keep your Cairn Terrier happy and healthy, you need to provide plenty of exercise! These are one of the most energetic dog breeds out there. His appetite for physical activity is almost insatiable. You must be an active person to own a Cairn Terrier as they will certainly wear you down before they are tired. Long games of fetch or chase in the backyard will do wonders for keeping your Cairn happy and fit.
If you have a lot of rodents, birds, or other small wildlife in your area, you need to be prepared for your Cairn Terrier’s reaction. The smallest dog in the working group, the Cairn Terrier’s natural inclination is to hunt and kill small animals. This can be quite a hindrance if your Cairn is not leash trained and tries to pull you all over the park!
You should also make sure you “terrier-proof” your yard and home. Cairn Terriers love to chew and dig and are capable of destroying your favorite shoe or burrowing right under your back fence and escaping! The best ways to curb this behavior are by placing chewable objects out of reach or by pouring cement at the base of exterior fences to make digging impossible. Although there are many measures to prevent your Cairn Terrier from getting into trouble, the most important is constant supervision. Never leave a Cairn unattended outdoors or you’ll likely never see it again!