By Ryan Westlund Earthdog is the sport that most closely matches what our beloved Cairns were bred for—to go to ground and engage with quarry. Unfortunately, it is a perfor-mance sport with a steep learning curve— fewer dogs pass the lower levels than the higher levels! This means that a solid foundation and persistence are…
By Pam Davis, CGC and Trick Dog Evaluator Trick Dog events are one of the AKC’s fastest growing programs and Cairns love to perform tricks. Is there a trick dog living in your home? If you have a Cairn Terrier the answer is YES! Easy and fun, teaching a dog tricks can be rewarding for…
By Liz Carter, Barn Hunt Association Judge With over 20,000 dogs registered and competing through the United States and Canada, Barn Hunt is one of the fastest growing competitive dog sports in the country. The sport finds its roots in the traditional working roles of farm dogs and terriers alike in controlling small pests and…
By Gail Tranoy I have two dock diving cairns. One that was born to it and one that has struggled for three summers to learn to jump. It’s just like with people—some take to the water immediately, others don’t. My girl was easy. Her mother was the very first dock diving Cairn. Tink was in…
By Pat Joyce Ask anyone what colors Cairn Terriers can be and the fast answer is “Anything but white.” That description was the easy way to separate Cairns from Westies who can only be white. But every Cairn person knows the difficulty of explaining the colors of their dogs, especially to a potential pet owner…
By Cheri Eagleson, CTCA Foundation Trustee They may be as small as a poppy seed but we need to be alert to an increasingly common threat–tick-borne diseases (TBD). Ticks are a large health risk for many especially in the warmer months. Tick infectious diseases can be transmitted to dogs and humans. In tick-endemic areas, TBD…
By Ryan Westlund We all want a Cairn Terrier who exudes confidence, especially in the conformation ring and especially in males. But often in the breed ring, what we think is confidence is a sign of weak nerves, and as dog behaviorism permeates a new generation of judges, it’s going to start being seen that…
By Cathy Cardon On a warm spring afternoon, Lucy and I stand in front of a tall stockade gate in suburban Fort Collins, Colorado. On the other side of the gate is a panel of 3 judges who will observe Lucy and I perform all of the tasks required to become a therapy team. They…
By Cheri Eagleson, CTCA Foundation Trustee What Is Toxic Algae? Toxic algae is a real risk for dogs. Exposure can be fatal to dogs within 30 to 60 minutes. In 2019 canine deaths from toxic algae were reported in three US states: Florida, Texas and Georgia. The blue-green algae, also known as “cyanobacteria,” produce toxins…
By Cheri Eagleson, CTCA Foundation Trustee What is cancer? Cancer is a disease in which some of the body’s cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. Cancer can start almost anywhere in the body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, cells grow and multiply to form new cells…
